Louie the yellow labrador retriever

Louie

Wednesday -- 4:00 PM 4/2/2008

Lookie here, Louie's back.

He came in like he lived here, said hello to the resident dogs, and went out to check out the backyard.

He didn't seem bothered when his mom left, and he busied himself exploring and annoying Starlight. She's only a little annoyed.

He's a nice lapdog.

Thursday -- 12:24 PM 4/3/2008

Last night he asked politely if he could sleep in my bed, so I said yes he could.

In the morning he gobbled his breakfast and pill and was ready to take on the day. He wasn't pleased when I took my dogs with me for a couple of hours this morning and left him in charge, but he handled it well. It probably helped that I gave him some cookies as we left.

His eyedrops were described to me as optional, so I probably won't use them unless he indicates I should. So far he hasn't messed with his eyes at all.

His pals Rocky and Pete will be arriving this afternoon. He'll like that. He's just about worn Starlight out, and Petey has lots of energy.

5:02 PM 4/3/2008

Well, that didn't go the way I planned it.

It was all my fault. I got so busy and annoyed trying to put a destination into my GPS thingy so I can go to a place I've never been before on Saturday. I had a hard time figuring it out once before, when it was new, and I haven't put any new places into it for a long time. I remember it was easy and obvious once you understood it, but I had been going around in circles with it, almost in tears at one point.

The dogs knew I was frustrated, and they weren't happy. Beau heard Rocky and Pete's car pull up and started barking. Louie joined him. That was the last straw. I scolded him just as the doorbell rang.

Of course the gate that separates the front door from the rest of the house had broken again yesterday, so I should have had Louie locked up. But I had lost track of the time and forgotten to expect the new dogs.

So instead of locking Louie up I grabbed his collar and opened the door to see who it could be. It was Rocky and Pete and their mom. So I held onto Louie's collar and opened the screen door. The dogs rushed in as they always do, and Louie jumped on Rocky.

Rocky started screaming like someone was killing him. His mom stood there in the doorway, not knowing what to do. I held onto Louie's collar, since the door was open, but he was on top of Rocky. All five dogs were milling around in my little entryway.

Eventually it worked out. Rocky wasn't hurt, just scared. He went out to the yard. His mom trusted me when I told her these dogs knew each other and were friends, and Rocky wasn't hurt and he'd be OK.

So now Rocky is avoiding Louie, and as I was sure, he's not hurt at all. They hadn't yet had their dinner when they arrived, so I fed them almost immediately. They are in their pens, not eating. Louie's in a crate, just to keep him out of the way until the others finish their dinner.

If Pete and Rocky don't eat soon I'll turn them all loose and feed them again in an hour or so when they aren't so excited.

Friday -- 8:20 AM 4/4/2008

I had more dogs than I needed overnight. When there's not room on my bed for all of us they all want to sleep with me. If there's enough room they often aren't interested.

Starlight sleeps in the living room unless we have doggy guests. When dogs visit she stakes out her spot with me. I try to make sure my dogs don't get demoted when visitors come, so they have first choice.

Louie wore out his welcome by shoving me over until he had more space than I had. So he spent the rest of the night elsewhere.

In the morning he found other dogs to go out and play with him. Then he had a yummy breakfast. Since breakfast he's had a hard time finding playmates so he's joining them all in a nice morning nap.

I haven't had this many dogs all at once in quite a while. It gets hectic sometimes. And the water bowls keep getting emptied, and there's so much more to pick up in the yard. I can manage though.

I'll be going out for a few hours this noon, and today's gardener day. So I'll leave the dogs locked in and the gate unlocked. I don't like to do that but they always seem to manage nicely.

3:40 PM 4/4/2008

When I got home all the dogs were delighted, but I couldn't let them out. The gardeners were just finishing up. I gave everyone a cookie while we waited, then I let them go outside and play. Happy happy dogs.

Since then we've just been sitting around waiting for dinnertime. These dogs know what's important.

Now that the gardeners have come and gone the place is securely locked again and I won't have to lock everyone up anymore. When I go somewhere I just trust them to take good care of the place (and leave everything I care about locked away) and I don't worry about them.

I'll be leaving them all for much of tomorrow, and they'll be fine.

8:53 PM 4/4/2008

A quiet end to a quiet day. Louie's snugged up against me on the couch as I type on my laptop. He hasn't messed with his eyes at all since he's been here, and he's been having a good time playing with Pete and Starlight.

Saturday -- 4:59 PM 4/5/2008

Oh the excitement!

Soon after breakfast I left all 5 dogs home to take care of things. Everything was fine when I got home, but they figured since I'd been gone almost forever it must be way past dinnertime. Actually, no, it was still almost an hour before dinnertime.

I couldn't convince them they weren't on the verge of starvation, with Rocky and Pete standing in their usual pens, and Beau and Starlight waiting in the hallway for me to open the door to where I feed them, and Louie running around in circles with a sock in his mouth.

So I fed them before it was even 4:30. What a relief. They didn't starve after all. Now they're all relaxed and lying around. Imagine how they'll feel when I go out again tomorrow after breakfast. OH NO, not again!

Sunday -- 9:03 AM 4/6/2008

Before my alarm rang this morning my friend phoned and told me she was sick and didn't want to go to the equestrian event we were planning to go to. What a relief. So I just fed the dogs when the alarm went off and went back to bed.

I'll take the day to get some things done that I should have done a long time ago.

Louie still needs some lessons in dog behaviour. Last night Beau was rolling on his back, wiggling and scratching his back. Louie tried to participate and he didn't stop when Beau warned him off. Oh the snarling and flashing teeth! Louie backed off, but he still doesn't show the courtesy Beau thinks he deserves.

The nice thing about dog spats is when they are over they are over. None of them hold any grudges.

I have happy sleeping dogs all over my house. That's nice.

6:54 PM 4/6/2008

Wow 5 dogs is a lot of dogs. Especially when they've had their after-dinner nap and they are ready to play in the cool of the evening.

There have been dogs growling and tussling and dropping toys in my lap and using me as a launching pad, and romping in the yard. At the moment they seem to have settled down, with Starlight and Louie chewing on things and Beau napping and Rocky and Pete outside doing who knows what.

I like it when they run and romp a lot in the evening. We usually have a quieter night after a fun evening. Not always, of course.

If I think 5 dogs is a lot, just wait until Monday evening. I'll have six dogs for almost a week before they start going home.

It's nice when they come but it's even nicer when they all go home and my dogs and I can relax and recover for a while.

Monday -- 11:05 AM 4/7/2008

We had lots of fun running and playing this morning. After breakfast it was pleasant and cool, so the dogs and the toys got a good workout. Now it's naptime.

Louie still hasn't messed with his eyes at all. Today was the first no-pill breakfast, so we'll keep an eye out. I can use the eyedrops if it seems like a good idea.

Before QD comes this afternoon I'll try to get all these dogs to run and play, so QD can have a quite arrival. He knows everyone here except Louie.

4:11 PM 4/7/2008

Sprinkler fun!

I watered the back yard today, and the dogs all reacted differently.

Beau stayed in the house, or in the yard well away from the sprinkler.

Starlight had a wonderful time playing in the water, biting the sprinkler, dashing in and out of the stream, then running to the other dogs, rolling in the grass and dirt, going into the house to shake (I stopped that)

Rocky pretended he didn't notice, and wandered around the yard and got rather wet.

Pete and Louie chased Starlight and ran with her but they tried to stay away from the sprinkler. They got a little wet.

We're done now, and for some reason the house smells like wet dogs. No idea why. I towelled the wettest ones off.

We'll have dinner soon, then Quarterdeck will arrive and the fun will begin all over again.

8:21 PM 4/7/2008

Louie has a new best friend.

Quarterdeck has been here for several hours now, and they are spending all their time together. They played tag at first, but then they figured out how much fun it is to play I can hump you before you hump me.

They are fairly evenly matched, so there's no clear winner. They are having fun so I'm just letting them play. Sometimes humping is a dominance thing but this time it's just for fun.

Tuesday -- 1:01 PM 4/8/2008

Louie's tired. So is Quarterdeck. That's nice. they both wore themselves out yesterday.

I left the four visiting dogs home for a few hours this morning and they were just fine, greeted me happily when I got home and went back to their napping.

I'll be leaving them again soon, and I'm sure they'll be fine again. They're nice dogs.

8:43 PM 4/8/2008

When I got home this afternoon they greeted me happily then went back to napping, then dinner, then playtime.

Yesterday QD and Louie's humping game was active and rough. Today it's much more subdued. One humps the other for a minute or two, then they change off. I guess they wore themselves out yesterday.

Petey watched all the humping and decided to join in, so while Louie was humping QD, Petey jumped on Louie. That didn't go over well. Louie went after Pete with both guns blazing. He grabbed the fur on Petey's side and didn't let go until Pete was well and truly scared. Petey sat in my lap for a while (unhurt) and The big boys went back to their game. Starlight was disappointed that it didn't turn into a real fight.

Now they are all lying around waiting for bedtime.

Wednesday -- 9:18 AM 4/9/2008

At bedtime Louie snagged the foot of my bed before Beau could get to it. fortunately Beau was gracious about it and waited for Louie to leave a few hours later. Louie alternates from various parts of the bed to the floor mattress and the floor.

Quarterdeck slept elsewhere and didn't come in until almost breakfast time, then the two of them went outside to play until breakfast.

I don't understand the attraction, but they are happy keeping to themselves and playing their gentle humping game. They aren't bothering anyone or hurting anything so I just ignore it.

Louie hasn't had any problems with his eyes at all, and he seems very happy and content.

4:47 PM 4/9/2008

We've had our dinner and it's cool out so the dogs are beginning to romp. Louie and QD are still best friends, almost totally ignoring everyone else. QD won't know what to do when Louie goes home on Sunday.

Thursday -- 12:50 PM 4/10/2008

I've been mildly annoyed that Louie doesn't respect my space like all the other dogs do. It finally dawned on me that I ought to give him a lesson or two and he'd be nicer to live with. Last night he started shoving me over in bed. I quietly asked him not to, and when he ignored me he found himself on the floor. Hmmm.

It didn't take him long to figure out that when I asked him to get off, quietly and without anger, he'd fall off if he didn't get off. What a thing. He's a smert dog. And getting easier to deal with.

I'm sure we'll need at least one more session of lessons. Every time I have a dog that annoys me I always wait far too long to do anything about it, and then kick myself. But that's OK. Better late than never.

All the visiting dogs stayed home for several hours this morning while my dogs and I were out playing with horses. They were glad to see us when we returned, and told us they had been very good. I believed them

Friday -- 8:52 AM 4/11/2008

Busy happy morning.

I'm surrounded by happy dogs, romping and wrestling and napping.

QD and Louie's games are gradually morphing from humping games to more normal wrestling. They love to play I can bite your leg before you can bite mine.

Louie started sneezing last night before bedtime. He had several bouts of maybe 7 or 8 sneezes. Then he was fine, so I figured it had more to do with allergy than a foreign object.

He was quiet almost all night, then he sneezed again a few times in the early morning. Beau started sneezing too. Maybe there's something irritating in the air. All the other dogs say there's nothing wrong. Louie and Beau are the only allergy dogs here, so they'd be the first to react to anything I suppose. They aren't sneezing a lot, just enough to notice.

5:46 PM 4/11/2008

Dinnertime's over and it's playtime. Louie and QD are rolling and tumbling and having a fine time.

Louie hasn't been sneezing much, but he does once in a while. I saw him rubbing his eye for the first time a little while ago. Not a lot. He's too busy to worry about his eyes. I even heard Starlight sneeze a few minutes ago. It was just one sneeze that I wouldn't even have noticed if I hadn't been paying attention to sneezing.

Saturday -- 9:22 AM 4/12/2008

Same as always, Louie and QD are having a good time.

I guess Louie's mom is about to get on a plane for her very long trip home. He'll be so happy to see her. But he'll be sorry to leave his new best friend.

Sunday -- 7:31 AM 4/13/2008

We're having a heat wave. It was into the 90s yesterday and it looks like it will be the same today. The dogs don't seem to be suffering from it, fortunately.

They seem to be skipping their usual morning playtime. I guess they did get up before breakfast and play for a while but I didn't see it.

Last night at bedtime I worried that I'd have to explain to all the dogs that I didn't need them to keep me warm but they figured it out all by themselves. Smart doggies.

Louie doesn't seem to be sneezing anymore, but now Starlight is. This is strange. Probably related to the heat wave we're in. The wind direction must have changed, and the humidity is way down. It's supposed to go back to normal Monday or Tuesday. I hope they're right about that.

7:59 PM 4/13/2008

Dog gone.

I had his bag of dogfood and medicine set out by the front door and Rocky knew that meant somebody was going home. So Rocky waited by the door until Louie's mom arrived. Poor Rocky, he'll have to stay a while longer.

It's still hot today. They say it will be cooler tomorrow.

Our sponsors:

Sister sites:
Auntie Donna's Dog care and training tips

Russian Dolls and Treasures Office Furniture Furniture and More Fuzzy Stuffed Toys Books I Loved Gifts for all occasions Electric Scooters avocados Goodies and Cheeses Discount Smokes Pet Stuff Shoes 'n Socks Bring your own shade Plants and Stuff

His earlier visit:

Thursday -- 11:53 AM 3/6/2008

Louie's here for the weekend.

His mom just left.

He came in, said hello to Beau and Starlight, and went out the dogdoor to check out the yard. Everythig seems to be OK.

Now he's beside me on the couch, wondering when something interesting will happen.

4:55 PM 3/6/2008

He sure likes to stay close to me.

Every now and then he goes off to play with the other dogs, or look around, but then he's back in my lap. Right now Starlight's snugged up against me where Louie wants to be, and he's wandering around thinking about how to get her to move.

Oops, nevermind. Beau heard something worth barking about and Starlight got up to help. Louie went to see what was so interesting, then he noticed the empty space next to me.

He went into his crate while I fed my dogs their dinner. He didn't like it, but he went in. And he got some cookies as a reward. His cookies were gone before my dogs finished their dinner but he didn't complain about having to wait. He's a good boy.

He was rubbing his eye on the carpet a little this afternoon but he stopped quickly. Poor itchy boy.

It sure is hard to type on my laptop with him in my lap.

5:56 PM 3/6/2008

Itchy dog.

I'm wondering if maybe he didn't actually swallow the pill he was supposed to take before he got here. He isn't obsessing about it, but he has rubbed his eyes quite a few times already.

So, Louie's mom, what shall I do? I can give him the Saturday breakfast and pill a day early if he's still itchy. I looked at the pill and I didn't recognize it as anything I have here. I have a couple of kinds of over the counter allergy pills, plus Beau's prednisone that I could give him if that's what he's been getting.

7:26 PM 3/6/2008

He has only rubbed his eyes once since I posted the above. So I guess it isn't as bad as I thought.

Friday -- 6:38 AM 3/7/2008

We had a nice quiet night, and Louie didn't mess with his eye until just a little before breakfast. So I'm gonna stop worrying about it for now.

I asked him to go into the crate for breakfast and he said no thank you, so I asked about the pen and he said that would be nice. He gobbled his breakfast and now he's wandering around.

He's gonna have to spend some time in the pen today since I'll be going out and I have to leave the gate open for the gardeners. He doesn't seem to mind that very much. In the afternoon I'll be leaving all the dogs home for a while and if the gardeners haven't come yet they'll all stay in the pen. It's nice to have a pen big enough for everyone.

3:00 PM 3/7/2008

Well, I'm home for the day. The gardeners didn't come either time I was gone, so the pen was put into use. They all had a nice nap.

Louie's mom says not to worry about a little itching, so I won't. Most of the time he's fine and not itching, so all is well.

Beau barked a while ago so I assumed the gardeners were here and I locked the dogdoor and the backdoor, but he was fooling me. Nobody here. So I'll keep watching for them and eventually they'll show up and we can all bark at them through the window.

Saturday -- 7:23 AM 3/8/2008

A quiet night and a good morning. He enjoyed his breakfast and now he's in his usual spot beside me on the couch. He isn't itching at all today. That's nice.

I'll be leaving him in charge for a couple of hours this morning.

11:03 AM 3/8/2008

He took good care of the place while we were away.

Starlight found something truly disgusting to roll in at the barn so when we got home I hosed her off in the front yard, then kept her out front to drip and shake dry for a few minutes. When I brought her in through the house Louie found her fascinating. And when she started rolling in the grass he had to help. She didn't need any help, thanks, but she was willing to play tag with him once she was nicely covered with grass.

Sunday -- 9:07 AM 3/9/2008

It was foggy this morning, and with the time change my alarm went off when it was still quite dark.

My dogs understood it was time to get up and run around and have breakfast. Louie didn't believe it. I couldn't get up until Louie did, so I gave him a shove and then he believed me. He gobbled down his breakfast as usual.

I guess his mom is on her way home now. I'm not gonna tell him until she's actually here, so he doesn't get so excited about it that he can't have a good time with his friends.

I hear crashing and thumping so I know he's having fun with Starlight.

8:47 PM 3/9/2008

He went home early this afternoon.

His earlier visit:

Wednesday -- 4:04 PM 11/14/2007

Louie's back!

He settled right in to the gang as if he'd never left. Even though it's been almost exactly a year.

Starlight keeps telling him she's not that easy, and he keeps messing with her. She won't hurt him until she's warned him lots of times, and he'll probably back off long before she gets too annoyed with him. After his mom left and things quieted down she retreated to her crate where he doesn't bother her.

Beau's happy to see him, but they aren't interacting very much.

Thursday -- 7:25 AM 11/15/2007

We had a quiet night. Louie snagged the spot on my feet and didn't bother me very much. He had a tennis ball with him, and whenever I'd admit I was awake he'd drop it on me. But I just ignored him.

Around 6 he and Starlight went out to play. There was lots of crashing and thumping but no barking or growling so I guess it was good. My TV wouldn't go on when I clicked the remote this morning so I suspect they may have readjusted something. I can only find one slipper, too. Oh well. It's all good.

At 7 when my alarm went off my dogs leaped with joy. Louie wasn't sure what it all meant but he grabbed a sock and ran around with it.

He had breakfast in the big pen since he doesn't like to go into the crates. I'm not sure what I'll do when Pete and Rocky arrive in a few days. Rocky thinks he owns that pen. We'll work it out. we always do.

Louie's mom has been in the plane for about 9 hours now, and she's only halfway to her destination. I'm glad I get to stay home.

2:08 PM 11/15/2007

Louie got to stay home by himself a couple of hours this morning. When we got home everything was as we left it. I wasn't surprised.

He seems quite comfortable here. While I'm typing this he's lying beside me with his head in my lap. Whenever I get up to do anything he follows me and helps. He had a good time exploring the garage when I went in there to get something earlier. I really should clean up in there but the dogs like roaming around through all the piles of stuff.

All three dogs just helped me fix the gate that had fallen apart yesterday. They are such good helpers. They helped from a foot away, and didn't touch anything. Now that the gate's back up I can safely open the front door without worrying about any dogs going out without permission.

Now I'll see if I can figure out why the living room TV won't turn on. If all else fails I suppose I can go in the bedroom and watch that one. Or read. Or take a nap. That's what all the dogs are doing, and it looks like they are enjoying themselves.

4:19 PM 11/15/2007

Good news, bad news about the TV. Somebody peed on it. I didn't do it, and Starlight didn't do it. That leaves Beau and Louie. I suspect one of them did it. I'm not sure that's why it won't work, but that's another thing I suspect.

Why is that good news, you ask? Well, I've been intending to get a nice big flat screen TV to hang on that wall and retire the TV sitting on the floor. But there wasn't anything wrong with it, so I had a hard time getting motivated. Now I need to move the old TV so I can clean the carpet under it, and while I'm at it maybe I can toss it out (how do you toss out an 80 pound television?) and then I'll need to get a new one. The old one was given to me, second hand, I think it was 12 years ago.

And by an interesting coincidence I'm intending to have two strong male visitors Sunday afternoon, and maybe if I have all the required things by then I can look helpless and female and they will help me hang it on the wall. Maybe they'll even do it, not just help. Wouldn't that be nice? But that means I have two days to get everything I'll need. OK, I can probably do that.

Louie and Beau are almost friends, but not quite. This morning Beau brought me a hunk of rope to tug and Louie wanted to play too. So I gave Louie my end and they had fun tugging for a while until Beau couldn't hold back the growling. It's a play growl, and he knows it makes his playmates stop playing, but he can't seem to control it. So Louie let him have the rope and the game was over.

Then this afternoon I went out to the front porch to pick up my mail and as I came back in Louie and Beau started fighting. I couldn't tell what it was about and it didn't last long. Starlight tried to prolong it by jumping on Beau but it all stopped. And Beau walked away like he was hurting. He lay down by the front door and I watched him for a couple of minutes. He seemed relaxed and not bleeding so I didn't bother him. When he got up several minutes later he seemed fine.

There's still just a little tension between the two boy dogs. I think that's what caused someone to do what he did to the TV. But I can't prove anything. I do need to get it cleaned up though.

Friday -- 8:25 AM 11/16/2007

Boring. Very boring.

Boring is good. We had a quiet uneventful night and breakfast was easy.

6:23 PM 11/16/2007

Well, I wish they had destroyed the TV a long time ago. I went out and bought a new 42" plasma TV and asked the store guys to put it in the back of the car. I figured I'd just leave it there in the box until I had someone to help me with it on Sunday. But they told me they had to keep it upright or terrible things would happen to it. Hmmm. You'd think I would have heard something about that with all the research I'd done. So it wouldn't fit upright in the car, at least not in the box.

So the store guys opened the box and handed me the various packages of parts and instructions, and managed to get it in the back, upright, just barely. I had a nice dog pillow in the car to protect the screen from getting damaged against the seat. It didn't seem right to me, but I figured they knew better than I did.

When I got home I looked at the instructions, and the first thing it said was to lay it face down to attach the stand. Hmmm. Do you suppose they were just having fun playing with me? So I had it balanced in the back of the car, with no room for the dogs, and I had to drive very slowly and smoothly so it wouldn't get damaged. And I couldn't take it out by myself.

I called Mike and asked him to come and help. Actually, I didn't have to ask, he offered. And I accepted. I put all the dogs in crates and pens with nice things to chew and we carried it in and put it in the spare bedroom and tried it out. Wow. It's great. Now I have to get one for the bedroom too, I guess. Even with the rabbit ears I paid $2.99 for it got a wonderful picture, and 40 or so channels. Much better then the 5 or 6 I was used to. And clear. Mike and I watched and marvelled for about an hour.

After Mike left I let the dogs out. Starlight had been guarding her chew, and when I let her out she was able to join me on the couch and chew it up. She had to explain to Louie that she wasn't into sharing, and he believed her.

So on Sunday Mike and his friend will come and help me hang it on the living room wall. Won't that be great!

Saturday -- 8:01 AM 11/17/2007

I love my new TV! I put a dog gate across the doorway to keep them from coming in and getting into trouble with all the parts and tools lying around. Poor Louie stayed outside the gate the whole time trying to get my attention. He's pretty hard to ignore. He wiggled and squirmed and bounced and stamped his feet. Every time I'd glance his way he'd turn on the cuteness. But at least he stayed where he was.

Last night when Mike arrived Louie hopped right over the front hallway gate as the front door was opened. Mike quickly shut the door. Louie wouldn't have run away but Mike didn't know that. Louie was just trying to greet Mike.

We had our usual quiet night and happy breakfast. This afternoon I'll leave Louie home for a few hours and take my dogs to the barn to let my horse trainer pick up Zammy. And I'll make a quick trip to the grocery store before my dogs eat the last of their dogfood.

5:49 PM 11/17/2007

It took longer than I expected. Poor Louie was home from 1:30 to 5:30. He sure was glad to see us when we got back. But the horse trainer finally showed up and picked Zammy up. Then we hurried home. We didn't even stop to get dogfood. Gotta be sure to get some dogfood tomorrow or my dogs will starve.

Louie seems content as usual. I really shouldn't leave my clothes hamper where he can reach it. When he gets excited he takes things from it and runs around the house. He's so cute.

Sunday -- 7:31 AM 11/18/2007

So far so good.

Louie was so excited this morning when my alarm went off he grabbed my blanket and sheet and ran with them. He didn't take them out of the bedroom. He decided breakfast was more interesting.

8:42 PM 11/18/2007

Around 3:30 I took my dogs to the agility class (stopping at the grocery store for some dogfood on the way) Louie stayed home and took care of the place.

We got home a bit after 5 and Mike and his friend arrived soon after. Louie was waiting in the pen for their visit because he and Mike's dog Max probably wouldn't get along. I took advantage of their visit and got them to help me with the new TV. There was a lot of figuring out, and measuring, and eventually the TV was attached to the wall. I've decided I should have gotten a bigger one. I may put this one in the bedroom and get a bigger one for the living room. More likely I won't do anything until the TV in the bedroom dies.

Tomorrow morning Pete and Rocky should arrive. I don't think Louie will have much trouble getting along with them.

Monday -- 11:04 AM 11/19/2007

This morning when my alarm rang Louie joined the other dogs in clamoring for breakfast.

We've just been hanging around since then. More dogs should arrive soon, but most of the nearby airports are fogged in so maybe they have delayed their plans. I'll probably hear from them soon.

12:44 PM 11/19/2007

Well, that was a non-event.

I left Louie in the pen while the new dogs arrived. They rushed out to the backyard as usual. I let Louie out and he went outside and introduced himself. He and Petey are spending a lot of time together. Mostly Louie follows Petey around. Pete may speak harshly to Louie eventually, but for now everything is fine and happy.

If they are all very good friends tomorrow morning I can leave them all loose when I take my dogs to the barn. Otherwise I'll lock someone in the pen, just in case. By Thanksgiving day they'll surely be best of friends and I'll be able to leave all of them while I go visit my family.

5:44 PM 11/19/2007

Louie and the brittany spaniels are still getting along well. I put Rocky in the corner crate at dinnertime and let Louie have the pen. Rocky didn't care, he was happy to have his dinner wherever I wanted to give it to him. Louie had his treats while everone else had dinner.

With 5 dogs here I don't have enough table scraps to go around. Pete and Rocky don't even expect any. Starlight gets to lick my plate for a moment, then Louie has a turn. Beau gets whatever's left. They are all so good. they wait patiently for their turn.

Tuesday -- 12:28 PM 11/20/2007

Louie and the two other visiting dogs stayed home while my dogs and I went to the barn. They were still here when we returned. They were happy to see us. We'll be going out again this afternoon for a few hours and they'll be fine again. Louie and Pete have a good time together.

7:21 PM 11/20/2007

The end of another good day. Nothing planned for tomorrow except some shopping and maybe some house cleaning. The dogs are all quietly sleeping all over the house. No news is good news.

Wednesday -- 8:44 AM 11/21/2007

Louie's been having fun playing with Pete. They are both tired now and resting together on the couch. Well, sorta together. Petey's at the far end and Louie's snugged against me. It's been cold this week so they do a lot of running around.

I need to get my act together and go out and get dogfood and other supplies. I bought a small bag of dogfood on the way to the agility class on Sunday but my dogs have about finished it up. I'll be leaving them all home for a few hours so I can get some things done.

Tomorrow I'll be leaving them all home for quite a long time as I celebrate Thanksgiving with my extended family. Parents, brother, sister in law, aunts, uncles, cousins, kids and grandkids of cousins, plus a few friends. And all I have to do is show up. The dogs all get along well together so they'll be fine. If enough firetrucks go by Pete and Rocky may even teach Louie to howl. They taught Beau a long time ago, but he only does it when they are here to help.

7:13 PM 11/21/2007

After a quiet day I decided to give the dogs all a rawhide chew. It didn't work out like I planned it. Usually the dogs all lie around and chew happily. This time there was far too much worrying about the other dog's chew.

Louie finished his so fast he must have swallowed it whole. Then he went to see if maybe Starlight wanted to give him hers. Nope, but he got growled at. I gave him another one and he took a few minutes to finish it. By then Beau had also finished his and both dogs started watching Pete. Pete was slowly enjoying his chew and didn't want to be bothered. I told them to leave him alone and they sort of did.

It all ended happily, but it wasn't the pleasant end to the day that I had expected. I guess it all depends on having the right combination of dogs. With this group I guess I'll have to enforce some separation next time.

Louie's searching through the house, hoping maybe someone left a piece somewhere. Nope.

Thursday -- Thanksgiving day -- 10:52 AM 11/22/2007

Louie's been here more than a week now. Dogs live so much in the present he's decided he lives here now, and it's good. He has figured out the routine and he knows his place in the pack. He doesn't have anything to worry about.

In a little while I'll start getting ready to go out for the afternoon and early evening. The dogs will do a good job of taking care of things here. I sometimes smile at the thought of someone wanting to break in and rob me. They would soon decide it's not a very good idea.

7:16 PM 11/22/2007

That was a good Thanksgiving. The dogs were eagerly awaiting my return and there were no notes from the neighbors. Now that they've had their dinner they are running around and playing. That probably won't last very long. Then they'll be ready for bed, and so will I.

Friday -- 11:29 AM 11/23/2007

We all got a good night's sleep and had a happy breakfast.

A few minutes ago I brought out a batch of rawhide chews. I locked Louie in the pen and gave him two of them so he was happy. I gave each of the others one. Starlight sat on the couch beside me and chewed hers up. Pete and Rocky took theirs outside. Beau stayed where he was and enjoyed his.

Pete soon came in carrying one and Rocky came in with none. Pete just played with his, and soon Starlight had finished hers and started eying the one Pete had. He put it down and started rolling on it. She snatched it out from under him and he didn't complain, so she took it to the couch and ate it. Beau went outside and found one and brought it in and chewed it up. So I guess everyone had two except Rocky and Pete who gave theirs away. But they are all happy.

Saturday -- 7:16 AM 11/24/2007

I turned on the bedroom TV this morning and they were showing pictures of the houses burning in Malibu. They had been predicting this wind event for about a week, and bringing in firefighters from all around, so presumably they should be as well prepared as possible. But the fire that started around 3 this morning seems to be completely out of control.

I don't have any wind here at all, and no smoke. Maybe later.

Louie had a good breakfast and they are all lying around waiting for something interesting to happen. A few interesting things will probably happen. The gardeners normally come on alternate Fridays but this week there was a holiday so they'll come a day late. And I ordered another HDTV, a bigger one this time. It should be delivered this afternoon. I'll put all 5 dogs in the big pen whenever interesting things happen, probably.

Tomorrow they will all go home. The brittany spaniels in the morning and Louie the lab in the evening.

5:08 PM 11/24/2007

They've had their dinner and they are about ready for bed. It's dark so they think it's bedtime.

I left them in the pen for a couple of hours and the TV delivery guys and the yard guys all came and went. The TV guys came in the house and were within 10 or 15 feet of the dog pen and I'm not at all sure they even knew there were dogs here. The dogs were all so good and quiet. I like it when delivery people see the dogs so they don't get any ideas about coming back and robbing me. I imagine at least one of them noticed them but they didn't say anything.

I'd hoped I would be able to get the TV guys to help hang the new TV on the wall but it didn't work out that way. I'll need at least two strong people to help me. That's OK, I'll get it done soon enough.

I guess Louie's mom is about to start for home soon.

Sunday -- 12:51 PM 11/25/2007

Nothing happening so far. Eventually all the dogs will go home. They are all asleep all over the house, just waiting for something interesting to happen.

8:16 PM 11/25/2007

Louie went home a few hours ago. His mom helped put the new big TV on the living room wall.

Remind me to put my hanging trash bag where he can't reach it next time comes to stay with us.

His earlier visit:

Wednesday -- 8:51 AM 11/15/2006

Louie's a yellow labrador retriever. He was a foster dog with the rescue organization I worked with when his people were in need of a nice dog.

I've known Louie's family for a couple of years, but this will be his first stay with us. They considered adopting my Beau before I decided to keep him. I think we're all happy it worked out the way it did. They love Louie and I love Beau.

Louie came by for a get-acquainted visit last week, and it started out badly. Louie had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and he jumped Beau. Within seconds Beau had a bald spot on his forehead and Louie had a new respect for Beau.

Fortunately Beau doesn't hold a grudge. Now that Louie respects him and gives him a bit of space they can all be good friends.

Louie should arrive this afternoon, for a long weekend.

4:05 PM 11/15/2006

He got here a few minutes ago and he was delighted to see his sweetie Starlight again. My dogs were happy to see him too, but they were even happier to see his parents. They know how to pet and hug and play with dogs.

After a few minutes it was clear he wouldn't have any problems staying here so they left him. I don't think he even noticed.

We went outside for pictures, then I sat down at the computer and he and Starlight continued their games. I had planned to show him the dogdoor so I wouldn't have to worry about leaving the backdoor open for him, but I just saw him follow Starlight in through the dogdoor. He'll be just fine here.

5:41 PM 11/15/2006

When it was time for my dogs' dinner I put Louie in the pen and gave him a couple of small bites of dogfood to keep him happy while the other dogs ate.

Then they all went outside to play for a while. Soon it was getting dark and my dogs came in to lie around. Louie walked around and explored, and seemed to want something but I didn't know what it was. Too bad dogs can't talk.

Beau had been lying beside me on the couch but he got up and went to the other couch. I asked Louie if he wanted to join me on my couch, and it was clear that had been what he wanted all along. He's lying beside me, happy and relaxed. He still needs another day or two to get fully settled and comfortable here.

Thursday -- 7:16 AM 11/16/2006

What a nice dog.

He spent the night quietly, a little unsure at first what was expected of him, but soon he was playing musical dogbeds with the others as if he'd lived here all his life.

None of them sleep in the same place all night. I have a floor mattress that will hold two dogs, a dog bed for one, and space on my bed for at least two dogs. Plus of course the carpeted floor. He spent some of the night on each place and seemed to think all was well.

At breakfast time I put him in the pen and fed him, then took the other two and fed them. He was so excited by the whole thing he forgot to eat his breakfast. I had to make the others stay out of the pen for a while as he went in and out finishing it up. They wanted to check for remnants. He finally declared himself finished with one remaining piece in his dish that both the other dogs wanted. I showed it to him and he ate it. Then I was able to release the others so they could look at his empty dish. They are so good.

In a few minutes I'll be locking him in the pen and heading out with my two dogs. He's so good, I'm sure he'll be fine without us. But we'll be back in just over two hours, so even if he's unhappy it won't be for very long.

10:26 AM 11/16/2006

I had to put on my riding boots before I left, and he didn't know what the other dogs were so excited about. But at least he tried to help me with my socks. I didn't need any help, thanks.

He went easily into the pen, but he wasn't too happy to see us all leave without him. After I left I remembered the new window blinds that a recent dog had made me buy. I hoped he wouldn't try to climb out the window, and he didn't. My new blinds are still intact. I figured they would be.

When we got home he greeted us, then picked up one of my shoes and carried it around until I took it from him. Beau often does that sort of thing when he's excited to see people come, too.

I don't think he understands why my dogs don't feel like playing with him. They were out running with the horses and other dogs for about an hour, so they can use a nap right now.

11:30 AM 11/16/2006

We went outside and played "sit for a cookie."

4:52 PM 11/16/2006

After dinner Beau and I went for a walk and Starlight and Louie stayed home and felt sorry for themselves. But they didn't get into any trouble. Louie greeted me with one of my riding boots.

They've been doing a little running and playing and it's beginning to get dark so I imagine things will get quiet soon. Things around here follow a regular pattern most of the time. If it's getting dark it must be almost bedtime.

Friday -- 7:30 AM 11/17/2006

Before bed last night I went out to my backyard and climbed up on my stepladder to see how the construction work is going on the street behind the house. Sometimes they work overnight on it and I was wondering if I'd have to try to sleep through the jackhammer noises.

My dogs usually come with me when I do that, and they mill around under the ladder while I'm on it. Louie tried to come up the ladder with me! Which made it a bit hard to come down when I was finished. But we managed. They weren't working on the hole, and they'd covered it with a big metal plate. The kind that goes thump-THUMP every time a car drives over it. All night long. But that's better than jackhammers.

I'd been warned that Louie likes to carry shoes around, but he doesn't seem to hurt them. So I've hidden all but one pair of my shoes, and I'm not worrying much about the ones still out. He doesn't chew on them, but he leaves them in unlikely places. I'll find them eventually. If not, the dogs scheduled to arrive the day after Louie goes home will bury them. And Starlight will help.

Louie spent almost the whole night snuggled in my bed. He doesn't snore much, and his dreams are fairly quiet.

At breakfast time he kept coming out of his pen before he had finished his food, and Beau thought that meant he should go in and finish it for him. Poor Beau had to hold a sit outside the pen while Louie came and went around him. Finally Louie went outside with about a quarter of his food uneaten and I let Beau have it. He's such a good dog.

12:28 PM 11/17/2006

After breakfast I took Starlight for a walk, leaving the boy dogs home. I had to leave them locked in pen and crate since today's gardener day. Every other Friday my lawn gets mowed, whether it needs it or not. When I leave dogs home that day I have to lock them in because the gate's unlocked for the gardeners.

Since our walk we haven't done anything very interesting. Louie has been playing lap dog. He's good at that.

4:54 PM 11/17/2006

We've had our afternoon nap, and our dinner, the gardeners came and went, and there has been some running and playing. I left two dogs home when Beau and I went for our evening walk and there were still two here when we returned. I seem to be missing a shoe, but I have an idea who took it. I've put its mate in a safe place so when it turns up I'll have two.

We don't have anything much planned for tomorrow, but in the evening I'll be going out for a few hours. I'll probably take some of them with me. I like having big dogs with me when I'm out in the evening, and I also like having one or more waiting for me at home. Much better than burglar alarms.

Saturday -- 7:47 AM 11/18/2006

We made it through another quiet night. Quiet except for the thump-THUMPs through the night. I can tell when it's getting close to morning because the thump-THUMPs get more frequent as people start their day and drive over the patch in the road.

Louie doesn't seem to understand the concepts "my food" and "your food." That presents a problem when feeding the gang. He doesn't try to protect his from the other dogs, and he is surprised when they don't want him to eat theirs. It's easier for me to teach my dogs than to teach him, so I feed them where he can't reach their food and I tell them to leave his alone until he's really done.

I gave myself a scare this morning at feeding time. I was sure Louie had another full day before they were to come for him, but the packet of breakfast I got out of his bag seemed to be the last one. I worried and fretted about it as I gave it to him, and wondered if I had made a mistake in when he was to leave or if maybe they had miscounted in packing his food.

The truth was that his last packet was lying flat on the bottom of the bag and I hadn't noticed it. I went back for one last look and there it was.

1:23 PM 11/18/2006

We just had a bit of a dust-up but everyone emerged unscathed, so all is well. We were doing "sit for a cookie" and I was tossing cookies to the sitters. Beau was in the middle, and one of the cookies meant for him was just a little to Louie's side and they both went for it. I'm not sure who got it, but Louie was mad. I suppose that means Beau got it. Anyhow, Louie went after Beau and Beau fought back. It just took a second and Louie thought better of it.

But Louie was still mad so he went after Starlight, the innocent bystander. She wasn't amused, and she stood up for herself and even went after him a bit. She chased him about 5 feet, just enough to establish that she wouldn't take that sort of behavior.

At first look there's no damage and no blood. I gave them a quick feeling over and nobody said ouch.

Sometimes little bleeders show up after a while, so I'll check them over again an a while.

Once Louie found out he couldn't beat up on either of them he had a change of heart, and neither of them seems to be holding a grudge. Sometimes dogs are nicer than people. Or at least more forgiving.

9:32 PM 11/18/2006

The dogs are fine but my internet connection is a problem so this may be all I write for now.

Sunday -- 7:18 AM 11/19/2006

Last night when Beau and I got home we discovered Louie and Starlight had knocked over the little gate to my office and they had gotten into Louie's breakfast. They wouldn't tell me which one of them had eaten it. Maybe they shared it.

So this morning I gave Louie some of my dogfood. He said it was very good thank you.

I don't have a very secure gate to my office because I don't normally keep things in there that are precious or dangerous to dogs. It's just a place of refuge where I can go to escape the attention of dogs on occasion. I forgot about the bag of breakfast. All the treats are safe in the kitchen.

Louie is sitting in front of me now, explaining that he's really very hungry, and don't I have any more of that nice dogfood? Nope, sorry Louie.

Louie's parents will be coming for him this afternoon. He'll be so excited to see them. He's been here long enough that it isn't exciting here anymore, so now going home will be exciting.

After he goes home we'll have a day and a half until the next bunch of dogs come.

5:20 PM 11/19/2006

He just went home. We'll be happy to see him next time he comes to stay with us.