Well, almost. My mom is on a Facebook page called American Bulldogs and they run costests for people to vote and whoever gets the most votes gets to be on the banner. My picture was chosen to be on the banner last month. Another contest is running now for October and so far, I am ahead, again!
This is the banner I am on right now. The theme was muddy dogs having fun.
Note from Mom: This is a private group with over 15,000 members. I really like it because everyone posts pictures all the time of their dogs and they are all so beautiful. Naturally, I think Opie is the best looking one ever, but that's just me.
There have been strangers in my backyard for the past 2 days! And part of our fence is gone! It is so cool! I can see the people across the street and every one that walks by from my deck. My backyard looks a whole lot bigger. It hasn't been a whole lot of fun, tho. Mom keeps taking me outside on the leash and I don't get to play at all. There are people in my backyard that I don't know. I don't like them being outside all day banging away and mom won't let me stay out there and supervise. Mom says they are coming back again today and we will have a brand new fence up! I guess that means that I won't be able to see across the street any more.
Last night dad had to go with us with a flashlight and then this morning before he left for work we all went out because it was still dark. I am ready to go again but mom says we have to wait until it gets lighter outside. She doesn't like being outside in the dark. I told her I won't let anybody get her, but she still won't go. Dad is really excited about the new fence because it will have two new gates, too. That must be really cool because he keeps talking about it. I am not really sure what that means, but if dad likes it, it has to be good!
Note from Mom: I will be SO glad when this is all done! I don't like taking him out on a leash to potty! He isn't used to it and he takes a whole lot longer to go. Plus the fact that he can't play and run at all and that means a lot of pent up energy right now. It should be finished today if the rain holds out.
The two gates are a pretty big deal to his dad. He is able to drive full circle around the house and he likes to be able to park his truck inside the gate when he wants or wash my car by bringing it around where it is paved. That is pretty nice. We already had gates but they looked pitiful and too easy to open from the outside. This will be much more secure.
I found something new to do! I can hike my leg to pee! I don't know what happened but I just walked by the tree in our backyard and the urge came over me to hike my leg and just do it. I have always been a squatter ever since I was a baby pup and I just never thought to try it that way. I like it. I think I will just hike my leg every time I need to go. I feel so manly!
Sorry no real pic of me in action.
Note from Mom: I was so surprised! He had never hiked his leg before. Just out of the blue. I just assumed since he has always squatted and he is now 19 months old, that he would never feel the need to hike his leg...LOL He has been doing it every time now, too. I am a little disappointed - I really kind of liked it that he didn't do that. Oh well - my baby is growing up!
Another month sneaked up on me and I am getting closer and closer to 2 years old! Mom and Dad don't like it one bit. They won't be to stay a baby.
My dad put on a storm door so now we can leave the back door open. He did that just for me. Mom thinks he did it for her, but I don't think so!
Note from Mom:
He still weighs the same - sometimes he looks so big to me but other times he looks small.
He loves playing frisbee now. If you say "go get your ball" he will usually still pick up the frisbee, instead. He loves chasing the birds and squirrels out of the backyard - which I would prefer he didn't. He loves looking out the backdoor now that we have a storm door on. He is so sweet and we just love him more each day. I can't imagine our life without him now.
For some reason there have been a whole lot of birds in our backyard lately, but I run them off as quickly as I can! It seems like every time I go outside there are dozens of them out there! All kinds of birds...blue ones, red ones, little ones, big ones and I just know they are up to no good! I have always been good at chasing those pesky squirrels away. They know to run when I show up! I don't know about these birds, though. They just keep coming back over and over again. No matter, I will protect my mom and dad at all cost!
Note from Mom: We put out several bird feeders and humming bird feeders and just enjoy being able to sit on the deck and watch them, but Opie thinks he is doing us a big favor by running them off every chance he gets. I keep hoping he will eventually tire of chasing them off, but so far, not happening! He is so brave!!!
We had so much fun this summer with mom being home but now she has to go back to work. This makes me sad. But the good news is, I no longer have to stay in a kennel so I have free run of the whole house. Mom leaves the TV on for me all day on cartoons so I pretty much stay in the recliner and sleep or watch TV. She comes home for lunch every day and we get a whole hour. She sits on the deck and watches me play or we throw the ball or frisbee. Dad is going to make me a new flirt pole and that always wears me out quick, so I will probably play on it at lunch time. Then I will sure to sleep til she comes home at 3:30.
The first week she went to work was good because dad took off the whole week and we got to hang out together. So really this is my first full week home alone.
Playtime at lunch
Note from Mom: Every day when I come home for lunch at 11 he is asleep in my recliner and when I come home from work at 3:30 he is asleep in my recliner. ha! Pretty safe to say he sleeps quite a bit when we are gone. I always leave him a big bone filled with organic peanut butter for dogs, so that keeps him busy for a little while. From 11 - 12 we play and by the time I leave to go back he is ready for the afternoon nap. I am just so glad I feel like I can trust him to be on good behavior!
Today is my birthday and a half! My mom got me a really nice collar and leash. It has my name and phone number embroidered right on the collar. I look so good in it, too.
Mom and Dad took me to Petsmart and I got some new toys. I got a Chuck It Ball, A Chuck It Slingshot toy and a buffalo hoof.
I got weighed and I am still 73 pounds. (72.8 to be exact)
My newest trick that I have learned is catching a frisbee. It is so much fun and mom says it is very good exercise for me. I can jump real high to get it, too.
Note from Mom: He caught on to catching a frisbee really fast. It had been quite a while since we even tried one and back then he would duck when it went flying through the air. We have been bouncing balls off the roof and he started catching them so I think that gave him the confidence to try. He loves it now!
