Wednesday........

Today was a better day for the pups and I. After yesterday's little tussle between Mattie and Sophie, I made a penny can for them. Its a disciplinary tool to startle them when they get too involved in rough-housing, or when they need a jolt from chewing or any other little thing they should not be doing. It just startles them but I don't think it is going to work for long. They are already used to it and come and lick me when they hear it. But it gives them a break when they are playing a little too rough. Actually, I checked both dogs last night after their confrontation and found not a scratch on them. That is when I realized Mattie had Sophie's collar and Sophie was getting choked. So, I took Sophie's collar off for now.

Misty has been coming downstairs all day today. She is in need of attention so I went up to play with her for awhile. She is really cute. I still haven't seen Links, but he is in his bed so that is all that matters. Just two more days and Mattie and Sophie, Misty and Links will be very glad to see their mom and dad for four days. Then I will be back here for almost three weeks!

Gloomy Tuesday.....

Well, we have Avalanche warnings in the mountains due to the new rainfall; I-90 was shut down today for 12 hours, and it is about to be shut down again; and the constant nusiance drizzle that we have been promised will come down in buckets by tomorrow; the pups and I are just hanging out and keeping it dry.

Mattie and Sophie love being outside. Sophie doesn't like getting wet much but Mattie could care less. She just wants to eat as much bark as she possibly can. I guess that is better than eating the furniture, but not very good for her digestive system. ;-)

Mattie and I continue to work on the 'wait' command with her food. Sophie is just the opposite.....she has to be coaxed to eat. We now have a routine where she won't eat unless I sit on the step with her while she dines! Already a princess!

Misty comes down to say 'hello' all the time. I never see Links, but I hear his bell all the time and can see the lump in the bed so I know he is okay.

Nothing more to report except to say we are all good!

A Quiet Weekend......

Well, it's President's Day and the pups could care less! The picture tells the story of how all the animals spent their weekend.

Mattie and Sophie are still chewing on their knuckle bones. Mattie especially loves it. She licks and chews it for hours. Instant PuppySitter!!!!

Other than that, there is really nothing new to report. All is well in the Bellevue House and just four more days before their Mom and Dad come home for four days! Then I am back here on the 29th for another sit!!! I will miss them when I am gone, but back before they can grow anymore!

Treat Day!

Today is the first day I went out other than to the little store down the street. I was only gone about 90 minutes but Sophie and Mattie acted like I left them alone for days. They were so full of energy and enthusiasm to see me. There is nothing better than the unconditional love of animals. While I was out, I visited Mud Bay Pet Store and bought them the bones in the pictures above. They LOVE them. They are all natural, no preservatives or additives. They are knuckle bones and should keep them busy for a long time. They are both working furiously on them in their separate corners.

Well, I shouldn't have been cocky yesterday about catching Links! He managed to outwit me AGAIN!!! I had the glass door to the Master Bathroom shut to make sure he didn't get in the hole in the wall again. But, this is also where their main water bowl is kept and I didn't want to keep them from it. There is a privacy door that slides into the wall where the commode is, and where the hole is. I reasoned with myself and came to the conclusion that I could just slide the privacy door closed and then they would have access to that water dish. WRONG!!! That little rascal, Links, used his paw and opened that sliding door just enough to get in there and he is back in the wall. Aye..Aye..Aye! So, I am on the run again. When I hear his bell, I sneak as quietly as I can to try to beat him up the stairs to that bathroom. Three times this morning, but to no avail. He is just quicker, sneakier, more agile than I am. Not to mention SMARTER! Ouch.....my poor ego!

We are getting ready for a big storm coming in this afternoon. We did some yard cleanup today as there were some cords laying around. Sophie has proven to me she likes cords.....so, they are up and out of reach. Poop patrol is always a chore with them....Two growing Labs that eat three times a day.......Their mom and dad will need a farm when they are full grown!

Uh Oh....I just heard Link's bell.....off I go!

Ha! The laugh is on you Mr. Links!

I finally got Links out of the hole in the wall and the bathroom closed off. However, he is very angry with me. He keeps running back and forth to see if I left the door open. Thank goodness for that bell on his neck because that is how I knew he was in his room eating and I ran upstairs and beat him to the bathroom.
Unable to sleep all night, I have been up. I caught him out of the bathroom around 2am. He is now sitting at the top of the stairs meowing very loudly. If I could speak Cat tongue, I would be convined he was calling me the 'B' word! But I promptly cleaned his cat box really good as I do two or three times a day anyway. Filled the water bowls and gave them two big bowls of cat food. Oh...and about twenty treats on the floor. So, he should get his belly full soon and become the lump in the bed that he usually is. Misty is her usual sweet self. She rolls around on the stairs and I sit on the step and rub her belly and talk to her. She is very cute.
Sophie and Mattie have grown so much since I last saw them. I realized this when Sophie jumped on my head from the back of the couch. I estimate her weight as 'dead' weight! Matie is more of a cuddler to the point of 'needy' sometimes, but she is a puppy and needs a lot of attention. I have been continueing with her food training. I am working on the chewing issue with Sophie by making sure she has enough to chew on and doesn't get bored. However, my computer lives on top of the entertainment unit as I know to keep everything high because they do chew. My cord was hanging just within reach and while I was getting mail and bringing in the trash cans, she chewed it to the point of getting a little shock. I don't think she will do that again. Heck of a way to learn, but puppies are like kids.......they have to learn the hard way. Well, enough of my insomniac blogging. I will go back to my book writing. Everything in Bellevue is cold and beautiful!

Be sure to click on each of the cats at the end of the Laughing Cat video. Have fun!

The Laughing Cat

Gloomy in Bellevue

Even though this background isn't Bellevue, it looks like Bellevue today. I couldn't see the lake this morning which is a welcomed sight each day. It was very foggy, barely able to see across the street. Yesterday was full of rain....rain....and more rain. The neighbors moved out and it was sad to see those guys working so hard and getting soaked. But Mattie and Sophie loved it. They wanted out all day. The rug needs washing now which I will do before I leave...no sense doing it now! We cleaned up the back yard but Sophie is a scavanger! She can find things and I have no idea where she gets it. Mattie is more visual and just gets what is in front of her. But Sophie explores until she finds the right treat to chew up. I have been giving them their chew bones as they last a long while and they give them that feeling of accomplishment and are chewing other things less. However, I have to pull it out of Mattie's throat when it gets down to about 8 inches.

The dogs have adjust well and already love me. Thank goodness for that.

As far as the elusive cat, Links? Well, I think he has a bell on his collar? I hear him run from the Master Bathroom to his cat box and eat and then run back to that hole in the wall. I can't get up the stairs fast enough to block that hole. Too bad there aren't cameras in this house because I am sure I would make it on 'Funniest Home Videos'. I must look comical trying to outrun, outsmart and outwit this cat. Its like 'Cat Survivor' and I am being beaten by a CAT!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S MOM AND DAD

Well, this Valentine's Day has been an adventure. A good one though. I found Misty and that made me happy. She came out to greet me and purrrrrrred as I gave her treats and brushed her. I found her coming out of the whole in the wall in the bathroom. When she found I had treats, she had no problem coming out. Links, however, retreated back into the hole. I took this picture hoping I could catch a glimpse of him. But to no avail. I know he is using the cat box and eating so I am not too worried. I would just hate for him to get stuck in there! I go looking every hour just to see if I can catch him and close up the hole. Keep your fingers crossed. I checked on Misty again as it had been a couple of hours and I found her under the bed sleeping. Of course I woke her up to take this picture.
The pups are their usual rambunctious puppy self. But letting them outside works for a while. They always come in to see what I am doing though. It has been raining every day since I have been here but they don't seem to mind. Uh Oh....here they are......they want to help me type. Sophie just jumped on my head from the back of the couch. What would I do without the craziness! I thrive on it but don't tell anyone!

Cleaning Up....

As you can see we were outside cleaning up the backyard. It has been raining everyday and today was no exception. But a little water never hurt anyone so we decided to pick up some of the left-over chewables they had destroyed in the back and do poop patrol. Mattie and Sophie really like it outside even if it is raining. However, the rug doesn't take kindly to their dirty paws so we have a routine of wiping paws when they come in. Sometimes it works....sometimes it doesn't.

The metal bucket for their toys was perfect. They didn't hesitate to pull all of their toys out of it at least ten times today. My next venture is to get my sewing kit from home tomorrow and sew up their bed. I have a big darning needle that I once had to sew my couch with when I had a Golden Retriever. I have some very strong nylon thread as well. Sophie should not be able to chew through it after I sew it like Fort Knox!

Mattie is doing very well with her eating bowl. She is a food monger and her mommy set up a metal bowl with rocks in which is a great idea. However, she still doesn't let you put the food down without attacking you. So, I have been feeding Sophie first. Taking my time with Mattie, picking up her bowl and setting it on the counter. I then use the hand signals for 'down' and tell her to 'wait.....wait.....wait'. If she lunges, I force her back to a sitting position (should be a lying position, but everything in time) and I slowly set the bowl on the floor, still telling her 'wait'. She will wait about ten seconds (which is good) and when I give her the command 'Okay'. She is picking up on it pretty quickly but consistency is the key. I have another client whose dog trainer taught her Lab this same routine so I know it works.

Other than that.....its something new everyday. I haven't seen the cats and am starting to worry. I kno they are shy and I am giving them their space. But would just like to know they are in the house!!!!!!

Hope Mommy and Daddy are having a good time. No worries on this end.....I am just GLAD to have TV!!!!!

Labs and Birthday!

Mattie and Sophie and Links and Misty and I are bonding well. Linx is no longer a bump in the bed and I think I saw a swipe of him for a moment. Of course, Misty comes out to hollar 'hello' once in a while too as she has become quite personable.

Mattie and Sophie had their Sunday treat this morning. I just happened to find them above the refrigerator. It kept them happy for a long time. Great Treat! Mattie is sleeping on my lap as I type and Sophie is still working on her treat.

We will just hang out today and keep each other company. Their uncle Wade is coming over in a while and I am praying he can help me with the Television. No TV for three days is killing me as I call the TV my umbilical cord! Sad, but true.

I am going shopping tomorrow and I will be looking for some things for the pups. I think they need a metal tub for their toys. Sophie is eating the plastic tub ad she is swallowing it. This can do harm to her stomach should it get into her intestines. I know...I know...I will forever be 'Auntie Dee' no matter what fur child it is! All is well on this cold, dreary, Sunday!!!! But I have Labs to keep me warm! :-)

Sophie and Mattie

I have been with Sophie and Mattie since yesterday. They are quite the duo. They have grown a little since I saw them last and they seem to be more rambuctious! They are chewing on anything they can get their teeth on. I think it is time for some Nylabones or something they can sink their teeth in besides the furniture. Sophie actually chewed the collar right off Mattie. Her little pink studded collar is now in shreds. Their toy container is pretty chewed as well and I am afraid they are eating the plastic. So, Aunte Dee is going on a little shopping hunt tomorrow to see what I can find. Oh...and Mattie has chewed a huge hole in her Costco Bed. This is typical of Lab pups. They get bored and if there isn't something they can chew on for hours, they will move on to other things that are more tangible and they can swallow.

Other than the chewing thing, they are perfect. They go outside when they need to. They are eating regularly.

Misty came out to greet me this morning, but Links is still a big lump in the bed.

Now if I could only get the television to work, all would be well. Two days with no television is like taking my lifeline away from me. But, I got Netflix on my computer so there is always a way around it. I would just hate to have to watch movies for six weeks! Yikes!!!!

But all is well on the homefront with nothing new to report.