2 months later....

Today's post is brought to you by yours truly, Minnie!  My mom said she is embarrassed that she hasn't kept up with the blog in 2 months, so she wanted me to get on here and let everyone know that everything is a-ok!  

This summer has been busy with my parents preparing for the arrival of this "baby."  I don't know who or what this person is, but she is sure taking up a lot of my parents' time!  My mom and dad keep telling me that my sister is coming and I better behave myself and be nice to her.  I will try, but I can't guarantee anything!  I haven't been helping out with the baby stuff too much, but I do like to go in her room, sniff everything, roll around on the carpet, and leave some good fur balls behind.  That way this baby knows that I was here FIRST!  

This weekend I had a new friend come over to play - Chase the Yellow Lab.  He was fun and I'm pretty sure he's my boyfriend now.  We played for about 4 hours straight, and then we sat nose-to-nose with our paws on top of each other's.  If that doesn't say true love, I don't know what does.  The only bad part is that Chase is quite the drooler, so he soaked up my entire neck and head with his slobber and I had to get a bath the next day.  But that's ok, because you have to make sacrifices for the one you love, right?

Lately I've been a little mopey because I've hardly been getting any walks and I'm not sure about this baby business.  However, my mom says she's proud of me because I've been protective of my house and woofing at whoever rings the doorbell!  So what if I also woof when there's a doorbell ringing on tv...I mean who can tell the difference?

Here's a picture of me and a book about a dog that looks like me - it's for my baby sister.  I hope she likes it because I want her to learn about "my people" (golden retrievers!)  I am going to be the lone golden representative in a house full of humans, so I have to represent!  WOOF!

Dogs are People, Too!

Today's post is a short one, but I felt like I had to share it.  Below is a story about a high school's comfort dog who recently retired.  He made such a big impact that the students felt like he was "one of them."  And of course....the dog is a golden :)

http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2013/06/retiring-comfort-dog-honored-with-yearbook-photo/

Missin' Bea

Minnie never had the chance to meet Bea, the beloved family golden retriever (and Minn's predecessor).  Today is actually the anniversary of when Bea passed away 5 years ago.  It doesn't seem like that much time has gone by, especially since I always feel like Bea's going to come running down the driveway or come to greet me at the back door whenever I visit my parents. 

Bea is the dog who fueled my family's love of goldens, and we feel like no dog will ever compare to her!  It's funny that Minnie and Bea are the same breed, because they have totally different personalities!  But I think that's a good thing, because Bea was Bea and Minn is Minn.  

May 28, 2008 was a rough day, and I don't really like to think about it.  Bea was a great dog though, and I had 11.5 awesome years with her!  If Bea were still around, I'm sure Minnie would follow her around everywhere and be her annoying "kid sister."  They would make quite the pair!  

Bea, I want you to know that we're thinking about you today (and most days) and we all miss you a lot!  You were everyone's best friend and the sweetest dog we ever knew!

Here is Bailey - known to most as Bea 

Minnie's Updates

Minnie's had herself a nice little month so far!  While Husband and I were in Florida for a week, Minn got to spend the week with her BFF, Jack. 

Smiley and serious!

I guess when she's a guest at someone else's house, she likes to "tidy up" to make sure she gets invited back. Here's what I mean:

Minn's clean-up job

Apparently she went through the entire house, collected every single toy (even the ones that weren't hers), and piled them all in her bed! She is such a weirdo!

Minnie also got groomed for the first time last weekend, and she looks SUPER cute!  I asked the groomer how she did (I was expecting her to say, oh Minnie was great!) But she just answered with a, "Well....she was.....silly."  I can only imagine what Minnie did...I probably don't want to know.  The groomer did mention that Minnie was a very "licky girl." She licked the scissors they were using to trim her ears, and cut her tongue! Minn!  

This past weekend, after I dragged poor Minn on a long walk on an extremely humid, hot day, she decided that some relaxation was in order.  So she invited herself onto the lounge chair I was sitting on (when I got up to get a drink) and had herself a nice little chew up there!

Hi Mom! I stole your chair!

There's not much else too interesting to report.  My birthday's on Thursday...I hope Minnie got me something great! ;)

Something's Going on Here...

Hello world - this blog is coming to you straight from me, Minnie! My mom has been majorly slacking on the blog (which in turn makes ME look bad), so I decided to take over the keyboard today!

What's been going on the past couple months, you ask? Well, it has been raining a lot! It even snowed back in March! My mom says that is weird, but all I know is that I had a blast playing in the snow with my dad! The funny thing is, the day before it snowed was warm and great. My mom and dad took me to the park. Here's a picture of us gals on the park bench:

I even visited the Kirkwood Amphitheater and sat in the audience with my dad! I don't know what I was supposed to be looking at though...there was nothing going on on stage!

So that was one day...now here is a picture of the next day:

Crazy! As much fun as the snow is, I am glad it's gone because that means it's almost summer...and that means more walks and outdoor fun!  My mom's been annoyed that it keeps raining though, because that means our kitchen floor is always dirty and there's always mud in various places throughout the house (compliments of me!)  She got me and my cousin Jack these tasty cookies...so I don't think I mind the rain if I get cookies like this!

So you might be wondering about the title of this post. I have to tell you, something is going on in our house, and I'm not sure how I feel about this!  A few weeks ago my parents told me that I am going to be getting a new sister in September. At first I was excited, because that meant I would have a new friend to rough-house with and play with in the backyard!  Then my mom told me that my new sister is not going to be a dog like me...she's going to be a HUMAN BABY.  What the heck? I thought I was the baby of the household!  I am the cutest, funnest, cutest, best member of the family! I don't want to be replaced! My mom tried to reassure me that no one could ever replace her little Minn, but I don't know about that. I hear these babies get all the attention and us dogs get left in the dust!

To make sure my parents don't forget about me, I've been being a little "coo coo" lately.  Some things I like to do to get my parents' attention are:

1)Stealing shoes and putting them in my bed:

2) Acting like a mad woman in my dad's office while he's on the phone:

3) Not eating my food and showing sad, pathetic looks like this one:

I think maybe my tricks are working, too! The other day my parents got me a new stuffed animal friend named Roary (who I love), and they fed me kernels of food while I laid on the floor like a princess! I will keep you posted on this baby business...I have a lot of ideas up my sleeve this summer to make sure my parents don't forget about me. Watch out world, Sneaky Minn is here to stay!

Get Out of Here, Winter!

The date may say March 1, but you wouldn't know it by looking outside! For about the third or fourth time in a week, it is snowing. Which means every time we let Minnie out, she comes back in soaking wet, muddy, and cold. Plus, poor Minn hasn't gotten to go on many walks lately because of all this snow, and she sure is getting restless!  As much as I hate the snow, it is pretty funny to watch Minn galloping through it and digging around with her nose...she certainly enjoys it!

Nothing too exciting has been going on in Minn-world lately. A couple weeks ago her cousin Jack came to stay with us, and Minn had a blast. Jack, on the other hand, probably could've done with some more snoozing time and less "Minn in my face" time.  As you can tell from the picture below, Minnie likes to steal whatever Jack is playing with.  It doesn't matter that there's 2 other bones laying next to him, Minnie has to steal the EXACT bone Jack's chewing. What a punk! We tried to teach her about sharing her toys...it was a lost cause. Poor Jack!

Quit being a brat, Minn!

Other updates - Minnie has been sleeping mostly in her bed instead of her crate, which is great because we're looking forward to moving that honkin thing out of our living room!  Initially when we got her bed, she would get up at 2 am and "party" as we called it (squeak her toys and run around the house). So for awhile, she was still sleeping in the crate. But we've gradually been letting her stay in her bed and I think she's really getting used to it.  If we don't put the gate up in the hallway (to block her off from the back of the house), she'll wander around in the dark and steal shoes out of the guest room closet!  

Minnie got a bath last week but we're thinking her next cleaning might have to be done by a groomer...she just has too much fur!  Plus she's starting to look a little shaggy.  She's never been groomed before so I'm wondering what she'll do...I wish they could videotape it!

Maybe when I get groomed I'll get some cool hair clips, like this one my mom put on me!

Look how fluffy my "vest" is!

Worn Out

A couple weekends ago Minnie went to the farm with Husband...I didn't go, but from what I hear, she had a glorious time!  One of the highlights of her trip was when she jumped into the half-frozen lake and went swimming!  We think this little incident also caused her to get Swimmer's Tail - look it up, it's a real thing!  Apparently when dogs go swimming in freezing cold water they can pull a muscle in their tail, which is VERY painful.  We noticed something was up with Minnie after she walked around all day with her tail between her legs, like she was scared of something. I guess it hurt her so much that she couldn't wag!  

I am glad to report that now everything seems to be better, and Minn is back in tip-top wagging form!

Below - a picture of Minnie after her return from the farm. She put herself right to bed as soon as she got home...we felt like she needed some comfy blankets to cuddle up with. Oh Minn.....

Shh, baby's sleeping!

The Nose Knows

The word on the street (aka Husband told me) is that Minnie had a dead rabbit in her mouth today. Did she kill it herself? We will never know...

What we do know is that Minnie's been sniffing out some strange backyard creatures lately.  This morning she was barking at a crow, and last weekend she stood as still as a statue and watched a raccoon up in a tree.  When she's not watching the other animals like a hawk, she can normally be found eating their poop. Sick!  We still love her anyway!

Minn's cold, wet sniffer

The Creep

This is a picture from Christmas. (It's blurry because I never really asked anyone if they wanted their picture on a blog, oh well...) Anyways, if you might've noticed, Minnie decided to invite herself to the family picture, because we all know she never misses a photo op. 

I like this picture for several reasons:
1. It looks like she's some weird creep/lurker who just happened to wander in another family's photo
2. She's not looking at the camera, so it makes her seem even more like a creep.
3. It's always hilarious when animals photo bomb pictures
4. I'm pretty sure she knew what she was doing here (she meant to mess up their picture).

Oh Minnie, I hope you enjoyed your moment of fame! She also got to enjoy some "holiday time" on our bed on Christmas. Husband hates when she gets on the bed, but since it was a holiday, we let her up there. I think she took a nap on it for 3 hours straight. What a life!

More Than a Cute Face

I saw something about this on tv and then I found this article...it's so sweet!

These support dogs traveled from Chicago to Newtown, CT to help people overcome their grief from the tragedy last week. Dogs really do bring people comfort, joy and hope, even during some horrible moments.  The dogs also happen to be golden retrievers, which goes to show how these lovely furry creatures really are some of the best pets to have!

Read the article here - it makes me want to train Minnie to become a support dog...maybe in about 5 years when she calms down?

This photo is from the Lutheran Comfort Dog Facebook page -
check out the details here!

Squinty Minty

Sunday I was just laying around, watching Friends reruns and Lifetime, when I noticed 2 things about Minnie: 1.) She wasn't pestering me/getting on my nerves and 2.) Her right eye was half shut and she kept blinking it. As the day went on the eye got worse...then yesterday she couldn't open it at all! We knew she especially wasn't feeling well when she voluntarily put herself in her crate in the middle of the afternoon.

So last night we took Minnie to the vet and it turns out her eye was scratched by something and then it got infected. Poor little girl!  So for the next 10 days she gets eye drops and medicine...and she gets to wear the Cone of Shame!

Although we feel bad for her and know she's not feeling well, it is pretty funny watching her try to do normal stuff with that cone around her neck - especially when she keeps crashing into the walls. She also found out that she can't chew any of her bones because she can't get her paws around the cone to hold them.  Of course I feel bad for her, but she just looks so funny wearing her "bonnet!" 

I have no idea how long this cone is going to last, but it's probably good she's wearing it because she keeps trying to paw at her eye. I don't really feel like paying $112 again for another vet visit/medicine, so Minn is going to have to put up with that dang cone!

I am a sad, sad girl with a squinty eye and a stupid cone around my neck!

Scaredy Dog

Lately Minnie has been acting weird. It all started when she decided she didn't want to eat her food anymore, and now she creeps around the house looking sad. This week she seems like she's afraid of everything (including me, and I am ALWAYS nice to her!) I think she's probably going through a phase...I remember reading something about that in one of the puppy books we got before adopting Minnie. I hope she snaps out of it, because I don't like this mopey business! 

On another note, after I finished singing Minnie's praises a few weeks ago, I was informed that she chewed a hole in the rug - right as I was hitting "publish" on the blog! I can't really be mad because she hasn't destroyed anything else around our house, but Minnie...why'd you have to do that RIGHT when I just wrote about how great you are? Oh you sneaky little pup. 

I was going to get the rug fixed but I decided it's going to stay put for awhile...the hole gives it a "vintage" look! 

This weekend I hope to take Minn on some good, long walks. Hopefully that will put the pep back in her step!

Minnie looking sad (or maybe that's just her face?)
PS I had to tell her to SIT about 15 times for this picture....what happened to the days when she would sit on command?  She's in her rebellious preteen phase, I tell you!

P.S.

This happened last night, guys. Why do I let them do this to me? 

WOOF.
-Minnie

According to Minnie

Hi humans, it's me (Minnie) again!  Well, it is that time of year again that everyone calls "the holidays." Now, this may be my second time around during "the holidays," but I will tell you - this year is MUCH different than last year.  For one thing, last year I was brand spanking new (my parents adopted me right before Thanksgiving) and I was kind of a big deal.  Every day for about a month, people were stopping by my house, wanting to see "the new puppy," giving me treats, giving me presents, giving me pets, giving me attention....man oh man it was great!  

These days, I am just old news.  That's right. Have I gotten a single surprise visit from one of my parents' friends? NO. Have I gotten delicious treats and fun toys, just for being a new puppy? NO. Here's what happens when people come over and I go to greet them - they tell me to CALM DOWN and quit jumping on them! What the heck? I'm just trying to let them know that I love visitors and I appreciate them coming over to visit me! (Even if they aren't coming over specifically to see me.)

Just because I weigh more than 6 pounds, my fur isn't fleecy anymore, my breath is a little pungent, and I can knock people over doesn't mean that I don't have feelings! Just to show everyone how bummed out I am, I have taken to not eating my food until I can't hold out any longer. That will show them!  Right?

And another thing - no one better try and dress me up in stupid Santa hats, reindeer ears, or elf costumes this year. I am a proud golden retriever with model-esque looks - I don't need to be made into a joke!

Now I will conclude my bitter sounding note, and go back to piling up logs by the back door and burying my bones in leaf piles. Next blog will be a happy one, I promise!

Love,
MINNIE

Me and Jack this past weekend...he calls me a "pest." Whatever!

1 Whole Year!

As of this weekend, we have had Minnie one whole year!  So much has happened in the past year - and it seems like everything happened so quickly (especially since doggy time is accelerated!)  Here are some "Minnie - Then and Now" tidbits:

• Then: Minn she was 6 pounds when we got her. Now: (we think) she is 60. You go girl!

• Then: She would freak out at the vacuum and hide. Now: She still hides under the bed when she hears it cranking up! Sidenote: A new habit that's happened in the past week is that she looks out our bedroom window every morning when I'm pulling out of our driveway and heading to work. It's so sweet! (And also kind of freaky - how does she get from the back door, where I pet her goodbye, to the complete other side of the house so quickly??)

• Then: She would cry for every person that walked through our door (whether she'd met them before or not) and act like they were her long lost best friend. Now: Still does all of that!

• Then: Hated getting a bath. Now: We can't get her out of water!

• Then: She was very timid around bigger dogs (especially Sunny next door). Now:  She likes to pester and annoy big dogs (and also, Sunny is her BFF now).

• Then: Did a funny "squeak yawn." Now: Still does it!

• Then: Escaped out of the backyard by digging under the fence. Now: Digs holes and hides her bones!

• Then: Had this fleecy, puffy fur that was the softest fur I ever felt, and NO shedding. Now: Has her "big girl" fur (still soft though) that SHEDS EVERYWHERE.

• Then: Pulled so hard on her leash I felt like my shoulder was coming out of its socket. Now: Still does that, but now that she's 10 times bigger, it makes my shoulder feel even more awesome!

• Then: Let me dress her up in silly outfits. Now: Still lets me!

• Then: The cutest puppy I ever saw. Now: The cutest AND sweetest dog I ever saw!

Where would we be without our Minn-Pup??

It's Been Awhile...

I know I haven't posted in awhile, but that doesn't mean I don't have a ton of Minnie stories to share!  Last post we were about to leave for our trip to Minnesota. I have so many pictures that I don't even know if my computer can hold all of them!  In the mean time, here is a picture of Minnie while she was "helping out" on an office project.  More pictures/stories/fun to come!

PS Minnie turned 1 on Sept. 20 - yes, we are "those" people who had a birthday party for her.  How could you not celebrate that cute fuzzy little face???

A Note From Minnie

Hi Humans,
Minnie here.  I am taking over the blog today because my mom said she didn't know what to write. What is she talking about? How can you run out of things to write about lil ole ME?  I am one cute, sassy, energetic girl who leads a very interesting life, THANK YOU!


I must say that life is pretty good for me these days.  My days normally consist of zooming around my yard in the morning, taking a morning nap in the kitchen, taking an afternoon nap under my dad's desk, taking a mid-day nap under my mom and dad's bed, chewing on my bone, playing fetch, and then taking an pre-bedtime nap in the family room. What can be better than that? 


Now that I think about it, I feel like I might be getting ripped off in the walk department - I can't even remember the last time I went on one! My mom says it's too hot for me and that I start panting too much, but so what! A girl needs to keep her figure trim and slim, I say!  That's why I've been running laps around the backyard in the morning. I call it my morning constitutional. If no one is going to walk me, then I have to take matters into my own paws!


Guess what? In a couple weeks I get to go on vacation with my WHOLE family!  I don't have to be left behind this time, HURRAH!  From what I hear, I'm going to get to swim in this giant thing filled with water called a lake.  And I'm going to get to run on some mushy stuff called sand. AND I'm going to get to play with my cousin Jack all week long! Oh I just can't wait!  


As for now, I'm just going to have to keep staying on my best behavior so my parents don't change their minds about taking me along.  I will try not to dig in the trash so much, run the other way when my dad is calling, and jump on people. But I love people too much to contain my excitement!


I hope everyone is having as great of a week as I am!


Love,
Minnie


P.S. - Go Cardinals! (Whatever that means. My parents say it all the time so I thought I was supposed to.)

Fearless

I have been slacking on the updates lately so I'm trying to remember what's happened in the past two weeks!  Unfortunately for Minnie, it has been extremely hot here, so that means less walks/fetch/outdoor activities. The ground is even too hot for her paws - she kept picking one paw up at a time when she was standing on the driveway. Poor pup! 


However, whenever she gets the opportunity, Minnie LOVES swimming in the pool!  We actually raced (doggy paddle) across the pool, and she beat me! She'd probably be an even better swimmer if she quit trying to drink all of the water while swimming. She threw up a couple times after taking a dip, so hopefully she learned her lesson!


Minnie has also discovered that she has flying skills. One night I was in the bedroom and she zoomed in from the hallway, bounced off the bed, flew in the air, and landed on the dresser. Even though she was definitely NOT supposed to be up there, it was pretty funny/strange seeing a 50+ pound dog standing on a dresser! I think she freaked herself out a little though because she hopped down pretty quickly.  We're pretty sure Minnie thinks she's a cat. 

Over the past few months we've come to find that Minnie's not really afraid of anything, which is good I suppose! She used to be a little afraid of the vacuum and she's still slightly afraid of the dust buster, but besides that, she's not bothered by loud noises or new situations. Although we call her a cat, she's definitely not a scaredy cat!

Sunbathing Pup

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Personality Plus

One thing about Minnie that ceases to amaze me - her funny little personality quirks!  She definitely has some strange/amusing/hilarious/annoying/crazy/awesome habits that keep Husband and I entertained every day.  Here's some of the highlights:

• Loves getting her picture taken
• Sleeps on her back with her paws in the air
• Pushes her bed around with her nose into a whole different part of the house
• WILL NOT STOP LICKING PEOPLE (especially me)
• Stands on the patio table like a cat
• Cries when she's left out of a room
• Barges in the bathroom and cries when you shut the door on her
• Sticks her head in the trash (this one is definitely an annoying habit)
• Zooms at top speed in the backyard
• Barks at butterflies
• Digs holes to China in the backyard
• When I first see her in the morning, she runs at me at top speed, almost knocks me over, and then sneezes on me
• Rubs her whole body on my legs to make sure she's got a good coating of fur on them before I go to work
• Sticks her head out the window in the car and lets her lips flap in the breeze
• Lets us dress her up in silly stuff! (See below)

And Then There Was One

Minnie is currently down to one toy.  After lavishing her with an overabundance of chew toys, squeaky toys, ropes, and other stuff, Minnie has one bone remaining. I feel like a controlling mom who took all her kid's toys away, but we were left with no choice - Minnie ate each and every one of them!  She even ate her bed, which is sad because it actually belonged to the original golden retriever in my life, Bea :(


Now that I think about it, I guess Minnie actually does have one rope toy left, but it smells so horrible that we don't really encourage her to play with it.  And Lamby is still kickin' it, but after she ate Lamby's ear off, we rescued her from Minnie's jaws of terror and put her away for the time being.


So the one thing Minnie hasn't been able to torture is her beloved peanut butter filled bone.  That's not saying she doesn't TRY to torture it though.  She grinds it, drops it, flings it, leaves it out in the rain, and buries it.  I think the bone will survive though, because her cousin Jack hasn't seemed to destroy his bone yet either, so I think it is safe.


Does a bone even count as a toy though? I mean it's not like we can make her wrestle her with it, or play fetch with it.  I feel a little sad for Minnie. If she would just learn to treat her belongings with loving care, she'd have more toys to enjoy!

THE bone. When the peanut butter is gone, we fill it back with more!  Which usually leaves us with peanut butter streaked floors. Oh well.