Happy Howloween!

"Whoah, 'trick or treat'? Did someone say 'TREAT'"?

"I'm up here. Come feed me treats!"

"I'm waiiiiiting..."

 

Dog Whisperer

"Oh, Mom... for me?... you shouldn't have!"

"Mmmmm... could it be a delicous new box of chews?"

"Who's that guy?"

"Oh, Mom... Cesar Milan?... seriously, I wish you hadn't!"

"I'll never get away with nuthin' around here anymore..."
Lest you all think that I think Charlie's a problem dog, I should confess that, up till very recently, I'd never heard of Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer. The folks who are releasing this DVD set somehow came across Charlie's blog & offered a promotional copy in return for a review post. Cool. Because Charlie does have his issues.

Now if I can just get him to sit still long enough to watch the darn thing... ;)

Anyway, I plan to try this out and see if it works for us. And, of course as promised, we'll post the results.

Singing with the Pack

Charlie's Uncle Ben is getting ready to record a new CD with his band, The Blackwater Collective. And Charlie just had to get in on some of that action.

Birthday Boy

Today Charlie is 4. He continues to mellow, but still has that puppy excitement about him. Some of this year's developments:

• Charlie's become quite the singer, demanding to harmonize at the end of every human meal. Every. Meal.
• This year Charlie's proved himself a sociable guy -- meeting and playing nicely with several new dogs and even handling himself with composure on walks when faced with aggressive off-leash dogs.
• Wev'e had lots of houseguests and visitors this year, and Charlie's initial reservednesss upon meeting new humans has decreased dramatically.
• Charlie has decided (finally!) that he likes to be brushed. And he's learned the word "brush". "Want to brush?" sends him flying to the appropriate closet.
• Now he allows me to dry even his feet without resorting to teeth. Clipping his nails alone, however, remains an unattainable goal.

What's not changed is that Charlie's still glued to me and I'm crazy about him. Some things are just forever.

 

Debating, Charlie-style

While the adults ate inside, watching Barack Obama and John McCain go at it on television, Charlie and Gabbie staged their own little contest outdoors.

Gabbie took a firm position on the Cuz and commanded an early lead.

Charlie tried to attack her on the Cuz issue, but Gabbie remained unflappable.

Gabbie was the decided frontrunner in the contest.

Still, it was a real horserace.

And in the end, Gabbie won the Cuz.

But Charlie won hearts!

I think polls will call it a tie!

 

Hello, Goodbye

Goodbye, sunny summer...
Hello, rainy fall!