Video Star

I now star in my very own video on You Tube. My Dad made the video. It is inspirational, as well as very good because, well, because I am the star.

The Exploding Chair

Oh, uh, hi Mommy. Are you home from work already? What chair? Oh, that chair. Well, you see, Mommy, I was just sitting here minding my own business and it just kinda’ exploded. There’s Ludwig. He was watching from the top of the Victrola. Ask him!

(A few minutes later, after everyone returned from pottying.)

You can probably put it back together, Mommy. There’s some of it over there.And some of it over there.

You didn’t think I could do anything naughty with the cone on my head? Well, that’ll teach you. And I have to stay in my kennel tomorrow like I used to before the cone without ice cream?  *mumbles* I can’t help it if chairs explode.

I am Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess on Restrictions

Xena Remembers Pre-Agility Fun

It’s so boring wearing the cone without ice cream. I was just thinking about how much fun I had at my pre-agility class. Remember the V-ramp that I loved – just like Angel Lexi said I would? Look at my legs-I was running so fast they were just a blur.

And there were those hoops to jump through. Easy-Peasy.

The blind tunnel was harder. I had to have faith that there was nothing bad waiting to eat me on the other side of the blind, and I had just enough faith to run through it one time.I hope my boo boo heals up fast so that I don’t have to wear the cone without ice cream when I go to my very first Agility Won class in a couple of weeks.

I am Xena the Schnauzer Princess Warrior Cone Head

A Cone without Ice Cream

Do you remember when Mommy and I almost died in an almost car wreck? And then I was banished to the back seat with a seat belt harness? I hated it soooo much, I shook so hard every time we went somewhere that my teeth started to get loose. OK, maybe not, but I thought they did. We now have a compromise. I still have to wear my seat belt harness, but I get to sit in the front seat. Mommy checked about the dangerous airbags, and they only work if there is at least 50 pounds on the seat. Since I am only 13 and one half pounds, no problemo. Hey Mommy, where are we going?

Mommy: To the vet. The one you like.

Why are we going to the vet, the one I like?

Mommy: Because you have been shaking your head and flapping your ears, and I can’t find anything wrong. Your ears are as clean as a whistle, and…

How clean are whistles?

Mommy: Very clean, Xexe, just like your ears. And now you have a sore under your left ear. You know I put lavender essential oils on it for 2 days, and yesterday I used the Vet-tech Sea Salt spray, and it isn’t any better. It keeps seeping. 

40 minutes later (the car ride is almost 30 minutes each way): Dr. Smith said the same thing you did about my ears being super dooper clean. I wish my favorite vet, Dr. Karen, had been there. Thanks for stopping the helper lady from putting that glass stick up my butt.

Mommy: I had to. I didn’t bring my earplugs.

And when Dr. Smith said he wanted me to take prednisone – whatever that is – you said, “No” again. And then you were nicer about saying no to the next medicine, and the next…

Mommy: I just suggested some other things, and he said they would work just as well for a hot spot. And I already have the sea salt spray, so we didn’t have to buy more. 

But I know I saw you give them your plastic money!

Mommy: Yep. I paid $54 for them to tell me you have a hot spot and that I can just keep doing what I was already doing. *mumble, mumble*

30 minutes later: Hey Lucy, I went to see the vet lady but she wasn’t there so I saw the vet man and guess what? Lucy: I don’t know, Sis, what did the vet man say?

He said I am a hot spot, just like when Daddy uses his phone to get on the internet. I bet I could save Daddy a lot of money.

Lucy: Better look behind you, Xena…your tale is growing.

My tail doesn’t grow, silly Lucy Ducey. He wanted me to take medicine, but Mommy suggested I eat ice cream instead. I am still waiting for it.

Lucy: That doesn’t make any sense. I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Well, I kept my head down under Mommy’s arm most of the time, so I couldn’t hear real well. But I know she said something about a cone instead of even more medicine.

10 minutes later: Why are you doing these things to me? Where is my ice cream?Mommy: You’re not supposed to scratch your boo boo, so I am trying a big band-aid before I have to get the cone. What ice cream?Lucy: I don’t think you have it on her right, Mom. 

I want my ice cream.

I am Xena, the Schnauzer Warrior Princess with a big cone and no ice cream.

Thankful Thursday with Ludwig

Ludwig: Xena, do you know what I am thankful for?Xena: Hmm, let me think. I know! You are thankful that I am so beautiful!

Ludwig: Of course, Beautiful Princess, I appreciate your beauty and your friendship. But that is not what I am thinking just now. I am thankful, Xena, that I got to come live with you and your family and friends.And that I’m beautiful, right?

Ludwig and Lucy: *sigh* 

We thank Brian’s Home for sponsoring this Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

 

Wordless Wednesday: Me and My Daddy

I am Xena, Daddy’s Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Independence Day USA by Lucy

And I Wasn’t Scared at All

Hi friends! I’m so exited about taking another class with Mommy at Play Dog Excellent, or PDX for short. This is the class us pups take before we start something called agility. I know that Mable and Hazel at the Idaho Pug Ranch do agility, and so does Benji at Life of Benji, and I bet a lot more of my friends do, too. Here’s my second week at class.
 The filming on this one wasn’t great, but you can see that I was learning to run along a raised board. I think I did pretty good for my first time doing this kinda thing, and I wasn’t scared at all.

I could run so fast through this ladder, my legs are almost a blurr! I got lots of compliments on how good I did it. And I wasn’t scared at all!
I never did understand what I am supposed to do with these squishy discs. I guess that might be ’cause Mommy didn’t know, either, BOL!

Last Tuesday was week number three, and things get harder more challenging every week. At first I didn’t want to do the “V Ramp.” I started up it and when I slowed down, I started to slide backwards. I have to admit, that was no fun. Mommy kept encouraging me, and then my Guardian Angel whispered in my ear. She said that this was her very favorite piece of equipment when she was doing Agility, and if I just ran fast the whole way up, over and down, just one time, I would love it too. So do you know what I did? Well, let me show you. I do have to tell you, this video was taken at the end of the hour when I was exhausted. At the beginning of our training fun I was tearing up and down it so fast, Mommy could hardly keep up with me. I would get to the bottom, eat my treat, and turn around and run back up (and down) it. I was like that speedy guy from Marvel – I think his name is Speedy, or maybe Flash – yep, that’s it, Flash.

I guess that’s enough wowing you for one day. I’ll show you more videos again soon.

I am Xena the Future Agility Champion

 

Guests?

Lucy: So, Xena, what do you think of the new dogs in the house? They’ve been here over a week. I wonder if that means we are keeping them.

Xena: They do look familiar. I think Mommy grooms them. But they won’t play with me. I try and try. I grab their stuffies and shake them in their faces and run, and nothing. Then I do the same with my stuffies.  Nothing.

Lucy: That’s ’cause Maggie is 10 years old. But I did see her chewing on your new birthday bully horn.

                                                      Who? Me?

Xena: That’s not exactly a group activity. So I took it away from her. ‘Cause it’s mine. And she can’t have it.

Lucy: And Dora forgets who Dad is and barks at him every day when he gets home from work.

Xena: Maybe that’s what happens when you turn nine.

                                                         Who are you?

Lucy: Just before their folks left, I heard their Dad mumble something about Dora not being the brightest bulb in the lamp. 

Xena: Well, they have just about stolen our Mommy and Daddy. 

Is that good, Maggie? A little more to the left, Mr. Jeff.

Lucy: I don’t mind Mom sleeping in the other bedroom with them. That means I can sleep in the big bed with Dad all night long. 

Mom and Dad are coming for us today. I am so outa’ here.

We are Lucy and Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess, the ONLY permanent resident dogs in our house.

Wordless Wednesday

A tired dog and her hockey puck bone.

Grooming with Mom

Hi friends. This is Lucy, reporting on a new episode of Grooming with Mom.

Maggie isn’t a newbie. She has been here before. This is her before and after picture from the first time she was here in October last year. 

She has been back twice since that. This time, however, Maggie’s Dad brought her and told my Mom to give her a short poodle cut. She is half poodle and half shih tzu, and definitely looks more poodlish.  Her “before” look isn’t nearly as bad as it was the first time she was on Mom’s torture grooming table.After a lot of shaving and some arguing over getting her face shaved, here’s how she looked in her “after.” We found out that her Mama was about to have surgery for breast cancer, and needed Maggie to have an easy haircut to manage. Please send up your POTP, good thoughts and prayers for Miss Marcia, Maggie’s Mom.

Licks and wiggles, Lucy

Birthday Surprises

Dear friends, before I start telling you about my great birthday, I want to say I’m sorry for tricking you. I didn’t mean to. My paw hit the publish button by mistake, and I wasn’t near done. But I am now, so please don’t be mad and read about my most specialest day ~Xena

I had the bestest birthday I ever had. Of course it was the only one I ever had. On the way home from work, we stopped at the Smart Pet place. After looking around, we went home with yummy treats for me.

When we got home, there were all my stuffie friends, including Ludwig, in the kitchen with bags of pressies for me. Winter bear got tired and fell asleep while he was waiting for me to get home, so he missed me opening my pressies. This pink bag had a lot of bouncy yellow foam balls that Mommy will throw for me. I love to play fetch with balls, and I’m even getting better at catching them with my mouth and my paws.The flower bag had yummy flavored bones in it – I had to share one of them with Lucy. Mommy let us chew on them for a while before dinner, but when she saw how quickly we chewed them apart, she took them away from us and fed them to that bad old can that’s under the sink. I hate that can. It gets lots of stuff I could eat! 

Ludwig ran and got me to come open my last pressie. He whispered in my ear, “I got this one for you, Xena. You are my friend and I love you.” Sure enough, that bag held my favorite pressie of all…a bully horn sized just right for me. Lucy wanted to chew it up, so I am going to take it to work and leave it there, where she can’t get it.

Next came supper. I got a French meal called steak tartar. Instead of bacon on top, there was fresh salmon. It was on a real fancy plate that used to belong to my Grandma. Next to it is my dessert: sliced apple and strawberries and goat yogurt.

Nom, nom, nom.

Lucy got beef and chicken and egg and cabbage and a tiny bit of salmon. And she got the same dessert as me.

She ate so fast that she made all these disgusting piggy noises (sorry, Bacon). We got our desserts after we finished our meal and had licked our plate and bowl clean. You can see we both dug into the yogurt first.

So that is the story of my first birthday, and I hope everyone liked hearing about it.

I am Xena the One-Year-Old Schnauzer Warrior Princess

At Work on My Birthday

 

Here I am at work with Mommy, getting baby hold time on my very first birthday. I wonder when I am going to get my nice pressies. I wonder what I’m getting special for supper. I’ve even got my birthday cupcake scarf on so efurryone will know it’s my special day.

 

 

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions for what to ask for on my birthday. Mommy’s giving heart worm prevention to a no-kill shelter in the area. And I’ve asked for more of what I already have, since I can’t think of anything new.

Mommy, Mommy, I need you to tell me sumptin.

Today I turn one year old, right? Does that mean I’m all grown up and I’m not your baby anymore? *whispers* I still want to be your baby.

Mom: Xexe honey, no matter how old you are, you are and always will be my baby and my heart, all wrapped up in one.Good! When does the party start?

(Dear Reader, please come back tomorrow for pictures of the surprise festivities. – the Mommy)

I am Xena the Birthday Schnauzer Warrior Princess

 

 

 

Happy Daddy’s Day

Planning My Birthday

I was cuddling with Mommy while she worked when she stopped and said to me, “Xena, your birthday is coming up real soon. Have you thought about what you would like?” Of course I hadn’t. I didn’t really know about birthdays. Mommy went on to explain that one year ago I was born on June 21. So this Thursday, I will be one year old, and I will get presents and we will celebrate my life.

I thought and thought and asked if I could get some more bravery so that the loud thunder and new things don’t scare me. I want to be brave like Angel Lexi was. Mommy said I will get braver as I get older, and besides, I can do other things that Angel Lexi wouldn’t. When I asked like what, she said I scoot clear under the couch so fast to get my ball that she hardly has time to blink. Angel Lexi refused to do that. That made me smile, and then think some more. I don’t want any more clothes, and I have lots of stuffies. I always get great food – I mean, chicken or steak or fish every night! As well as chickie feet and liver and gizzards and green tripe and fresh veggies and fruit and sauerkraut and coconut oil. What more could a pup ask for in their dish?

I have round bones that I play soccer with and a really big bully horn to chew (it’s really Lucy’s, but she lets me have it). Yep, I have a great sister who puts up with me no matter what I do to her (he, he). I get to go to work and see my friends there, and now to my training classes and sometimes even to stores. I have a soft bed, and a Mommy and Daddy who love me.

Hmmm. This is a hard question. I don’t know what to ask for. Can someone give me ideas?

 

I am Xena the Almost One Year Old Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Mechanically Inclined

Xena: Why does Mommy keep closing the patio door?

Lucy: I heard her say something about mosquitoes. But I have to go potty.

Xena: Good thing I’m mechanical, like Mommy always says.

I’m Xena, the Mechanically Inclined Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Bedtime

 

 

Lucy: We don’t get to spend much time with our Dad, so at bedtime, we like to cuddle with him. We both love to get our bellies scratched. And our necks, and ears, and faces, and backs, and…Xena: Put the camera away Mommy. This is my special time with my Daddy. You know I’m going to jump out of the bed soon and get in Lucy’s bed before you tell her to “get down.”Lucy: Take as many pictures as you want, Mom. Just so I get to stay in the bed. Oh, and nobody ever tells me to “get down,” Xena. They just kiss and say, “I love you,” and “I love you too,” and then it’s time for me to go to my bed. 

Xena: Uh huh. That’s when Daddy calls me over to pet me one last time before he turns off the light. He must love to pet me.

Lucy: Thanks for getting out of my bed, Xena. Goodnight, I love you.

Xena: Goodnight, Lucy, I love you too.

The Home Line-Up

Maybe you saw the post where I told you about lining up my stuffies at work. Well, I like to keep things in order at home, too.Here is Tiger, Rainbow Bear, Brownie Bear, and the almost dead alligator that used to be Riley’s. I thought it was all dead, then one day, when I was playing in my kennel, I found it laying across my back. I’m keeping it because the squeaker still works. Everyone is lined up nice and neat waiting to go outside to play.  After I carried everyone out and laid them down in a neat line, I closed my kennel door so no one would run back inside.Everyone ready? Tiger, turn around. OK, Mom, open the door so we can all go outside and play. Man, sometimes I feel like I am running my own daycare, just like they do at work.

I am Xena, the Schnauzer (Warrior) Princess

We’re Not Water Breeds

Why does Mom think either one of us is part lab or even Goldens, like Bonnie, Belle and Bessie over at Three Pups and a Couple of Kittens. They love their new pool!

You don’t see the part where Mom “helped” me into the pool. I just kept on going, right out the other side.

Mom was able to get a full refund.

Love and wiggles, a (still) dry Lucy

The Lineup

At work, I like everything to be “just-so,” in it’s place. I think I am just like my Mommy.  She likes everything “just-so” on her desk, too. I often take my stuffies and other toys into the hallway to play with them.  (Mommy doesn’t do that with her boring desk stuff.)

You can see I have everyone lined up nice and neat. Closest to me is Blue Bone, then Little Bunny, then Brownie Bear, then Hedgehog, then Rope Toy. I carry them out here one at a time and carefully place each one next in line.

Now it is time to play and visit with my friends.

So Brownie, this is what that other dog named Mallie did to me. What? You don’t like it either? I know! It is so rude. Miss Beth said she won’t bring Mallie here anymore on Thursdays, but she might bring her on Mondays when we are here. I heard her and Mommy talking about us getting to be friends. I guess that would be OK – as long as she keeps her nose away from my bee-hind.

Sometimes when I get sleepy I invite one of my stuffies to come back in the office from the hallway to join me for a nap. Today it was Brownie Bear, after I promised to not stick my nose you-now-where anymore. Sweetheart was already napping in my bed. *yawn* (He, he, I made Mommy yawn, too. I told you we are just alike.)

I am Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess with my Stuffies

 

Amusement Park Fun

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.

It is often celebrated with outdoor barbecues, picnics, family get-togethers and doing fun things out of doors, often heralding the beginning of summer. Xena and Lucy have joined in the blogville BBQ at the amusement park today, and have their dessert already picked out. Let’s hope they don’t get upset tummies, since they definitely don’t get this kinda stuff at home! Wishing everyone a good and safe holiday.

Lucy: Hey Xena, we better hurry up. I am the official greeter for the Diva Slippers Band and aren’t you playing your accordion?

Xena: Yep, I left it over where we are playing. Maybe we better come back later for our candy.

Both: Nah!

Now hop on over to Mayor Arty’s blog to join everyone as we celebrate the day we honor our brave veterans.