What’s up pups?
Hmm, not sure I like that intro. I’m working on it…
Anyways, I said monthly updates, and I was very wrong. My last pupdate was published in July 2022; Mom transcribed this originally in August 2022… (no thumbs, after all) then she procrastinated on the externals. Pictures, tags, you know. And then she procrastinated some more. And then it was 2023. Weird how time jumps around, isn’t it! I mean, sometimes, Mom says she’ll see me soon and is gone for “8 hours” (whatever hours are) and other times she says “I’ll be right back,” and honestly it feels like the same thing!
Either way, I want to share my adventures, and Mom did go to all the effort of typing this out for me so… what continues is a log of my first vacation ever, in August of 2022!
August was busy! It started with my first ever overnight vacation, to a cabin in the Poconos. When mom got me settled in the car with one of my favorite baby Yoda toys, I had no idea we would be going on an adventure. That’s the thing about being a doggo — every car ride is a mystery. This ride was longer than I’d ever been on — the last time I was in a car for so long was when I left the comfort of my litter and my biological mom behind to live with my human, and I barely remember that. I was such a baby.
This time, I wasn’t as scared, though I was too excited to fall asleep. We stopped once or twice on the way, and each time the smells were so different from home. At last we pulled up to a cabin and, to my surprise, when mom let me out of the car I could tell another dog was here! And some familiar humans. Mom had invited her pack on this trip, too.
Honestly, it was unsettling being in a different place with strange scents and sounds. Mom brought some of my favorite toys and blankets to remind me of home — but I’m no simple dog. I knew we were somewhere odd. Somewhere alien. I couldn’t really settle down, and being anxious about a strange place put me off my appetite a little bit. What can I say? I’m sensitive. Maybe if we go on more trips I’ll get used to being in different places.
Anxious or not, I had so much fun! We went on hikes, I had more humans to get pets and attention from, and I had a dog-friend, Kaska, to explore with. I certainly hope more vacations are in my future!
This month wasn’t all good… I’ve also been dealing with a nasty ear infection. Mom has to put this slimy cream inside my ear twice a days. I hate it. Sometimes I make mom chase me around the house before I stand still for her to apply the medicine. But, I have to say, even though it is bizarre feeling cool liquid inside your ear, it has made my ear feel better. So, I started behaving a bit better for mom. I can tell she appreciates it.
With my ear on the mend, and my EPI stable, I have one more “first” to share — I tried agility! And I like it. I mean, it involved me getting to essentially fetch my FAVORITE tennis ball for an hour, and all I had to do was: A) look my mom in eye, B) put two paws up on a platform, or C) put all four paws on a platform. (Which, honestly, is harder than expected. Mom and the trainer kept talking about how I had to develop my “hind end” awareness. Still not sure exactly what that means…)
Last but not least, Mom tossed my tennis ball in a tunnel. And like. EXCUSE ME. Who does that?! I wonder how mom would like it if I tossed her small glowy box in a long tunnel and made her go get it. The tunnel was dark and scary, and I definitely thought it was going to trap me. But I couldn’t leave my tennis ball in there all alone. I had to rescue it. So, I faced my fear and I marched in that tunnel and I fetched my ball. I did get lots of pets and praise as a reward… so I am hoping we continue this agility thing.
Wow, this one got sorta long, but like I said, it was a busy month! And a good end to the summer. I hope all you pups and humans out there had a great August too. Share your adventures in a comment if you want!
May 2023 Note: I will do my best to make sure Mom doesn’t wait almost a full year (whatever years are) to post again.
Pup Out!
-T