My Hero

Hero is one of my best friends ever.  But he’s moving away, so I’m very sad.  He's not moving like Willow moved (from the West End to the Southside); he's moving all the way across the ocean.

Me, sad that Hero is moving

Mom, dad and I will miss Hero and his mom and dad very very very much.  We've only known them a little over a year, but they quickly became great friends and hiking buds.  They showed us lots of trails at Pocahontas State Park, cheered me on in tricks contests, helped out A LOT at Dog Scouts events, and Hero has been a star in our recent trick demos.  Not only is Hero a great pup, his mom and dad are among the most delightful people we’ve ever met.

Hero shares my passion for mud

Hero at Woof Wag Walk

I met Hero through Facebook.  His mom was friends with my grandma, who had given her a lot of great information about labs when she was looking for Hero.  When I posted a particularly witty comment on one of my grandma's posts, Hero's mom sent me a message saying she just HAD to friend me and that her lab was on Facebook too.  So I got to know Hero and his mom a bit through Facebook, then they came to watch my tricks demo at the Ft. Lee Puppy Bowl last summer, and we got to actually meet them!  Mom liked Hero's mom instantly, but I wasn't quite as enamored by Hero.  He was still very much of a puppy then, and puppies can be a bit much for me –- all jumpy and kissy and bitey.  But then we started doing hikes together and we became great friends, and Hero has matured into a fine young lab.

Hiking with Hero

Willow, Hero and me playing in the water
at Pocahontas State Park

THROW it, human

Did someone say treat?

Come on old man, says Hero

Hero on his first birthday

Hero is an all-around superstar.  He's only one and a half years old, but he is already the best behaved and most talented lab we know (next to me, of course).


Hero's full name is Doubleplay's Hero Lest We Forget because he was born on Veteran's Day.  He is half American lab and half English lab – and we think he's the best of both.  As you can see from his photos, he's one of the most handsome labs EVER.  He's also one of the sweetest, smartest, and most talented labs around.  He makes friends with everyone he meets, human and canine.  He simply loves everyone, and everyone loves him.  He knows lots of tricks, and will swim far out into the water to fetch a ball none of the rest of us can find.  He has started hunt training (which is how he knows how to find the ball – his mom gives him some signal that means swim out further to look for it).  He has also been learning agility recently, and he's picking it up quickly.


Did I mention that he can fly?

A couple months ago, Hero’s mom entered him into a dog show.  She said she didn’t know what she was doing, and some thought her crazy to try it, but mom and Willow’s mom encouraged her to do it.  Hero had never been to a dog show before and didn’t have any training or practice as to what you’re supposed to do.  But he wowed the judges with his looks and poise.  He even won some ribbons and metals, and now he has letters after his name like some of my other friends.   He won both the National and International Puppy title along with Best Labrador Puppy, and he came third in the Best Sporting Puppy.  In his first show ever.  We were so proud of him!  (Of course he has always been the Best Labrador Puppy as far as we're concerned.)

Hero with his new medals, looking very solemn

Hero’s mom and dad (especially his mom) have spent lots and lots of time with Hero, teaching him things and bringing him up to be a model canine citizen -- and it shows.  We admire Hero and his mom very much and wish that every puppy parent was half that devoted to training their pup to be a delightful companion.  Hero's mom recently shared a photo on Facebook of a bunch of very well-behaved pit bull-looking dogs posing for a camera with the caption "Good Dogs start with Good Owners".  This so true, and Hero and his parents are prime examples.    


Hero and his mom are always taking other pups along on their hikes, which we think is extremely nice of them.  They take Willow hiking with them when Willow's parents are out of town, and I know Willow appreciates it.  She has so much border collie energy, she needs to hike A LOT, and her grandparents can't take her hiking.  A whole lot of doggies are gonna' miss Hero and his mom.

Me and Hero -- and Ozzy pretending he doesn't know us

And I too will miss my pal Hero.  Hikes will not be the same without his fun, silly, exuberant labness.  My mom is gonna' miss Hero's mom terribly.  We're secretly hoping that someday they will be able to move back to the U.S.  (Meanwhile, we’ve got a spare bedroom and an extra dog bed, so we are hoping they visit!)

Swim Party at Willow's!

Last weekend, my girlfriend Willow invited me over for a swim party! Willow has a lake in her BACK YARD!

Willow in the muck

Willow's human brother's new pup Noro was there too! 

Noro

We had lots of fun!

Stick fetchin time

Willow LOVES to swim

Sometimes she swims so fast she makes a wake

Just try to catch me

You have our complete attention

But what's that smell?

Is that you who smells so lovely?

Yep, it's you

I brought a box of Frosty Paws, and after we had enough swimming, Willow, Noro and I ate Frosty Paws while our parents watched the season premier of True Blood.  Noro even snuggled up to daddy on the couch!  He said he had to modify his ear-scratching technique for her because he's not used to giving ear-scratches to pups with ears that stand up.


Willow's parents are so nice to invite me over and let me come in their house after swimming in the lake.  I love that their house is very nice but also very dog friendly!  And it has a LAKE!  

Willow's lake is quite beautiful and very peaceful

It was a lovely evening!

Willow Wednesday

In celebration of Wednesday, here are some photos of my girlfriend Willow, dressed up for the Furry Friends Jubilee.

Here she's laughing at one of my jokes.  
(That's what girlfriends do, right?)

Woof Wag Walk - what defines a successful event?

My friend Hero

In early March, our local Dog Scout Troop, Troop #194, went to Hanover County's Woof Wag Walk.

We did two tricks demonstrations and had a booth selling home made dog and people treats to raise money for SEVA GRREAT, Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Training.  SEVA GRREAT is a wonderful local organization that rescued some of my best friends and found them very happy forever homes. You can learn more about them (and make a donation!) on their website at: SEVA GRREAT.

Mom had lots to do because she had organized the tricks demonstration and was also kind of in charge of the booth selling treats.  (She often tries to do way more than she can gracefully handle.)  The day before the event, mom made a list of everything she needed for the Dog Scout booth and the tricks demo (tent, tables, chairs, trick props, treats, signs, etc.)  She even chopped up a bunch of extra special treats for me for the tricks demo.  (I get extra special treats like chicken and hot dog pieces when performing in front of groups of people because there are so many additional distractions.)

My extra special treats

Dad helped load the cars (I call him my roadie) and mom managed to fit everything into the two cars.  

My roadie goofing off

My roadie loading up the equipment

Supervising while they load the cars

We even got there with plenty of time to set up.  Mom learned from last year's Mardi Paws event that it's really hard to decorate a tent on a cold, windy March day, so she skipped the decorations this year and only put up signs.  (Besides, she is no longer allowed to use the step ladder.)

Dog Scout Troop #194's booth, staffed by Hero's dad, the best cookie salesman ever

So everything was going relatively smoothly (no falls from the step ladder or decorations blowing away) until mom realized that she had forgotten the most crucial item: my special treats!  Sure, we had treats for sale, but when I'm performing tricks for a crowd, not just any treat will do.  Luckily mom had packed chicken sandwiches for her and dad, so she simply disassembled dad's sandwich so I could have chicken treats.

My girlfriend Willow, and my best buds Hero, Gauis, Zen, and Wyatt were all there for our tricks demo.  Hero is kind of new to tricks and very new to performing in front of people, but he was FANTASTIC!  He's only a little over a year old, and mom says he's the best behaved one-year-old lab ever -- and also the sweetest.  Willow was her usual fabulous self, and Gauis, as usual, stole the show with his cuteness and very difficult tricks.  Zen and Wyatt were also very impressive and very, very cute.

Willow climbing out of the suitcase, after doing the suitcase trick

Gauis doing the penguin

Wyatt shaking paws

Gauis scratching his mommy's back

Me doing crawl

Willow playing the drum

Me doing roll over

Zen getting some post-trick loving

As for me, well -- I was pretty distracted by all of the yummy smells in the nice, grassy field where we were performing tricks.  I did my tricks, but dad said it wasn't one of my best performances.  But then he said that the people in the audience were all smiling and clearly enjoying the show.

Mom thinks that making people smile is one of the nicest things you can do.  And we made people smile.  So that means it was a successful event.

We also raised $175 for SEVA GRREAT by selling our homemade dog cookies.  So I guess that means it was super-successful!

Richmond SPCA Dog Jog - my first flash mob!

On Saturday, Willow and I walked with the Caring Canines team in the Richmond SPCA Dog Jog to help raise money for the Richmond SPCA.  It was VERY rainy!!!

We were also part of a super secret flash mob right before the start of the Dog Jog.  When the deejay played "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall & Oates, a bunch of people started dancing.  When we got our cue ("Listen to this"), a bunch of dogs started dancing too!  Or, at least, that was the plan.  But just as the group of humans started dancing, it started raining really hard.  It was raining so hard that the rain was getting in my eyes whenever I looked up at mom, so I wouldn't look up at her.  Plus the rain magnified all of the yummy treat smells.  Needless to say, mom couldn't get my attention at all, and I didn't do my part of the dance routine.

The dog part of the flash mob was really quite simple -- speak, speak, up, spin, spin, up, down.  Easy tricks that I know quite well.  We had even rehearsed the night before (who knew that flash mobs have rehearsals?!?), but I just wouldn't do it.  I've decided that I don't do tricks in the rain, period.  Willow didn't want to do tricks either.  We didn't see how the other dogs did, but the dancing humans were so good, they kind of stole the show anyway.  And it was pretty humorous to see a bunch of raincoat and poncho-clad people dancing this perfectly choreographed routine in the pouring rain.

After the flash mob (sorry I have no photos, mom was too busy trying to cajole me into doing tricks), we went to the starting line with the other hardy Caring Canines.  Willow doesn't like standing around -- she was ready to get going.  Finally they said "go" and Willow and her mom took off running.  Mom and I just walked really fast.  We wanted to finish quickly so we could get home and dry as soon as possible!

Dad is such a good sport -- he was ready to pick us up as soon as we crossed the finish line, so two very wet dogs and two very wet women piled into his car for the ride home.  Mom and I were SO soaked!  And my Caring Canines cape was dripping!  It felt SO good to get inside the house and get toweled off!  We spent the rest of the day curled up on the couch! 

Part of the Caring Canines team at the start of the Dog Jog

The starting line

Willow is eager to get started

Me in my sodden cape

Checking the starting line for treats

Ah, the smell of wet pavement!

Waiting for the Dog Jog to begin

Approaching the finish line

A wet Willow on the way home

 Willow and I shared the backseat on the ride home,
but mom sat between us (that's why I look so sad)

I find wet flash mobs to be exhausting

Well you hell yeah you make my dreams come true (you you you you) oh yeah!