Dog Bless Us, Everyone!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This is my first Christmas with Jake and Bridget (and Lucy) and I've had a pretty awesome day. I got a special meal of pheasant for dogs! It came out of a can and I was really excited about it, even though Bridget said she thought it looked gross. What does she know?

The peoples cooked bacon, and I got a small snack of it -- I wanted more, because the whole house smelled like bacon! MMMmmmmm.

Santa also brought me a present. It was kinda hard to open with my paws, but I managed (with some help from Bridget). It had a bunch of treats in it and a new squeaky toy! It's a small mallard duck and I like it a lot!




I am also getting along pretty well with this Lucy character who lives here now. Sometimes I check on her for the peoples, just to make sure she's OK. I'm also being increasingly protective -- I bark like mad when the postman or the UPS man or the FedEx man comes to the door. Just making sure they know that just because they bring me packages, I don't have to trust them!

I'm a good dog.

The Times, they are a changin'

So things have been crazy here at my house. Jake and Bridget sent me away, and then brought me back, where I met Bridget's Mom, who took care of me for a few days. We got along OK, but she kept getting up REALLY early and encouraging me to go outside. She didn't get that I am a lazy dog, and that I like to wait until late morning to go outside. But she took good care of me, keeping me fed. I think by the end of her visit, she was a member of the Carter fan club, even if she won't admit it.

While she was here, I got another haircut. Also, the people brought a tree into the house! I tell you, it's a crazy mixed up world!

Then Bridget and Jake finally came back home. And they brought with them this creature they call "the Baby" or "Lucy." At first, I was really really really upset, because this creature makes A LOT of noise. I felt the need to point at the location of the baby, and to whine and cry when she would cry. Then Jake started giving me treats whenever this happened, which was awesome. Eventually, he stopped doing that, and I have chilled out, but still, that creature is VERY LOUD.

I have continued to make regular raids on the kitchen, as well as any bags that are left within reach of my nose. I made multiple attempts to grab some English muffins from the kitchen, but only got an empty box. I also found myself an entire pack of red licorice in Jessamy's bag (that was awesome! I never even knew I liked red licorice! YUM!).

Additionally, the weather around here has been nuts, with all this snow and ice around. It's rather hard on my poor paws, so I often have to get some help from Jake to get the snow out from between my toes, and to warm me up after our walks. My bed is now located next to a radiator, so I stay nice and toasty while I'm indoors.

That's all for now. I am hoping that Santa will bring me some nice new treats for Christmas. And I hope all my readers get their Christmas wishes, too!

Change is in the air

So as you can see from yet another new position for my personal couch, things have been a little weird around here lately. The humans are moving furniture around and cleaning and getting all kinds of weird new stuff. Bridget has been lying on the futon a lot, and when she does this, I get to sit there too, which is awesome. I've been very snuggly, and she says this is being a good helper.

Tonight I get to go to Aunt Paula's, which of course, will be awesome. But I get the sense that things are going to be different somehow when I get back. I wonder what this November Surprise is going to be.

Happy Halloween!

Wag-a-Paw-Looza, Lowell MA

The day didn't start out so great. The peoples were setting up things for this "baby" that is supposed to arrive, and they seemed to think it would be funny to put me in this cage. I think it is undignified.









But then they more than made up for it later on, and it offically became an awesome day. My peoples took me to Wag-a-Paw-Looza, a great big outdoor festival for dogs. We're trying to raise money for Lowell Unleashed, a group that wants to get a dog park in Lowell. The first exciting thing that happened was that while Bridget was paying my admission and Jake was filling out the registration, I totally ran under the registration table and stole a doggie goodie bag! They caught me before I could get away with it, but the afternoon was off to an auspicious beginning! Treats! There were treats in that goodie bag!

One of the very exciting things there was the dog agility contest. We stood and watched for a while as other dogs ran through the course, and then we found out that I was welcome to try. Well, didn't I show my peoples! I was really good at the agility course. It didn't hurt that there were treats to be had. I, after all, very food-motivated.
This first step was easy!



















Here's the obstacles I ran between:


Here I am going through the tube!


I even walked over this scary see-saw thing!


I ran up and over this crazy thing:


















I even jumped through a hoop!




There were so many many many dogs there! It was amazing! There was even a doggie costume contest:

Pantry Security Update

The peoples continue to leave the pantry unguarded, despite my many recent attacks on it during their absences. Yesterday, while the peoples were out doing their shopping (which included buying new treats for me 'cause I'm such a good dog), I attempted to obtain treats with my own paws. I somehow (oh how the peoples wish they could have seen this!) dragged this sealed container of treats from the pantry floor all the way to my bed in the office. It shows the marks of a struggle, but it would not open! It was SO frustrating!

Signs of Fall: Walking in the Leaves and Eating Squid

Hi! Take a walk with me! It will be lovely!



Come on! Take a walk with me! It's beautiful here in the fall in Massachusetts! I love walking with my peoples!



OK, if you don't take a walk with me (or maybe even if you do) I will be forced to run into the pantry while you're in the bathroom, grab anything I see off the shelf -- even if it's dried squid snacks (seriously!) -- then run into the living room and eat them before you can get out of the bathroom. I am the snack food bandit!!! Woo hoo!

Sneaky Snack Attack

Got any more snacks???

Tonight while Bridget and Jake were off having dinner with some lovely friends, I got a little hungry. Oh yeah, they fed me my supper before they left, but, well, it's Friday night, and I felt like a little something extra. I remembered how great those animal crackers were, and thought maybe I'd look around in Bridget's school suitcase. Boy, did I score! After opening her suitcase AND digging into her purse, which was inside her suitcase, I found (and ate) the following:
-half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
-a ziploc bag filled with animal crackers
-a ziploc bag filled with peppermint-flavored Rolaids

You can see the evidence against me in the photo -- yes, I ate it all in my bed!
I'm glad she left the antacid, because, well, let's face it, I needed them after my snack attack! I did leave a few rolaids in the remains of the bag, and of course, a lot of shredded plastic. And I'm not a bit ashamed. I deserved those snacks!!!

I am an animal, therefore Animal Crackers are for me

At least that's my logic. Bridget brings little ziploc baggies of animal crackers to school every day. So in her suitcase, which she keeps on the futon in the office most of the time, there is always a baggie of animal crackers. Sometime between last Thursday (when she was last at school) and right now, I decided that I might like to try some animal crackers. It was quite easy for my ferocious teeth to rip through the ziploc and enjoy those yummy yummy animal crackers! I'm a dog, and I'm an animal, and if she thinks I'm going to stop eating animal crackers anytime soon, she has another thing coming.

Evil Things: Vets, Groomers, and You Tube

Here you can see my very fuzzy butt. Isn't it cute? I thought it was just fine the way it was, but no, the peoples, they enjoy tormenting me. They have found so many new ways to torment me this week, I am thinking of going out on strike.

First, I had to go to the vet this week. I have ear infections in both ears. I actually like going to the vet, because they're really nice to me, and they tell me how pretty I am and how friendly I am, and I usually get some treats as rewards just for being me! But now the peoples, they are washing out my ears and then sticking this gooey stuff into them. I don't like it one bit.

AND FURTHERMORE, after informing us of the ear infections, the vet also informed us that I, Carter Stephen Bridge, am "slightly overweight." Apparently I have gained a little over two pounds since June, which I guess is a lot if you're only 30 pounds to begin with. But Bridget has been gaining all kinds of weight this past summer and no one tells her to stop eating treats. I think I look great just the way I am. I'm going to call the folks at Dove and ask them to start a campaign for true dog beauty. I'm sick of the body image police!

Adding further to the woes of my week, I also went to the groomer's this week. They cut my nails and gave me a serious bath and CUT OFF ALL MY BEAUTIFUL CURLY FUR!! I can't believe it. I look like I'm half my real furry size!


Here I am, in my full furry glory, sitting in the car just minutes before I was deprived of all my glorious fur!

And here I am now, with no more fuzz!


My once fabulously furry paws, seen here:




Are now tiny little ones:


In other horrifing news, as if I have not suffered enough indignities, Jake and Bridget recently got a lot of laughs by playing this trick on me where they play a video on Jake's laptop. The video features a cat. This gets me a bit upset, because I begin to believe that there is a cat inside the house. I can hear it meowing! Even when the video was over, I was sure there was a cat somewhere inside or underneath that laptop. They found it so funny, they made their own video of it. I think You Tube is evil. But apparently, Jake is planning to post a video of my performance sometime soon. Stay tuned. Or tell them to stop tormenting me! Please!

Well, even with my haircut, I sure do like riding in the car. And my new fashion accessory is pretty cool too. Check me out:

On Food and Fights (but not Food Fights)

So I continue to get myself into some situations that Bridget and Jake are not entirely thrilled about. Yesterday I got into a bit of a scuffle with Crystal, the very large (probably 100- pound) black lab that lives two doors down. She came running out her front door without her leash (Bridget had me leashed & was talking to a neighbor) and got a little too close to me. I barked, and she barked back, and then, before I knew it, she was on top of me! It was crazy! Thankfully the peoples separated us and there was no harm done.

I've also continued to exercise my sweet tooth. It goes along with my (usually) sweet disposition. About a week ago, Jake brought home some sweets for Bridget, including some baklava and a piece of seminola cake from the Greek bakery. In the evening, she sat down and had herself a piece of baklava. She left the cake in the take-out container, with a lid on it, and then left the container (containing the sweet, sweet cake) RIGHT ON THE COFFEE TABLE!! Now, the coffee table is at nose-heighth for me, so I don't know what she expected. She never even noticed until the next afternoon! It was so yummy.

Then, on Monday night, Jake and Bridget went out to something they called "birth class" at a place called "the hospital." I was a bit concerned, because they left a while before my dinner time, but didn't feed me! When they finally arrived home, it was about a half hour after my usual supper time. Bridget went straight to the kitchen to get my supper, when she let out a big yelp! What could she be yelping about? Apparently, she saw this:



That would be a bag of extra food from the vet that they like to use as treats for me. I had been feeling peckish, and worried the peoples wouldn't come home, so I took matters into my own paws, went into the pantry, and opened the bag. Turns out the opening was totally perfect for me to fit my head right in there and crunch away.

I am one awesome dog.

Rumbledog!

Today at the reservoir, I got into a fight. Normally, I'm a lover, not a fighter, but, well....

Bridget and Jake aren't quite sure what's up, but it seems that sometimes I get irritated by other dogs messing around, doing their barking and wrestling. Sometimes I bark at the other bigger (and younger) dogs when they get themselves all riled up. I don't mind the little dogs so much, and I rarely bark at them, but I do seem to get worked up about dogs who are bigger than me.

Today, it was Joey that got me upset. Joey is a young-ish male boxer. He often wrestles and runs around with Sammy, a pretty big and rather young male yellow lab. Today the two of them were barking and doing their usual thing. I started barking at them, as I usually do. But in addition to barking, I sorta ran at them. Jake kept a firm hold on my leash, but I kept pushing, and eventually, Joey got very close to me and, well, we got all tangled up. Joey actually got on top of me. That was bad. We were both barking and growling. It was kinda scary. They said I was yelping, but that doesn't sound like me at all. I'm a tough dog, not a yelper. Once Jake finally got us apart, there was blood on my head, which got Bridget pretty upset. But it turns out, it wasn't my blood! Joey apparently bit his own tongue while trying to put his mouth on my head. I made him bleed his own blood!

Bridget and Jake made a B-line for home right after the incident. I guess they don't think it's cool that I'm so tough. They even washed the blood off my head, which I didn't really like because it was kinda like getting part of a bath. And the blood made me look tough.

The Great Cake Caper

I'm so disappointed that no one managed to take any pictures of my awesome triumph today. We all went to Auntie Paula's for something called a "Baby Shower." I got to see Aunt Paula and Bus and Marlin, which I always love. There was also a whole lot of tempting food around, which always spells trouble. I was in the livingroom, along with about 8 people who were sitting around talking and watching me. I noticed that there was some delicious-looking cake with buttercream frosting sitting there on a platter on the coffee table, or, as I like to call it, the perfect dog-heighth table. I saw my chance and I took it, selecting a piece very carefully from the corner of the platter and wolfing it down, much to the glee of the onlookers, who thought I had been very polite by not touching any other pieces of cake. After eating all the crumbs I could find on the floor (I kind of made a mess there), I was about to try for a second one when Bridget and Jake got wind of what was going on, and stopped any further snacking. That was lame, but, wow, that cake was good! Thanks, Paula, for inviting me to an awesome party with awesome food and lots of nice people who wanted to pet me and shower me with praise for my very good behavior!

BBQ Dog!

I had an awesome weekend -- I got invited to Somerville to Elizabeth and Ian's house for a BBQ! I got to eat bratwurst and almost a whole hot dog! It was awesome. I played with a nice little girl, and was admired by everyone. Later in the evening, we went inside the house. I was minding my own business when out of nowhere this CAT comes at me. She was crazy! I don't know why she was so angry at me. Bridget separated us. I spent quite some time running around the downstairs smelling the cat everywhere, but I didn't see her again. I suspect she went upstairs, but I didn't investigate further.

Anyway, I had an awesome time -- thanks so much for inviting me to your home, Ian and Elizabeth! I hope I can one day meet your cats and that we can be friends.

Other than that, I've been trying to stay out of trouble. That can be hard when there are so many rules. Like the rule about not going upstairs. I don't go upstairs, but boy, I would like to find out what is so precious up there. Is it a cat? When I know Bridget and Jake are upstairs, I sometimes wait for them, and I try to make them feel guilty by looking like this:


I'm really good at waiting patiently. Sometimes, after I see a small critter (like a chipmunk) that runs away, I like to dig for him and make myself into a doggie tunnel-statue. I hope that the critter will come back. Bridget and Jake often catch me doing this, and they laugh a lot about it. Here's what it looks like:

Breaking the Rules

The humans here, they have all these rules. One of their big rules is that I am not allowed in the room called the "kitchen." I think this is very unfair because the humans get to go in there all the time, and that is where my food and treats are. I usually stay in the dining room, and for the most part, I obey the "No Dogs in the Kitchen" rule. But that doesn't mean I can't test things every once in a while. Bridget and Jake seem to think it's pretty funny when I sit in the dining room with just one paw over the line.

Or sometimes, two paws.

See, I know the rules. But sometimes, it's important to test them.

Big News: Doggie Community Activism Pays Off!

You may remember that a while ago, I got in trouble with THE LAW for being in the Reservoir park, which has all these signs about fuzzy creatures like me not being allowed. Ever since then, Bridget and Jake didn't take me inside, and I really missed hanging with my dog friends there, and generally running around in the grass and whatnot. Bridget and Jake had been talking with other local dog walkers, and had signed a petition asking that the park be opened to dogs. About a hundred people signed! They could have gotten a lot more signatures if they let dogs sign, too!

But this week, there was exciting news! Bridget and Jake went to the Centralville Neighborhood Action Group meeting on Monday night, and they announced that the Reservoir Park is open to dogs!!! It's very exciting! And an excellent civics lesson.

This is my favorite place to nap after a hard day of civic action:


I'm about to go spend a few days visiting my girlfriend, Gertie, while Jake and Bridget are away. It should be lots of fun, since Gertie has three kids in her house who will play with me. I'm very excited!!!

Mischief Makers!

I made a great discovery today, and that is that having two dogs at 83 Durant does much more than just double the fun. And as for doggie mischief, well, we can now officially get into much more than twice the doggie doings than we did before. Take this afternoon, for instance. Jake and Bridget went off to do errands for a couple of hours, and while they were gone, one of us (I can't say which one, but it was probably Gertie) got up on the dining room table and snatched a home-baked loaf of bread that Jake had set there to cool. One or both of us then brought the loaf into the living room, where we (probably both of us) munched contentedly, leaving a big crumbly mess (and about half of the loaf, which is how we got caught). It's great having a doggie girlfriend who helps me get into trouble!

Meet My Guest!

This is Gertie. She's visiting for a few days while her peoples are out of town. She's a very nice beagle, and we get along just fine. Don't we look cute together?

Dirty Dog

I had to have another bath yesterday. I really was a mess. Bridget and Jake were picking blackberries at the reservoir, and I was trying to be helpful by running around under the blackberry bushes, taking care of any critters that might have lived under there. In all my running around, I managed to get a big purple blackberry stain on my back, as well as some seriously dirty paws from all of my digging and scratching. Since Bridget and Jake were having guests, they insisted on a bath. I am very reluctant to go into the downstairs bathroom these days, but she lured me in with many, many treats.
I like treats.
I do not like baths.

My Brush with the Police and Adventures in Ice Cream

I got in trouble yesterday, but not the kinda trouble where Bridget and Jake tell me to get off the couch. Nope, this time, I was in trouble with THE LAW. Yup. We were out for a walk with some of the local dogs (Sammy and Joey) and their people, over in the Reservoir Park, when all of a sudden, the black and white pulled up and told us (very nicely) that we weren't supposed to be there. Yikes! There are signs saying no dogs, but there are ALWAYS dogs there (usually a half dozen or so) so no one took the sign very seriously. But I guess they're stepping up patrols, and we gotta stay out. Sigh. The officers were very nice and didn't give us a ticket. But wow, my first brush with the law! I feel like such an outlaw!

In other news, I have had ice cream, and now I am completely unsatisfied with any food that is not ice cream. Jake and Bridget and Paula (the peoples) and Bus and Marlin and I (the dogs) walked to this very nice ice cream stand where the workers saw us and said "Do your dogs want some ice cream?" What an excellent question.

Here is what I have learned: Ice cream is delicious. Oh so delicious.

All this police and ice cream stuff happened since my return to 83 Durant. As you probably know, I've been off vacationing at Aunt Paula's house with her awesome dogs. It was a good time. I learned that I am obsessed with mice (the kind that hide in your house). Here is what Aunt Paula said about me:

Carter clearly knows where [the mice] are, and gets a little intense in his stalking of them. One day I couldn't find him -- I was calling and calling, no response -- and it took 20 minutes for me to spot him: buried in furry toys (e.t. style) with his head jammed under a bookcase. I believe the spot is a mouse thoroughfare, and he was pretending to be a tunnel.

Someone has pointed out that this is some very cat-like behavior, but I'm just a very complicated dog.

I got to go swimming at Aunt Paula's, and I hung out with all kinds of dog friends. Aunt Paula is the best!

Couch Dog

I got a new couch and it's MINE ALL MINE!!!!

Back home again!

I just got back from a week at Aunt Paula's Sleepaway Camp for Furry Creatures. It was a grand time, as always.

However, something very shocking happened. Bridget and Jake are horrified, and I'm feeling a bit sheepish. One night, while I was sleeping in Paula's bed (she's super-awesome, and lets me do this), Paula tried to make me move over, because I'm a big bed hog. I was immovable, so she had to try very hard to move me. All this prodding got me really annoyed. I'm kinda grouchy sometimes. So then, in response, I did the unthinkable:

I peed on her bookshelf.

I should not have done this. Punishment was swift and just. I was totally in the wrong. I can't believe Paula didn't call Bridget and Jake immediately and make them come home and pick up my spiteful peeing self.

Paula and I have made up, because she is an incredibly generous and kind and pooch-loving lady. I am very very sorry and will be on my best behavior from now on.

Bridget and Jake remain freaked out.

Of Baths and Cats

On Thursday night, the humans gave me a bath. I endured it only because I am a sweet sweet dog, and they gave me lots of treats. But I didn't like it. Here I am wrapped in a towel, post-bath.

See how I'm on the couch? So apparently, it's fine for me to be on the couch if the humans are on the couch and they invite me up. But for some reason I can't fathom, I'm not allowed to be on the couch BY MYSELF. I think this is tremendously unfair. Some mornings, after Jake leaves for work and Bridget is still upstairs, I like to get on the couch. Or when Bridget goes to the basement to do laundry, I like to get on the couch. She seems very exasperated with me when I do this. But why do I have to always only share the couch?

Another thing that annoys me: that Cat Who Refuses to Acknowledge Me. There's this cat, and he has a real attitude problem. Most of the cats around here, like the two orange ones on Beacon run away when they see me. But this cat, boy he has some nerve. he doesn't budge an inch, no matter how much I leap and bark and whine at him.

For those of you who are interested in may daily comings and goings (for instance, my internet stalkers out there), I've created this map of my world for you:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&t=h&om=1&msid=106394747322388434320.0000011357e9848c36973&ll=42.650486,-71.292747&spn=0.005618,0.009259&z=17

I think it's pretty cool.

Long-awaited Update

It's been a busy time in my life, and I haven't had much time to get onto the blog lately -- sorry to all my fans out there! I'll try to fill you in on all the excitement.

You'll be pleased to know that I continue to be a flatbread bandit. Bridget and Jake had their friends over to rip out the plaster in this room where I'm not allowed to go, and they ordered all this awesome food for lunch. While no one was looking, I stuck my head in a bag and pulled out a big pita bread, then ran with it. Jake eventually caught me, but it was still pretty fun. Here I am among the rubble they created:


The next most awesome thing that happened was that I went to Aunt Paula's sleepaway dog camp while Bridget and Jake were away. I love Paula. She took me out to this rally downtown, and I met all these nice people and kids. I even met the Episcopal minister, who invited me back to church. How cool is that? I had a great time, and I was especially interested when a giant tray of deli meats walked by. It was a very fun evening.

On a previous visit to Aunt Paula's, she was surprised to discover that I enjoy drive-thru windows. Who doesn't love a drive-thru window, especially the one at Top Donut? Aunt Paula was shocked to find me crawling across her lap and out the window, attempting to climb in through the drive through window. But I thought that was totally normal behavior.

I do have a couple complaints after my visits with Aunt Paula. Her dogs, Cerebus and Marlin, get to have THEIR OWN DONUT when they go to Top Donut, but Jake and Bridget say I only get dog treats. PLUS, Cerebus and Marlin get this awesome wet food, but Jake and Bridget only feed me dry kibble. I think this is an injustice. Please write letter and make phone calls in support of my campaign for a better Carter diet.

Here I am, enjoying my DRY KIBBLE outside on the deck. I guess it's not that bad. And I am pretty cute.

Party Dog

There were a lot of people at our house this weekend, and they all think I'm awesome (because I am). I got some treats, including something called sausage and also some hamburger bits. I was very attentive to the people when they were eating, and I think they really appreciated it.


I also spent a lot of time just sitting in the middle of groups of people. They were all talking a lot, so I just listened, and sometimes fell asleep. They didn't seem to mind. They even took me for a long, long walk on Sunday.

Also, I spent a few days over at Aunt Paula's house, with my friends 'Bus and Marlin. They're pretty great dogs, and sometimes they even let me boss them around. Paula's house is even more fun than my house. I was playing with this other dog, Maggie, and we found a dead bird! It was so cool! I don't know why Paula wouldn't let me have it.

Anyway, it has been a very eventful and busy weekend, and I'm one exhausted dog.

Irrelevant????

Check it out: I made the news! Here's my CNN headline:

'Carter is irrelevant,' Bush administration shoots back
POSTED: 3:53 p.m. EDT, May 20, 2007

And some juicy details:

Carter was quoted Saturday in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette as saying "I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history."

Carter, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, criticized Bush for having "zero peace talks" in Israel. Carter also said the administration "abandoned or directly refuted" every negotiated nuclear arms agreement, as well as environmental efforts by other presidents.

Amber Wilkerson, Republican National Committee spokeswom said it was hard to take Carter seriously because he also "challenged Ronald Reagan's strategy for the Cold War."
_________________________________________________
And here I thought it was hard to take me seriously because I'm so darn cute!

Haircut!

Today the humans took me to a secret location where someone cut my nails, cleaned my ears, gave me a BATH and cut off all my beautiful fur. I'm outraged. But apparently also very cute.
Here's some before and after action:






To explain the pose, I've recently taken to sleeping in the box where they put their paper recycling. I don't know why.


But look at how great all my freckles are! I'm adorable!