The Neutering Ritual

Poor Levi is having a bad day and he's desperately trying to piece together what happened when he went to the vet's office to get neutered and micro-chipped. Mom told Dad that my brother's surgery went good and they don't expect any complications. But poor Levi doesn't like the cone and all he's done since he got home is sit, trying to tell Dad his troubles. Listen to the thoughts he's blasting out of his little boy brain, trying to connect to dad to get some answers ……

What happened to Levi? Moomie took me to the visit the nice vegetarian---or was it veterinary? (Darn words get so mixed up!) But while we were waiting a lady snatched me from Moomie's arms and put me in a wire cave---no---cage. Me don't remember what happened next but when me woke up from sleeping me discovered something missing. Me looked every where for my walls---no---balls but they are gone. They used to be right here between my legs. Me almost sure it was my back legs but me looked in between my front ones, too, just in case they moved. Me counted my foes---no---toes and they are all still on my foots---no---feet. (Darn English!) Me checked my tail. It's still there. Just my balls are gone. Then Moomie came and brought me home and put this thing on my head. Now Levi can't walk anymore! Me hope Moomie doesn't get sad---no---mad when she finds out my balls got lost. Me don't feel good. Levi needs a nap!

I'm a little stressed up here watching Levi being so scared and confused over his surgery. When he gets to sleep I'm going let him know he'll be just fine without those body parts. That's not a frivolous use of angel power, do you think? He's really worried and it won't take but a second to whisper reassurances in his ear. He should know that humans apparently think testicles are just accessories we don't need and to tell you the true, I never missed mine for very long.

There's a rumor going around, though, that neutering makes dogs more responsible citizens. Judging by all the neutered angel dogs I've met, it must be true because there are some awesome guys up here. Don't get me wrong. Those fully equipped dogs are great, too. It's just that some of them seem pretty damned proud that they escaped the neutering ritual---oops, I've got to quit swearing. I'll have to get one of my fully equipped friends to tell me exactly what those balls are for. I never gave it much thought when I was still on earth.

Hey, look at that! Mom took pity on him and put Levi in a onsie. That did the trick of covering up his stitches so he can't pull them out. No more cone! He's even got a little hole cut in the onsie for his tail. He's settling down for a nap now so I've better get ready to do a little angel business. ©

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Come Rover, Come!

When I was Levi's age I went to puppy obedience too. Back then Mom took me to a class at a school that was located next to the second busiest street in Michigan. At one of the last classes the instructor had everyone take their dogs off leash outside next to that street. True to the live-on-the-edge life style I had going for myself, I ran huge circles in the grass scaring my Mom to death because I kept getting closer and closer to the car-congested street and I wouldn't come when I was called. All the other puppies did come on command and to be fair to instructor, I was coming just fine when we were inside the gym so she probably thought it was safe outside. A lot of the humans tried to catch me but the instructor made them all sit down in a circle. Eventually, I did get close enough to the humans so someone could nab me. Boy, was Mom mad at that instructor for making her take such a big chance. It was a very long time before I got off leash again.

Tonight when Levi was at puppy obedience class the instructor told everyone if they are having a hard time catching their puppies off leash to run in the opposite direction of the danger their puppy is headed towards and make it sound like great fun to follow them. I'm not sure Mom could be cool-headed enough to remember that. She can get a little freaky when one of her fur-babies is in harm's way...but it sounds good in theory.

In class tonight, when it was Levi's time to demonstrate coming when called he got so much speed built into the action that when he got to Mom and tried to sit he skidded on by another three feet on the polished floor, making everyone laugh. The trainer said, "Now, Jean has made coming when called a high value event for Levi." Actually, she's been working him every day in the back yard on a 90 foot clothes line and half the time all she has to do is open her mouth to call him and he's on his way, not even giving her time to get the words "Levi, come!" out of her mouth . He sure loves those Wellness holistic salmon, lamb and fruit puppy treats.

Now on to another topic: Our blog was presented this sparkling, special award by both Boy Gorgeous George and by Nottie Scottie! Thank you both. I'm giving up boastful pride for angel training so maybe I shouldn't tell you this but Mom's been lusting after this award every since she saw it floating around the dog community. George's came the day of Levi's debut blog entry (see Schnauzer Saturday) which makes it extra special for him but to tell you the truth, I was feeling slightly left out. Then the next day Scottie's nomination showed up on our doorstep. So now we both have one of these very pretty awards!

Now we are pawing it forward to Barksalot Bloyz, Scruffy, Lacie and Stan's Place, The Days of Joann, Candi the Cavalier, Latte and Cookie, and Joe Stains. ©

Suggested Rules for Accepting this Award are:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate 7 other blogs (I think 7 is a bit too many but I didn't make up this list.)
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

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Schnauzer Saturdays

The 'Dogs With Blogs' community has a nice tradition going on many blogs where they set aside one day of the week for blogging something different. There's Wheelie Wednesdays and Rosco Wednesdays which are like having guest bloggers come in to tell about their adventures. There's also Thankful Thursdays which is like doing affirmations and Wordless Wednesdays for photos plus there are a host of other special days that I can't find on the tip of my tongue.

That got me to thinking that since Levi is six months old now and is trying to send mental telepathy messages out into the world that maybe it's time for me to help him start blogging. Levi regularly snatches ink pens off the table when Mom's back is turn and paws at her keyboard which probably means he's ready to take communicating with humans to a higher level. So, from now on Saturdays on this blog will be known as Schnauzer Saturdays. Be warned, though, he's still a baby and the thoughts he tries to express are still the thoughts of a baby. With that said, I turn this entry over to Levi….



Peas tell Levi what thingie is that pits---no---spits paper! Me fears---no---hears thingie run back and forth. Mouse in there? Me watch paper come out. Me listens to Moomie tell---no---yell "NO PAPER!" If me can't have paper why does thingie want to give it to me? World is so confusing. Moomie covers thingie up sometimes. One day me took cover off so me could study thingie. Moomie said, "NO!" but she won't answer my questions about thingie. Levi needs help learning about thingie!




Well, that's all the little guy has to say today. He's off to take a nap. But I've got something special to tell you. I'm getting a new feather in my wings for coming up with this idea! Jason says there'll be a little presentation ceremony tonight since it's my very first merit earned feather. The ones in my training wings are just standard issue, you know. ©

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Mom's Crocs and Other Family Secrets

Gosh, I wish I could still 'talk' to mom the way I used to do when I was on earth. I'd tell her: "Chill, Mom, chill. Levi will get it eventually." She's been struggling this week with the homework from puppy obedience class number four. Specifically, trying to teach the 'stand' and 'stay' commands. The technique of teaching the stand command starts with Levi being in a 'sit' position and then drawing him forward with a treat until he's standing. That part is working well but he's not connecting the word with the action. It's all about the treat for him and he would follow her to Alaska to get it.

One thing I'm learning up here in angel training is that yesterday's successes (or failures) don't matter, only the present counts. I wish I could tell Mom it doesn't matter that Levi was a shining success in past classes and that people there might have great expectations for his performance at the next class. (She can be a little competitive, you know.) It only matters that they are spending quality training time together, building a strong bond in the process.

That growing bond and the love that goes with it are good things for Levi because for the first time he ruined a material object---one of Mom's beloved Crocs shoes. She can still wear it but it's full of teeth marks. She didn't notice how badly he'd 'puppy stamped' it until yesterday when she was sitting along side of a nature trail that overlooks the backwaters of a river. She and dad were having a rare day with her brother, niece and her niece's husband when her niece wanted to try on her Crocs. As she handed them over and noticed the wide-spread damage Mom thought about how much of a puppy Levi still is. That some how made her feel less guilty that she didn't bring him along on their outing. He can still be unpredictable. (Important lesson to be learned here, Mom. Don't take off your Crocs. Wear them to bed, sleep and shower in them because they chew just like Kong rubber toys. Yummm good.)

On the nature trail Dad and Mom saw three families of tundra swans, several great blue heron, green heron, mallard ducks, two varieties of turtles sunning themselves, and a dozen other birds not normally seen by city dwellers. Levi would have wanted to chase them all, his puppy bark breaking the peacefulness of nature's masterpiece. Yup, as much as Mom suffers separation anxiety when she leaves Levi home it was a good thing common sense won out and she left him home on that hot summer day. With three other people along to push Dad's wheelchair, and no puppy to keep out of trouble, Mom got a much deserved day of bliss, void of worrying about the comforts of another being.

When they got back home, it was apparent that Levi faired just fine being left to his own devices for six hours, the longest he'd ever been left alone. The woodwork was tooth mark free, the table cloth was still in place, the decorative towels still hung on the oven door. The only things that Levi touched were the toys in his box. He'd obviously beat the crap out of them because they laid around the floor like dead soldiers on a battlefield.

When the forces of heaven matched Levi up to my family they did good. Happy six months birthday baby brother! ©



Painting by Robert Bateman
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A Typical Boy and his Bugs

Levi likes to play with bugs. It doesn't matter if they are crawling, flying or hopping. Most of the time Mom is pretty tolerate of his "hobby" but the day he found a spider that was the size of a June bug, Mom drew the line. She whacked it with the garden hose and was horrified to see dozens of baby spiders disembark from its mother's body, trying to escape the carnage of her impending death. Levi saw them, too, but Mom scooped him up, threw him in the garage and grabbed a can of Raid. Unfortunately, too many babies probably got away to grow up and become Levi's future toys. He really does cause Mom a lot of work. She was afraid Levi would lick the Raid on the deck so she ended up scrubbing it down. And all this was supposed to be a quick potty break for my brother.

Levi has a toad in the dog yard. Cute as a button and the size of quarter, Levi was nudging it with his nose the first afternoon Mom saw the little brown baby. She grabbed Levi by the collar while the toad hopped to safety. That night Miss. Toad was back again but that time she was too far from a safe haven and Mom had quite a time keeping a flashlight on the toad and holding Levi back while she wrangled Miss. Toad to a different corner of the dog yard where she could find a hiding place.

In the morning Mom moved the toad house that was in the front yard to the dog yard in hopes that the baby toad would move in. The toad house has a solar roof that at night is supposed to attract bugs for toads to eat. In theory, Mom is going to entice the baby to follow the toad house right out of the dog yard. She's planning to move it a couple of feet each day. Want to place a bet on whether or not it works before Levi eats the baby toad? This photo is of Levi checking out the house for the first time.

Every night Levi makes Mom take him in and out in and out. He's fascinated with the moths that hang around the deck light. If he could he'd crawl right up the siding on the house trying to catch them. She tried turning the light off and taking him to the dog yard using just a flashlight but bugs are attracted to the light coming out from the kitchen window so Levi jumps on the screens trying to catch them. That could get expensive.

Like I said, Levi is a typical boy when it comes to creepy, crawly things and I haven't even told you about the time he found a cricket in the garage. To make a long story short the chirping has stopped and Levi got his schnauzer beard decorated with garage yucky-do's in the process. ©


P.S. If anyone is a fan of the TV show, Greatest American Dog, you might like their fan website. They have a message board and you can watch back episodes if you miss any of them. It also has profiles of all the dogs and their owners, the judges and the host.

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