Conquering the heart of The Beast has become part of our tactical training. Sky seemed ready for this so M took him to The Beast Park. The Beast looked older. There is some wear and tear on him. I think he needs some pampering from a real Dogtor.
Is this the one?!
He is purretty big!
To win your adversaries heart you say goodbye with a kiss. Sky didn’t have to do that yet; that’s for his next lesson.
Moi in 2017: Till we meet again!
Benji
The ZAB team
Yesterday M and I went to our first agility competition. It was loads of fun. Our agility trainer had organized it to raise money for VOCAL (Voices of Chance Animal League). Its mission is to improve the lives of dogs without a voice. They provide free fencing, shelter, and medical resources for dogs that are forced to live their lives at the end of a chain. We came totally prepared, ahum, and showed up with one small bag with all my necessities: yummies and water. This was in contrast to others who seemed to have hauled their entire house to the event. Maybe they like to lift weights. Fancy crates, chairs, and even tents showed up on the sidelines.
During my run, I had to conquer 20 obstacles. Since M had never watched or participated in an agility event, I took charge as soon as she unhooked my leash. I started with a Mach 2+ victory lap. I got a lotta of applause for that one. Why save the best for last, right? Still, time was ticking and we had only 90 seconds to complete the whole thing. Not a problem for me but M is always lagging behind, so I knew I had to come up with something good. Instead of jumping over obstacles in numerical order, I just skipped the first obstacle, the tire. The second obstacle was the weave. To save even more time I pretzeled around only 4 of the 6 poles. Onwards to number three: a jump. From there I went straight to number eight, the A-frame. I ran that thing twice; it’s too much fun to only run once. At some point, after more jumps and the boardwalk, and of course thanks to my pawbulous ingenuity, we made it to number 20. I didn’t have time for another victory run, so my instinct to do that first was a good one.
There was a raffle at the end of the event. I saw some great dog toys displayed that I would have liked to get my paws on. Unfortunately, I didn’t win them. Maybe next time. All in all, it was a grand day. I made a lotta new fur-iends and friends and got hugs from many people. I can’t wait to go again.
Always listen to your gut,
Benji
P.S. Tomorrow we are expecting a furry important package by super express delivery. Stay tuned.
Yes, I did it; I turned another Mission Impossible into a Mission Possible! Last Saturday, I read with the kids at the library and decided that it was a lotta fun. They stroked my ears, those are definitely my sweet spots, my back, and even my belly while they read to me. I had two incognito sessions at the library before I officially opened my office. Next time I will ask my photographer/ driver/ butler/ whatever-I-need-person to take a photo of my office. It has cute monkeys on the wall, even though we are not supposed to monkey around.
Here is a photo of my new outfit for the R.E.A.D. program. I use it together with my favorite blanket that states: “In a perfect world every dog has a home”. Ain’t that the truth.
Benji
Today we turned another Mission Impossible into a Mission Possible. It was the 13th visit so what could go wrong, eh? We went back to the adult care center. This time I was the only Dogtor so I was a busy bee and I don’t even have wings. Everyone was pleased to see us again. We chatted our heads off with the folks for about half an hour when I heard rumbling noises. It was faint at first, well not to me but those with shorter ears seem to be less sensitive to sound; it definitely got louder over time. I looked at M and we both figured that it was time to go home before it would catch up with us. It was good that we did. As soon as I jumped in the car it started raining cats and dogs. Lucky for us, we did not get a visit from that fellow Harvey that caused havoc way west of us. He is a bad, bad, guy from what I’ve heard. Lots of people and animals got themselves into a pickle. Some even died because of Harvey; so sad. Our thoughts are with everybody in that area. If you would like to help with the animal disaster relief efforts visit https://www.houstonpetset.org/hurricane-harvey-relief-fund/
As we drove away from the adult care center, the sky got brighter the closer we got to headquarters. Maybe the noisy pickles got scared by Ms. Zulu’s Border Collie stare. I don’t blame them, she can be pretty intimidating at times. Maybe barking helps too. I wouldn’t mind taking the lead on that sometime. OK, gotta run. I have a playdate with my CCI friend. After the playdate we will go shopping and meet more CCI friends in the city!
Let the sunshine in,
WOOFFF!
Benji
I know, I know, we are way behind on updating you but I had a couple of busy weeks so thought I would chill on my sofa with live television before I got back on track. I’m happy to report that on Wednesday another Mission Impossible became possible. I went to a youth center where I met teenagers who are enrolled in a non-residential counseling program. It was a new place for me so I met lots of new people. I worked the crowd together with one of my colleagues, a Great Pyrenees. He is a great guy literally and figuratively speaking. We learned that he has been in the business for more than 4 years. That’s twice as long as I have been on this planet! The guy was very calm. I guess that’s what happens when you have done this a million times.
The kids at the youth center are a hoot. They wanted to know everything under the sun about me. Their greeting ritual is a bit different from mine as they wanted me to shake their hands over and over again. I got rewarded with treats so it was no problemo. I even put in a couple of spins for good measure. Afterwards, we stopped at a cafe to cool down. It’s hot here, 102 degrees Fahrenheit, so we ordered drinks on the rocks.
Stay cool and have a pawbulous weekend,
Benji
We have a Canine Companion for Independence (CCI) visitor so we will be AWOL for a little while as we will be busy showing him around town. Our visitor is about seven months old and has an out of jail card for seven days.
The little guy who is actually quite a big guy already is a service dog in training and being trained by inmates at a correctional institute for women. He needs some real world experience such as shopping, riding in a car, going to the doctor etc., hence the out of jail card. The women who take care of these puppies are doing a fabulous job so it’s always a joy to have these guys around.
I promise to catch up with you later,
Benji
Jumping up
High in the air
With ears flapping
Wishing you a wagnificent weekend with lots of treats and cuddles,
Benji
Yesterday, I was called up for a second super-secret-mission (Mission Possible 2). This time the higher authorities wanted my expertise as a real Dogtor at a special community with gates and everything. Of course, as a real soldier, I did not refuse. My preparations for this mission was two-fold. The day prior we had a thorough scrub session to fight pesky microorganism. This part is getting a lot easier. M now knows that I like some good food with my bath and that the water temperature needs to be right, i.e. not too cold and not too hot. On the day of the mission I did the usual: go for a walk with my prep team, take an extra long nap, meditate, brush my teeth, put on my best suit and tie, and then I was finally good to go.
All suited up
My prep team consisted of Ms. Zulu and M. Ms. Zulu adds lots of practical wisdom to the team. She is especially well versed in Zuluism and she taught me how to take long refreshing naps. M is for tactical advice and general guidance. And of course, she is my chauffeur. Q was missing in action. He seems to be busy with other missions.
Once we were on the premises, the action began. I met B, another real Dogtor and her supervisor. We decided to walk around to sniff out if all was secure. Only after the OK sign from us Dogtors did we go inside the building. Doors automatically slid open with my magic harness and we were welcomed by lots of people who were happy to see us. I had to watch out for rolling wheelchairs that could easily squash my tail and frail toes that I tried to avoid. From time to time, big storage carts would come flying around corners. It looked like they had wings, they were so fast. They were noisy too, I can tell you that.
There was also a big box that we stepped into. It was located away from the main area, in a carpeted hallway. Doors closed once we were inside. Then a low hum, a bit of shaking, and the doors opened again. I made sure to take in the surroundings before I stepped out. I immediately noticed that something was off. I am 100% sure that the layout of the hallway and rooms was exactly the same but here is the kicker, the people were different and there was no carpet anymore on the floor. I must have time traveled! Now I come to think of it, the box kind of looked like the TARDIS, you know the time machine. This one was gray instead of blue though. Maybe this machine worked properly, contrary to the one my esteemed colleague Doctor Who uses.
If I would have known that I would time travel, I would have brought my S-SD. It probably would have helped on the way back to our timeline. You see, I had a bit of a problem getting back in the big box so the executive decision was made to take the staircase. Luckily this one did not end up in heaven so I was able to return sound and safely on solid ground. M said that we will try to find another big box (there are more?!) so that we can practice how to better commandeer the device. Sounds like a plan to me.
Double-O-Eleven
Back at headquarters after a successful run
Yahoo! On Valentine’s Day Mission Impossible 1 (MI-1 for you insiders) became Mission Possible. The preparations were a bit harsh as I had to be cleaned top to bottom. Yes, that includes ears, mouth, and nails! And you know that taking a bath is not one of my favorite endeavors. But on our missions, we are fighting pesky microorganisms so it has to be done. It helped that I was fed lots of yummies during the ordeal. The amount was almost as much as my dinner. Now I come to think of it, I think we pretty much skipped my dinner. Hmmm…, I only had a little bite after my bath… I was tricked!!!
Once onsite, doors automatically opened for me, and nurses and patients of all ages welcomed us with open arms. Maybe my blue harness is a magic cape after all. Inside the not to be named building, I discovered that I was the only real dogtor in attendance. Fortunately, my training kicked in immediately and I was on red alert for imminent action. I can even say that I single-pawedly was able to save a day here and there by shaking hands left and right and giving out hugs like candy. The red bow tie that I picked out for this special V-day certainly helped too. Looking back, I can now rest assured that my numero uno super-secret-mission was a success. Onward to the next one; but first I will take a well-deserved big nap!
Signing off,
Double-O-Eleven.
We are having a lazy weekend so we went digging for more oldies in the goodies collection; enjoy!
The letter I stands for Integrity. Integrity means being honest and having good character. This includes connecting with others by offering a listening ear. It also might mean that you have to wriggle yourself in an awkward position without any treats in sight, just to be near someone.
XXX, Benji
I learned that the letter J stands for Joy. Mom says that I bring lots of it every day. Of course, Ms. Zulu does too.
Joy means bringing smiles to others by simply being there and wagging your tail. I think I can do that, WOOFFF!
Benji
The letter N stands for Nononsense*. I try to keep a no-thrills attitude and am enjoying the simple things in life. Treats are Numero Uno on that list. I bet you hadn’t seen that one coming. The N also stands for November. That is the month of happy new beginnings for me and my new family as I was adopted into my furrever home in November 2015.
Me, Benji
* Yes, that looks like drool on that sock. And no, I wouldn’t know how said drool got on the sock. I don’t recall getting a treat that time. And if I did, I would plead the fifth.
My pretty Sis
May your tummies always be full with yummies,
Benji
The letter E stands for Empathy
Showing empathy means
Holding someone’s hand
As long as it takes
Or giving a kiss
To those in need
Without asking anything in return
Benji
Mom is teaching me how to spell my name. We started with the letter B which stands for Braveheart. She says that I am a braveheart because I am courageous in anxious times. I barked at this lion when I was a pup but learned that when someone else is different it doesn’t mean they are scary. Lion and I are now best buddies and share our treasures.
Puppy kisses, Benji
What’s up? Well, while I am still waiting for my first super-secret-mission, I have not been lazy. Instead, I got some new work. I have been asked to model for Belén Soto, a very talented ceramist. We all really like her work, so I was quite honored when Belén asked me if I would like to sit for one of her sculptures! With mom’s help, I did my best to provide a front and side view photo of me. It was not easy to sit still. Leaves kept falling around me, interrupting my concentration.
You can find Belén’s beautiful work on Clay and Fire. I am looking forward to the results of this effort!
Is this good?
What’s that?
OK, how about this?
Mom, they are really tempting me
OK, will leave them alone now
This should be good, right?
Mom has been sad for a couple of days now. Not sure what happened, but it seems to have something to do with an election of some sorts. Since I have been cleared to work as a therapy animal I thought I would make myself useful. So I gave her extra hugs and my favorite toy to chew on. It worked; I made her smile. Hope I can make you smile too, love, Benji.
Life of Benji 