Echo Lake Dog Park

Taking a nap!

I’m tired!

After a morning spent at the Echo Lake Dog Park, I needed to come home and rest a while.

The park is a great place! They are doing a lot of work on it and its starting to look fantastic. The people up there are so sweet and Dad always seems to find some nice people to talk to. I love it when he brags about me as it makes me feel so special. He tells them how Mom and he rescued me and how I have grown to be so close to them…(him anyway!)

I love it so much I just want to sit there and look pretty for him!

It’s not that I was running around that much, as I don’t really like chasing the other dogs or especially when they chase me. I don’t really need the excersice as much as some of those tubby wubbies I saw up there.  Dad wants me to exercise so I stay in shape and keep my hips strong since we Shepherds are known for bad hips. Girls don’t want too much muscle so I’m trying to do just enough to keep my cute figure without bulking up and looking too brutish.

Dad thinks that because I don’t run around like the other maniacs that I’m not having fun. This isn’t true! I just don’t think a lady should lower herself to such outrageous behavior.

The Entry Sign

There are a few dogs that I like to hang out with more than others. Today there was this really big Great Dane that freaked me out a bit. He was HUGE! I thought I was a big dog but now I know I’m not that big and I’m also not that tough either. He was even bigger than the Newfoundland that was there on Tuesday even though they both drooled about the same. There were some little dogs there that seem much tougher and braver than I am but I tried to ignore them. I must look just tough enough that nobody really bothers me. Thank God nobody tries to do that unmentionable thing behind me…I don’t allow that AT ALL!

I just wanted to stay by Dad’s side and make sure the other dogs did not come too close to him unless I gave them clearance.

Dad likes that I stay so close to him all of the time. I would never think of running off or anything. I want him to know that I’m his dog 101%.

There were some nice little Corgis there today along with their brother that was part Beagle and part Pomeranian. Their names were Emerson, Amelia, Diogenes, and Theodore. When they got home they were nice enough to write me a note on my previous blog entry. I love dogs that are nice enough to drop me a note on my blog. I work hard on it and it means a lot.

If you’re ever in the neighborhood you should come by the park. We’re there most mornings around 9am. There is another White Shepherd named Marley that is there later in the morning. I really want to meet her but then there would be some competition for me and I always like to be the prettiest girl at the ball.

Bye for now.

Advertisement

Brendan’s Meadows Stinks!

I don’t really like this Brendan’s Meadows thing anymore.

Sure I liked it when they rescued me, but now that my new friend Cleo is up for adoption and might leave me, I’m really kind of bummed out about it.

Cleo is the only one of our pack that plays with me. Gandalf can’t stand me and just wants to be left alone. Sam plays but not really. He would rather be with Mom and Dad than play with me. I stopped being so rough on him but he still doesn’t like it when I pin him down and make him beg for mercy. I think it’s a fine game but he doesn’t.

I know that Mom and Dad really don’t want to keep collecting dogs and that they need to prove to themselves and the world that they can actually take in a dog and put it up for adoption. I guess I should just be happy that they decided to keep me.

When I came along I was a mess compared to Cleo. I had no fur on my legs, I was way underweight and I was very unsure about people and other dogs. Now, thanks to the love that they gave me, my fur is in tip top shape, I’ve put on just enough weight to no longer look like a waif (Although I’m staying at this weight since I’m looking pretty good) and I get along great with other dogs now that Dad takes me to the Echo Lake Dog Park and I’m learning that most other dogs are tons of fun.

Poor Cleo. She’ll be missed but I’m glad it’s her and not me.

Cleo posing for her adoption photo

Hopefully they will take in another dog quickly so I’ll get a new playmate. In fact, I was on Pet Finder looking at the male white shepherds. There are a few cute ones that maybe Mom and Dad would consider. As long as don’t get any Chihuahuas.

I hope that wherever she goes that she likes it and has other dogs to play with. I also hope that I’ll get to see her again soon. I hear that Brendan’s Meadows gives away lifetime boarding with any adoption. Since I’m the official mascot, I guess I’ll be around to see all of them when they come back for a visit.

Maybe Brendan’s Meadows only stinks a little.

Dad’s been writing about me…

He must love me a ton!

The story is about how wonderful I am!

August Update

Bonjour!

Comment allez-vous?

I am now convinced that White Shepherds are actually French Shepherds as opposed to German Shepherds since we are so pure and lovely.

That’s what dad says!

My dad speaks to me in French a lot lately and it’s so wonderful!

He says that I am Le Magnifique and Tres Bon and I love it so much!

Because he has been so nice to me, I am treating him especially well at the school that we are going to. He doesn’t realize it but I did a very similar schooling when I was with my original family so I already know everything that they are teaching us. As such, I am agreeing to this inane pageantry because its soooo easy. I am making him think that he is somehow enlightening me just to make him feel good. For now anyway…

School has actually been fun. The gentleman running the school, Jim, used to work with police dogs. Jim can see that I am truly from a superior breeding stock and he uses me from time to time to show the other dogs “how its done”. They all drop their jaws in amazement when they see how well I can do things. Plus, the other dogs all give me a little extra respect because when I go back to my dad and act like I completely forgot what I just demonstrated for Jim in front of the entire class, they know that I am truly an Alpha!.

About things at home…

I have been taking it easy on Sam lately because he knows where his bread is buttered!

Gandalf and I have decided to accept that neither one of us is going to leave so we are trying a bi-partisan approach to being Alpha. I’m not saying that he’s my boyfriend or anything, but since we are co-Alphas, we kind of have to keep up appearances. Plus, since there are no other male dogs to challenge him, especially Sam, we are forced to live out this co-Alpha relationship until either he croaks or until a more dominant male comes along.

And, since I don’t think that he’s going to croak anytime soon and since I don’t think that Mom and Dad are going to get another dog for a while, I guess we’re going to have to live like this for a while. It’s kind of like going to the prom with your brother!

Dad keeps telling everyone that I need a dog my age and size to play with. I second that! The big Doberman that Jim the trainer owns looks like he would be fun to roll around with but he’s wound a little tightly even for me! One time he stared me down for what seemed like an eternity and I am convinced that he was parting my fur with his eyes. I felt so cheap! I barked at him to stop it and he just continued to stare and stare. It was creepy but kind of alluring all at the same time! I’m not sure if I want dad to set up a play date or not.

Dad’s back yard is coming along nicely and I work with him whenever he’s out there. I check for landmines and then he gives me a bath. It’s weird how that works. I never seem to find a landmine but he always gives me a bath. I wonder what he would do if I actually found a landmine?

I go on incredibly long walks with dad at least a few times a week. We go all the way to Cranford and sometimes stop for a snack along the way. It still freaks me out when cars drive by fast and I think that I want to chase them. The more and more that we walk, the less and less that I want to chase them. Now they just seem like an annoyance and I wonder why people don’t walk more like dad and I do. I love when we meet other walkers, especially when they have other dogs for me to show off to. I used to show them how I could growl and bark and jump up and down to the point that I would almost knock my father over. After he told me that all I needed to do was to look their way, turn my nose up and show them my aristocratic gate, I have found that it really does drive the other dogs crazy and telegraphs my superior genetics from a mile away.

Dad says that I can be a little arrogant at times, even for a Princess. I keep trying not to be but it’s hard! He says things like “just imagine if you had a curly tail” or “not every dog can be as cute as you” and I eventually realize that I need to be more humble.

Dad wrote a few versus to a song that he wants to sing just for me. I think that he’s amazingly talented for coming up with such a crafty tune…he says that he has a few more versus to go but this is what he has so far.

Oh lord its hard to be humble
When you sure ain’t no average stray
I can’t wait show ‘em my white fur
And make ‘em all look or’ my way

Some say I’m just a white princess
I don’t even know what that means
I guess it’s got something to do with
The way that I sniff at your jeans

 
With that I will leave you for now. Everything here seems to be wonderful.

A la prochaine!

Salut!

June Update

Time for an update…

It’s hard to believe that I’m still here!

It’s been well over a month and I’m really settling in. I like my brothers and we are getting along much better lately. I still don’t like when Gandalf wants to jump up on a chair or a couch as nobody should be higher than the Princess.

I like to play with Sam since he’s the only one who puts up with my 2 year old playfulness. He’s like my own personal play-toy and since he never growls or fights back its great.

Dad has been working out in the back yard doing some landscaping. As it turns out, I like to play in the dirt! I never knew this because I was never allowed on the grass at my old house which is when the electric collar would zap me. Now I run around on the grass and jump all over the dirt piles that dad is making. For some reason every time I play in the dirt he then squirts me with the hose and gives me a bath. I don’t mind baths as I mentioned in my earlier post.

He keeps saying that white dogs should not play in the dirt…I did not know that he was prejudice.

Mom and Dad have both gotten frustrated with me when I play too rough with my brothers. They also get mad when I decide to help myself to any food that I think looks or smells tasty. They should get higher countertops if they don’t want me checking out their food!

Dad was making some homemade lasagna one night and I simply could not resist the bowl of freshly cooked ground chicken. That got me locked out on the deck for about an hour while he cooked up another batch. At least he didn’t hit me but I was thinking that he wanted to.

Speaking of chicken, I have been able to catch some small birds in the back yard and eat them. They don’t taste as good as the chicken that dad cooks and their feathers tickle my throat when they go down. Nevertheless they make a nice snack.

I heard mom and dad talking about taking me to school. It starts next Tuesday. They must want me to teach the other dogs about being a Princess. I’ll let you know how that goes.

As far as my happy tail, its almost gone. The fur on my legs is getting better too. Dad powders me with Gold Bond every night before bed. I love it when he does this. I lay down right away when I see the bottle of powder. First he does one side of me and then when he tells me to I flip right over and let him do the other side. He sings me songs when he powders me and I really like that. One song he sings goes like this:

There once was a dog named Meadow
She was very pretty don’t you know
She came to live in Clark and is never going to go
Because mommy and daddy love her so…

It almost puts me to sleep as he sings it to me…

I love it here so much! I am going to protect them as well as I can and make sure that nobody ever comes and takes them away from me or takes me away from them…

Dad has been trying to learn French and has been speaking to me in French too…I prefer German but French is ok…at least it’s not Yiddish.

I learned how to say hello… “Bonjour” and how to say what I would like to eat now… “Comme plat principal, je voudrais le bifteck.”

…for some reason I keep getting kibble…

Ce n’est pas ce que j’ai commandé.

Arrevoir and Adeiu

Mademoiselle Meadow

Settling in nicely…

It’s been a few weeks now so I thought it was time for an update.

John and Kerry (Mom and Dad now) went away last weekend for Memorial Day and I got to stay at home with Sam, Gandalf and their friend Teri. Teri was very nice to come and stay with us. I know that Sam and Gandalf usually go to Kerry’s sister’s house but since I am new on the scene, Mom and Dad wanted to keep me home.

Dad took me to the vet on Thursday to have my Happy Tail looked at. I saw a vet that Dad had never met by the name of Dr. Loree Flora, DMV. She was fantastic! First of all she told Dad how much she loved White Shepherds and how her grandparents had one; that made me feel special.

She cut the hair off of the tip of my tail and then again a little farther up. She showed Dad how to wrap it using the upper spot as an anchor. Dad looked confused at first but then I think he got it. Afterwards he was on the phone telling Kerry that for $55 he now knows how to wrap a dog’s tail but I think he really appreciated the lesson even if it cost a lot. When he had tried earlier, it flew off after only a wag or two.

Dr. Flora looked me over and told me that I was a really pretty girl….I want to go to see her from now on! She appreciates me for being the Shepherd that I am…Her associate, that I saw last time, didn’t like me nearly as much.

I learned how to open the front door yesterday, which I did when I saw a mean dog across the street that I wanted to teach a lesson to. Unfortunately I did not realize that there was a fence in front of me that I needed to go around to get to the dog. By the time I realized that, Kerry was grabbing my harness and dragging me back inside.

I think I scared that dog pretty good though!

Now that the mean dog knows that I’m on the job and that they better show some respect when they are walking in front of our house, we can all sleep better at night.

We Shepherds don’t mess around you know.

I’m starting to settle down with Sam and Gandalf. Gandalf is definitely the man of the house so I’m content with being number two. However, I can’t help myself and I pick on Sam to make sure he knows that he’s on the bottom of the totem pole. He doesn’t seem to resist my dominance but every time that I turn around he’s steeling my pig’s hoof or getting love from Mom and Dad…I’ll have to continue to put him in his place.

For some reason Kerry doesn’t like it when I do that….

Dad is going to give me a bath to try and help me with my skin problems. They thought I had the mange but it’s only a little irritation from not using the right kind of shampoo and conditioner. I’ll let you know how that goes. I think John is going to bathe me this week but its been a little cold outside so I think he’s waiting.

I heard Dad say that he was going to bathe Sam too, but when I mentioned it to Sam he only started to cry and yell out “Not the hot acid treatment! What did I do to deserve that?”

Things are going great so hopefully I’ll get to write from time to time as I go on adventures with Mom, Dad  and my new brothers.

Until later, ciao baby!

Happy Tail is not a bad thing…

It’s been more than a week now since I moved in with John, Kerry, Sam and Gandalf and I have to say that I am very happy.

I have been so very happy that I have developed a condition called Happy Tail. Since my tail is unusually long, and since I have been wagging it so much more than usual, I have split it open on the tip and when I wag it blood goes everywhere!

I feel bad about making a mess but it shows them how happy I truly am!

John tried to wrap it in gauze, and I was very good when he tried, but as soon as I wagged it the gauze and the tape went flying off making John rather upset.

I seem to be putting some weight on and my ribs are a little less noticeable. When I went to the vet last week the doctor gave me a clean bill of health and told me to gain 10 pounds. He told me to keep taking the medicine that I am on to help my skin condition which seems to be getting better every day.

I could tell that the doctor did not like shepherds because he kept referring to us as if we had issues. I am going to show him that even though I like to protect my owners, I am actually very friendly and loving once they tell me that it’s ok. I don’t know why I want to protect them so much but I can’t help myself. Part of me wants to make sure that nobody ever takes me away from them now that I have found people who love me so much.

Sam and Gandalf are treating me very well too. Sam lets me drag him around by his collar and I put my mouth around his neck like I am a wild wolf dog or something but he knows that I am only playing and that I would never really hurt him. He just freezes and lets me do my thing. I like that.

I have decided that Old Man Mr. Mooney is nothing but a grumpy ol’ fart and even though he likes me he does not want to play with me. I try to play with him but he just barks at me and tells me to leave him alone. Oh well.

They want me to go in the basement with them at night when they are all down there watching TV but I like to stay upstairs and guard them all. Plus, when I was with my previous owners they would lock me in the basement for days at a time. As such, I don’t care for basements very much but in time I might decide to go down and hang out with them. It sure sounds like they are all relaxing and having fun. Plus, it sounds like there is an enormous stash of bones down there that I will eventually want to get my paws on. So far nobody has brought any up for me to enjoy.

I have been meeting lots of John and Kerry’s friends and I have to say that they are all very nice people. Everyone has been giving me lots of love and presents when they come to see me. I can see being very happy here for many years to come.

 That’s all for now.

Princess Meadow signing out.

I have arrived!

What an amazing week last week was!

My former owners had been fighting and fighting for the longest time. They were forgetting to feed me and all of the ruccous made me very upset. I dropped lots of weight and got down to only 65 pounds.

They dropped me off at Shake-a-Paw in Union on Route 22. The people there were very nice but it was a pretty crazy place to try and live when you are a Princess like me.

Being a shepherd, I felt compelled to guard all of the puppies so I was pretty busy there most of the time.

John and Kerry came by with their two dogs Sam and Gandalf and even though I needed to bark at Gandalf to let him know that I was a Princess and he barked back to let me know that he was a King, we eventually settled down and took a walk together around the building.

Having been trained with electric fences, I am very afraid of grass as that is where I usually got a really bad shock. We stuck to the pavement and Gandalf, Sam and I had a nice stroll.

All of a sudden, I was on my way to their house. I got to sit in the front seat because I AM a Princess. Did I mention that?

For the last two days I have been getting used to my new home. I have learned to use the dog door and I have walked on the grass in the back yard a little more each time I go out. I sleep on my own bed in Kerry’s room where Gandalf has his own chair that looks awfully comfy. I’ll let him keep it for a while.

They have been feeding me like the Princess that I am and I hope to be back up to my modeling weight of about 90 pounds really soon. They are going to take me to the doctor on Thursday to make sure that I’m doing ok.

John and Kerry are much nicer than my prior owners. They don’t put me in a crate, they give me lots to eat and even though they have two other dogs, they are giving me lots of love.

More than I’ve ever had before!

I hope to write more soon…I may be busy though…it’s not easy being a Princess.

Lots of licks!

Meadow