Hi Blog Friends! I want to let you know right off the bat that Chester is unavailable this morning to write his blog. Don't worry now-he's fine! He just had such a wild time this weekend that he is still sleeping. What did that crazy brown dog do now, you ask? Chester turned 3 years old yesterday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHESTER!!!
I can hardly believe it myself. Not that I even knew he existed three years ago when I was searching for a new friend. I had freed my previous dog, Grits from his pain October 21st, 2006 and little did I know that Chester would be born a little over three weeks later, and it would be another eight weeks before we would actually meet. I really shouldn't say I was searching for my new friend. I should say I was obsessed with filling the empty spot that Grits had left. Just ask Chester's Dad or any of my co-workers. The printer tray at work constantly showed a furry face that was in need of adoption. Every night the new selections were shown but nothing seemed to catch his eye. I was frustrated and Chester's Dad knew it.
January 12th, 2007 is an evening we'll never forget. As the newspaper was being read the ad sprang from the page. Chocolate lab puppies for sale. If I remember right, when Chester's Dad showed it to me my words were "Yeah, so what are you saying?" He asked if I wanted to go look at them. I told him, "You know if we go look, we won't be coming home without one." I called the number and there were 2 males and 1 female left. We told them we would be coming to see them. Trying to stay calm, we were there in less than 10 minutes.
If any of you have ever read Marley and Me you will remember the scene where, as John and Jenny Grogan walk away with their new treasure, Marley's dad comes crashing out of the woods and they have a sense of what a maniac he is and do not want to believe this little bundle will be anything other than pure joy. I should have had the same forewarning because as we walked to the barn where the puppies were, from behind the shed Chester's mother came headlong toward us, a large mass of brown energy. Taking time only for a quick sniff, she zoomed wrecklessly to another part of the farm to see what adventures she could find.
We had friends with chocolate labs and they were both GOOD, CALM family dogs so we thought a lab was the kind of dog that would fit our lifestyle. But we were rookies at this puppy picking and made mistakes, none of which are important now. The fact is when we looked into the brightly lit stable and saw the small furry brownies tumbling over one another, I knew only two would be wrestling when we left.
He obviously chose us as he stopped his playing and sat back, feigning innocence. As Chester's Dad picked him up, he became limp with submission and looked at me with milky green puppy eyes. Not wanting to be too eager, we held them all but kept coming back to the one who, by the next morning would become known as Chester. Our first clue as to his true personality was obvious as he never cried or whimpered even once the first night he slept at his new home. We were unprepared for a puppy and his first few nights were spent in a makeshift bed made out of a computer box and a pillow. (Sometimes I wonder if that explains his blogging obsession.) Anyway, every few hours I would get out of bed and make sure he went outside to relieve himself. Each time I flipped the light on, he was sound asleep on his back, vulnerable belly exposed for all the world to see.
I am no expert in dog training but from what I've learned post-Chester is that he is a dominant dog, and that might even be an understatement. To go into detail about why I say this would take several posts to explain. I'll try and keep it simple and just say our relationship has not always been an easy one. I even thought at one point that it was not fair to him to have to be alone all day and that we needed to find a farm where he could roam freely. But when it comes to animals, I am stubborn and did not want to give up on him. We took obedience classes, I watched the Dog Whisperer religiously and read anything I could get my hands on to find out why he and I were having a power struggle. Even our obedience instructor said that Chester is one of those dogs that will make you work hard for everything you want out of him. I needed to show my authority at every moment with him and even then he did not back down. I am glad to say that over time his temper tantrums have become less frequent. He no longer charges at me from across the yard or jumps on my back, nipping at my hair indicating his displeasure at having to end our playtime. I'm sure I made mistakes with Chester's upbringing but I think we finally have a bond between us.
Now as I see the white hairs already sprouting under his chin, I think that our time together will be relatively short, even if we both live a long time. I watch Chester as he takes his first steps outside in the morning. His nose twitches and his eyes scan the horizon to see what exciting possibilities are in front of him. I must learn to greet each new day with that same excitement. That's why I'm not as bothered as I used to be about the spiders weaving their tangled webs in the corner of my once perfectly kept home, and from time to time we write "Dust me" on the dining room table. He has taught me that life is short and time spent with friends is much more important than a spotless house.
It's never been easy for me to talk to strangers. I can remember going to puppy kindergarten that first night, nervous about meeting new people and wondering what I would say. I found out very quickly that I have plenty to say to people who share a love of dogs. When we take Chester to stores that allow dogs, it's not long before we are approached by someone who feels drawn to Chester and soon I find myself having a pleasant conversation with yet another stranger. And because he would not stop pestering me to do this blog, we've made friends all over the world. I will never be able to repay him for all that he's given me nor does he ask me to. His needs are simple yet I will continue to try and find new ways of thanking him.
Chester : Hey Mom! I'm up now-whatchya doin'?
Chester's Mom: Good morning Ches! I'm telling your blog friends a little about how you came to live with us and that you had your third birthday yesterday.
Chester: YOU'RE RUNNIN' MY BLOG TODAY??? I hope you didn't bore my friends and did you already show 'em my presents? I wanted to do that.
Chester's Mom: No, I left that for you. Why don't you do that now?
Chester: I will as soon as you get outta my way. First of all I got a greyt surprise last week from my best dawg friend Nerd Bob and his Mom-PB, and his Dad-Colonel Tall Pants in Lake Forest, Illinois. The package was addressed to me and I excitedly ripped it open to find not one, but two bandanas that were beautifully embroidered with my name and a paw print. I'll model the blue one and the other one is my favorite orange.
Pretty sharp lookin' ain't it? Nerd Bob's Mom and my Mom are both friends of Dee Mentia so I think that this will be helpful for when they forget my name. PB is really good friends with Dee Mentia and sent me not one but three cards. One card even had a pack of stickers in it that said "Good Dog" and we all know that had to be a glitch in the ol' memory card!!! THANKS Nerd Bob, PB and Colonel Tall Pants!
My other birthday present is from my PU's. (For those of you who don't remember what that stands for it is Parental Units. It's appropriate also 'cuz they have that nasty human smell.) Anyway they got me an official type flyin' disc (I found out on the Skyhoundz website that "Frisbee" is an F word and I can't say swears or I get in trouble). I got to play with one of these at the Howl-a-Ween party and they are mucho grande fun. (Nerd Bob taught me some Spanish when I spent the night at his house this weekend.)
He obviously chose us as he stopped his playing and sat back, feigning innocence. As Chester's Dad picked him up, he became limp with submission and looked at me with milky green puppy eyes. Not wanting to be too eager, we held them all but kept coming back to the one who, by the next morning would become known as Chester. Our first clue as to his true personality was obvious as he never cried or whimpered even once the first night he slept at his new home. We were unprepared for a puppy and his first few nights were spent in a makeshift bed made out of a computer box and a pillow. (Sometimes I wonder if that explains his blogging obsession.) Anyway, every few hours I would get out of bed and make sure he went outside to relieve himself. Each time I flipped the light on, he was sound asleep on his back, vulnerable belly exposed for all the world to see.
I am no expert in dog training but from what I've learned post-Chester is that he is a dominant dog, and that might even be an understatement. To go into detail about why I say this would take several posts to explain. I'll try and keep it simple and just say our relationship has not always been an easy one. I even thought at one point that it was not fair to him to have to be alone all day and that we needed to find a farm where he could roam freely. But when it comes to animals, I am stubborn and did not want to give up on him. We took obedience classes, I watched the Dog Whisperer religiously and read anything I could get my hands on to find out why he and I were having a power struggle. Even our obedience instructor said that Chester is one of those dogs that will make you work hard for everything you want out of him. I needed to show my authority at every moment with him and even then he did not back down. I am glad to say that over time his temper tantrums have become less frequent. He no longer charges at me from across the yard or jumps on my back, nipping at my hair indicating his displeasure at having to end our playtime. I'm sure I made mistakes with Chester's upbringing but I think we finally have a bond between us.
Now as I see the white hairs already sprouting under his chin, I think that our time together will be relatively short, even if we both live a long time. I watch Chester as he takes his first steps outside in the morning. His nose twitches and his eyes scan the horizon to see what exciting possibilities are in front of him. I must learn to greet each new day with that same excitement. That's why I'm not as bothered as I used to be about the spiders weaving their tangled webs in the corner of my once perfectly kept home, and from time to time we write "Dust me" on the dining room table. He has taught me that life is short and time spent with friends is much more important than a spotless house.
It's never been easy for me to talk to strangers. I can remember going to puppy kindergarten that first night, nervous about meeting new people and wondering what I would say. I found out very quickly that I have plenty to say to people who share a love of dogs. When we take Chester to stores that allow dogs, it's not long before we are approached by someone who feels drawn to Chester and soon I find myself having a pleasant conversation with yet another stranger. And because he would not stop pestering me to do this blog, we've made friends all over the world. I will never be able to repay him for all that he's given me nor does he ask me to. His needs are simple yet I will continue to try and find new ways of thanking him.
Chester : Hey Mom! I'm up now-whatchya doin'?
Chester's Mom: Good morning Ches! I'm telling your blog friends a little about how you came to live with us and that you had your third birthday yesterday.
Chester: YOU'RE RUNNIN' MY BLOG TODAY??? I hope you didn't bore my friends and did you already show 'em my presents? I wanted to do that.
Chester's Mom: No, I left that for you. Why don't you do that now?
Chester: I will as soon as you get outta my way. First of all I got a greyt surprise last week from my best dawg friend Nerd Bob and his Mom-PB, and his Dad-Colonel Tall Pants in Lake Forest, Illinois. The package was addressed to me and I excitedly ripped it open to find not one, but two bandanas that were beautifully embroidered with my name and a paw print. I'll model the blue one and the other one is my favorite orange.
Pretty sharp lookin' ain't it? Nerd Bob's Mom and my Mom are both friends of Dee Mentia so I think that this will be helpful for when they forget my name. PB is really good friends with Dee Mentia and sent me not one but three cards. One card even had a pack of stickers in it that said "Good Dog" and we all know that had to be a glitch in the ol' memory card!!! THANKS Nerd Bob, PB and Colonel Tall Pants!
You'se guys ROCK!!!
My other birthday present is from my PU's. (For those of you who don't remember what that stands for it is Parental Units. It's appropriate also 'cuz they have that nasty human smell.) Anyway they got me an official type flyin' disc (I found out on the Skyhoundz website that "Frisbee" is an F word and I can't say swears or I get in trouble). I got to play with one of these at the Howl-a-Ween party and they are mucho grande fun. (Nerd Bob taught me some Spanish when I spent the night at his house this weekend.)
They must have magic in 'em 'cuz Mom can actually fling 'em and they fly good enough for me to catch in the air. I don't catch 'em all yet but we will be playin' alot so we will both get better. The really cool part is that it glows-in-the-dark so I can't wait to try it out after the sun goes down. If you hear of UFO sightings in south central Pennsylvania, don't worry-it's just me and Mom playin' with my new flyin' disc.
I've asked Mom to help me with my other birthday wish, and I'm gonna need your help also to make it come true. Like Mom said above, my needs are simple so gettin' a great bandana surprise in the mail plus a flyin' disc is more than enough for me. (oh, and birthday cake which you will see in a minute). I know there are so many dogs out there who are less fortunate than me so for my birthday I asked Mom to come up with a contest and the winner will get $25 donated to their favorite animal shelter. Cool, huh? I'll let Mom explain:
Hi again. What Chester said is true, he wants to give up a present so that a less fortunate dog may have a brighter day. So what I've decided is that the first person to answer the following questions correctly will get a $25 check sent to their favorite shelter or rescue group.
1) What is Chester's biological mother's and father's name?
2) What is the name of the lake that I was supposedly lost in this summer?
3) How many groundhog platters has Chester served to the local buzzard community to date?
We'll give the winner Chester's email address so that we can find out the name and address of your shelter or rescue group.
Chester: With your tongue flappin' you really took up a bunch of our friend's time already and we haven't even shown them my new birthday video. Do you think they'll stick around to see it?
Chester's Mom: I think we've made it worth 2:42 minutes of their time. They can have a slice of your Mighty Dog birthday cake while they watch.
Chester: Too late! That cake is G-O-N-E - GONE!!! It's in my belly so they will just have to be satisfied by lookin' at the picture before the video starts.
Enjoy the show!
As you can see, I had a great time tearin' it up on my birthday!!!
We thought right now would be a good time to thank everybody for makin' me and Mom feel welcome here in DogBlogville. We love you all and appreciate every time you stop by and let a comment for us. We look forward to many more times spent together. We've been a little slack in our own visitin' here of late, with makin' this video and all so we are goin' to take a week off and try to catch up on what's happenin' in all of your lives. Not today though. If all goes according to my plans, by the time you are readin' this, my brown butt will be paddlin' like a mad dawg at the Canine Dog Spa in Dillsburg. Wah-HOOOOOOO!!!
The PU's think I'm passed the Terrible Two's stage.
I'm gonna do whatever it takes to prove 'em wrong.
Gonna Have a Good Time Chester ;0=)
Pee. Ess. THANKS Ms. Truffles! You have made me a happy dawg and this is one birthday I ain't ever gonna forget! ♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡
