"I'm Back!"

December 3, 2007: Hello, everyone! My leader has not been very conscientious about keeping my diary current. So, I had to show him some things that were going on in his own back yard so he would he would add them to my diary. At this moment, I am nudging his elbow as he types. We had a big bird flying around us for a few days. I think he calls it a "hawk." The hawk landed on our fence a few days ago, like he was swooping down to say "hello." He was very big, with gray and white feathers. But when he saw me, he flew off. I think I scared him off! Yesterday, he was back, but he sat high in a tree. As he landed there, I saw that he had dinner clutched in his talons. (I think it was one of the many squirrels that live--or lived--around here.) After he finished dinner, he flew off towards the south. I'm glad I'm too big for him to mistake me for dinner!

Familiar Face

October 4, 2007: Last night we had guests. One was familiar: she was my leader's daughter and the mother of the Silver Bullet--one of my best fans! The other lady I didn't know but she was nice. They weren't here very long, however. I hope they come back soon! It's getting a little cooler here in Atlanta and I think my hummingbird friends have left for the winter. I haven't seen any for three days. I'll keep watching.

Oh, Henry!

September 27, 2007: Today we went for a walk past our neighbor's house where a German shepherd friend of mine named Henry lives. Henry is still a puppy (about 6 months old), but he's big and strong. As we got closer, Henry pushed against the gate to his yard and pushed it open! He came running towards us. He was so happy to be out and free that he played a little rough. I am bigger and older than Henry so I put him in his place with a few sharp growls (and maybe just a nip of two). With the help of my leader and his mate, we finally got Henry corraled and back in his yard. Whew!

Is She Back?

September 24, 2007: Guess what? I was sitting by the gate and I looked up and there was my missing spider friend! At least I thought it was. The more I stared at her (remember she is a black and yellow argiope), I noticed this one looked a little smaller. Maybe she's her sister?

P.S. to Johnsonfamily: I'm glad that my "slippery bottom" isn't waxy build-up! :-)

Slippery Bottom

September 21, 2007: I have a little problem: a slippery bottom. In my leader's house there are carpeted floors and wooden floors. My leader's favorite chair is in the family room that has--naturally--smooth, wooden floors. Whenever I sit beside him to be petted, I slowly slide backwards until I'm beyond his reach. I have to walk up close again and when I sit, it starts again. That's the problem with a slippery bottom!

This and That

September 18, 2007: My leader has been dragging his feet lately about posting to my blog, so I convinced him to catch up! The other morning after getting a drink, my leader wiped my mouth with a paper napkin. It tasted good, so I ate a piece! My leader opened my mouth to get it, but. . . too late! Yesterday, I met another black Lab walking with his leader. "Max" was taller than me, but he was skinny. (I hope he's getting enough to eat.) Tonight I heard a funny-sounding bird in a tree nearby. I felt the urgent need to find it, but I couldn't leave the yard. The chirping finally stopped, but it was a real curiosity. P.S. to Sophie: Sounds like you have a lovely coat. I'm glad your leader helps you take care of it.

Big Bang

September 12, 2007: My leader brought me a surprise today! He bought me a new, big ball. It was pretty and had a picture of SpongeBob SquarePants. It was about 10 inches across so I couldn't get it in my mouth like a tennis ball. He kept kicking it at me and telling me to "get it!" So, like a good, obedient dog, I got it. I opened my big mouth and bit down with my big teeth and. . ."BANG!" Instantly my new round ball was an empty rubber bag! Well, it was a nice two minutes.

Friends Old and New

September 9, 2007: My friend is missing! I went out this morning and noticed that my spider friend was gone. She had been living above my favorite bush for almost a month. I wonder where she went? Maybe she will build a new web nearby. It's too bad that she left today because when my leader came home from church, there was a huge (!) bug caught in her web. I stood on my back legs so I could get a good look at the buzzing bug trapped in the sticky web. Since the spider was gone, there was no reason to let the poor purple creature lay there, so my leader cut it free. I made another friend last night. She was the mother of my leader's mate, and guess what? She went to visit Sophie, my doggy friend in Dallas!

Sitting Pretty

September 5, 2007: I discovered that I can do something new my leader says is "cute." When I go in to wake him up, he opens one eye and pats my head. But, then I do my "trick." I put one paw on the edge of his bed and then my other paw. By doing this I can sit up! He thinks this is great, so he laughs and gets up to pet me some more! I've done it twice and it's worked both times! It's an easy "trick" and I taught it to myself! Yeah!

Off the Hook

September 3, 2007: Today was something called "Labor Day." I don't know why because we did nothing in the way of work, but we did go for a walk in a new place. My leader and his mate took me to a school nearby and let me run freely! It was exhilerating! It was the first time I've been off the leash since I came to live here (except a few short runs from the street to the back yard gate). Of course, I had to check the entire school grounds and for a short while I disappeared from their sight. I think they were worried that I would run off, but a few minutes later I came trotting back. P.S. to Sophie in Dallas: I hear lots of crickets but I never see any! BTW: Our spider, a female, is a "black and yellow Argiope."

Friendly Update

August 30, 2007: My spider friend is still in the same place he was two weeks ago when I first told you about him. His web is built over one of my favorite bushes. Today, when I was hiding some tennis balls, I noticed that he has increased the size of his web to catch more yummy bugs to eat! One strand of his web is over 10 feet long! He caught a Lady Bug for dinner! I'll keep watching him and tell you more.

Bouncy Ball

August 29, 2007: My leader, who you know is disabled, is teaching me to play ball so he doesn't have to walk too far to get the balls I don't bring back. Now, he bounces them off the brick wall on the patio. This makes us a little more equal because if he catches the ball, I'm sad, but if he misses I get it and keep it (then, he's sad!). But it is a good game and it's easy for both of us. Yeah!

Weekend Fun

August 27, 2007: Boy, did I have a good weekend! My new friends, Sara and Zachary, came to visit. We played lots of ball--my favorite thing--and ran around a lot. I hope they will come back soon! This morning, about 7:00AM, I was outside when I heard another dog barking nearby. Since I naturally speak and understand "dog," I answered him back with a couple of barks and a long "Oooooooooooo." I can't tell you what that means because you have to be canine, but it was important!

Anticipation

August 23, 2007: I'm looking forward to this weekend. My leader tells me that two special visitors are coming to see me. Their names are Sara and Zachary. I hear they like to play, so I'll be ready!

Inquiry

August 22, 2007: Does anyone know anything about dogbook.com?

Finger Lickin' Good!

August 21, 2007: There are a lot of things that taste good to me like Alpo (of course!), doggy treats, bacon and grass (sometimes). Another thing that tastes good to me is a clean human hand! When my leader washes his hands, I immediately lick them. Strangely, he doesn't seem to like me doing it. My leader's mate makes her hands even more tasty by putting hand lotion on them. Umm!

Giving Thanks

August 20, 2007: I've been here in my new home for over a month (since July 14) and I feel like I've been here my whole life! (That's good!) I've learned many new things and discovered new friends. Sometimes, like tonight, I just sit in my back yard and contemplate how good I have it compared to some other dogs.

Dogcatcher

August 18, 2007: I saw something today that I've heard of but never seen--a dogcatcher! My leader and I were walking in our front yard quite close to the street when we noticed a vehicle drive by. "Clayton County Animal Control" it said on the side (or so I'm told.) I didn't see or hear any dogs. I wasn't worried though because I had my collar and tag on and my leader was holding me on a bright red leash.

Web Slinger

August 17, 2007: While exploring the back yard, I found another animal living there. My leader calls it a "banana spider." It's a large, yellow and black spider that lives on a big web he made above a bush that I like to lay under. He likes to eat bugs (yuk!) that he catches in his web. In the photo that my leader took, you can see he caught a whole dragonfly! Well, if that's what he likes to eat, that's fine, but I prefer my Alpo!

See Sheba

August 16, 2007: I am quite camera shy as you know. Actually, it always reminds me of lightning and thunder which really frightens me. But while I was playing in the back yard, my leader's mate was petting me and my leader took my picture. SO HERE IT IS! (Enjoy it because there won't be many!)

See My Nest

August 15, 2007: I told you last time that I got some new tennis balls. When my leader opened the new cans the pssssst sound scared me at first, but then I saw the bright yellow balls and I was ready to play. He threw several around the yard, but before long he began looking for all those balls he had thrown. You see, I was saving them for later. As I told you on July 18, sometimes I make a bed in the tall grass. That's where I was hiding the tennis balls. In fact, I made a little nest(see the photo). Can you imagine his surprise when he found my treasure?

Doggy Kisses

August 14, 2007: I met two new people today, a man named Bill and a woman named Ashley. Anyone who has read my blog knows what I think of people--I love them! I am very affectionate, so when I meet new people I just explode with joy and "kiss" them. I save little kisses for times when I just want to tell my leader and his mate that I love them. If visitors have time, I am always up for a quick game of ball. BTW: I got some new tennis balls today. What a treat!

Panting with Patience

August 13, 2007: One of the reasons my leader chose me for his companion dog is that I am five years old, not a puppy. Because he has trouble walking or moving quickly, a puppy wouldn't have enough of what I already have plenty of--patience. Today on our walk, I was walking in front of him when he got slower and slower. So rather than going ahead or pulling him along, I just sat down and waited for him to catch up. It was easy for me to do and it helped him, too! That's the good thing about having patience. (Sorry puppies!)

Watching TV

August 11, 2007: My leader and his mate watched a program on TV about training dogs. It was called "It's Me or the Dog." I watched it with them. I perked up my ears and looked at the TV when I heard the dogs barking and complaining. I was ashamed of their bad behavior, so I'm going to keep being a good dog so my leader will be proud of me!

Galumping

August 10, 2007: In the evenings (when it's not so hot!) I usually go for a walk with my leader and his mate. We walk a couple of blocks and turn around. When we get back to our driveway, my leader's mate goes ahead to the gate about 50 feet away. I wait with my leader until she opens then gate. When she's ready, my leader takes off my leash and his mate calls me and claps her hands. I can't resist the opportunity to run as fast as I can towards her! My leader calls it "galumping." (Maybe it's because I'm so big!) Whether he calls it running or galumping, for me it's great fun!

Bedtime for Sheba

August 9, 2007: I guess everyone has a bedtime. Mine is about 8:30PM. I can't read or tell time, but I know when the sun starts to go down it's bedtime. I sleep all night so I can get up early--about 6:00AM. The sun also tells me when to get up, because when I see light coming through the windows, I wake up. I have lots to do!

A Fishy Supper

August 8, 2007: Did you know dogs like to eat fish? Well, I do, at least. I usually eat beef mixed with kibble...umm, umm good. Tonight, my leader was fixing my supper when he realized we were out of beef dog food! What to do? Last night he and his mate had talapia--a nice, white fish--for dinner and there was a piece left over. So I had talapia and kibble. Delicious!

Tale of a Tail

August 7, 2007: Oops! I have to be careful when I walk around the house because my tail knocks things around. So what are tails good for? I have a lovely, furry tail and I use it for balance or to steer myself when I swim. I wag my tail to show people I happy and thump it on the floor when someone calls my name. Some dogs don't have a tail. I feel sorry for them because I could never do without mine! The "End."

Mush, Sheba, Mush!

August 6, 2007: Besides helping to protect the property from rats, etc., I am trying to learn how to help my leader with his disability. He has trouble walking and moves very slowly. One thing I did to day for the first time was help pull him up the steep hill in front of our house. The neighbor had some surgery and we all went up the hill to visit him. I am a pretty strong dog--if I do say so myself--so I kept pulling on the leash while my leader held on and walked behind. Pretty soon we were safely up the hill. I think I will find some other ways to help him, too.

A Disappearing Act

August 4, 2007: My leader says he was hot today because it was 97 degrees. I was hot also, but of course I was wearing a black, fur coat! But a nice thing about wearing a black coat all the time is that when I go out at night, I totally disappear into the shadows. Can you see me in the photo? P.S. I hope my friend Sophie in Dallas did OK at the doggie dentist.

Feelin' Good

August 3, 2007: Don't you like to be pampered? Doesn't it feel great to have your hair combed or your back massaged? Would you like to know what I like? I love it when my leader scratches my throat and under my chin. I just close my eyes and enjoy it. It's great!

Sociability

August 2, 2007: My leader calls me "sociable." He means I like be with others, whether dogs or people. Today, I met two new people and I was very excited. I thought that one of the men was going to give me a piece of his cake, so I sat in front of him and wagged my tail. I reached out for what he had in his hand, but I was wrong! All he had was a napkin. I was disappointed, but I got a good dinner. My leader keeps telling about some visitors that are coming to see me soon named Sara and Zachary. I don't know who they are yet, but being so "sociable," I know I'll like them!

Ivy League

August 1, 2007: During these hot, "dog" days of summer, I look for a cool place to sit and enjoy the day. Today, while on my daily walk to the mailbox with my leader, I found a great spot in the front yard. There is a small garden of ivy surrounded by tall trees. I couldn't help stopping and sitting there for a few minutes and enjoying the shade. Cool!

Definition

July 31, 2007: Tennis ball: n. God's gift to dogs.

Riding in Cars

July 30, 2007: When it gets dark, it usually means it's time for bed, but my leader and his mate decided to go for a ride. Suddenly I heard, "Sheba, let's go for a ride!" I love riding in cars! On the way, I stuck my head out the window (like my cousin in England above) and the cool, night air blew my ears straight back. We went to pretty little store and I got out and walked around while they ate something they called "ice cream." My reward for the night was another ride in the car to go home!

"Rat"atouille

July 29, 2007: What an exciting day! One of my responsibilities as the family dog is to protect the property. This morning while I was outside in the back yard, I smelled something strange. It was in the bushes trying to hide from me, but I was determined to find out what this peculiar animal was. I watched for a long time and then I saw it! It was about 12 inches long with a long, skinny tail. I pounced on it and grabbed it with my big, sharp teeth. I pulled it out of the bushes and away from the house. I dispatched the ugly critter and barked with pride at what I had done. My leader was proud of me, too.

The Tables Are Turned

July 28, 2007: I have told you before that I love to play ball and especially "keep-away." Today, I found out that it's not nearly as much fun when I'm "it." My leader and I were playing keep away with my favorite tennis ball. When I got the ball, I tried to keep it and let my leader try to take it away from me. But when he got the ball, he wouldn't give back! How frustrating! I pawed, snarfled and nuzzled him to get the ball back. He kept laughing at me saying, "Ha, ha! Now it's different, isn't it?" He finally tossed it away and I got it again. It's a great game.

Tastes Better, Less Filling

July 27, 2007: What do you do when you go to a new place? Maybe you look at new things. Maybe you touch things. Certainly you would smell new things. I do something different. I taste things! On my walk today I kept finding delicious-looking grass. I tasted one patch of grass, then I went a little farther and tasted some more. Umm. Then, I tried something my leader called a "weed." It didn't taste very good. Echhhhh!

Door to Door

July 26, 2007: Doors can be confusing. When I first moved here, I had to learn where the doors were and which way they opened. Now, I know which doors to go in and out or at least I thought I did until today. I went for a walk with my leader, but when we came back I passed a door I thought was the right one, so I sat down to wait for my leader to open it. But, it was the wrong door! Funny!

Morning Joy

July 25, 2007: Morning is my favorite time of the day. I wake up early, usually when my leader's mate gets up. But I don't understand why my leader isn't awake. This morning I decided to wake him up so he could enjoy the morning, too. At 6:26AM I licked his arm and breathed in his face, but I finally had to bark three times! Woof! Woof! Woof! That did it! I went for a walk, ate breakfast and played ball, all before eight-o'clock.

Games Dogs Play

July 24, 2007: The other day I told you that I got some new toys when we went to Petsmart. One was a small rubber tire (it actually looks like a blue doughnut) and the other was a ball on a rope. I like the little tire very much, but I wasn't sure about the ball on the rope. Today, I think I got it! It's like playing tug-of-war with my leader. I also like to play another game called "keep away" with tennis balls. I'm so anxious to play with tennis balls that if I can't find one, I play with the plastic can they come in! It's great fun!

The Nose Knows

July 22, 2007: I have discovered that my mouth and nose are exactly the same height as my leader's face when he is sleeping, so when I want to wake him up, I just go in his room and blow a few puffs of my hot breath right in his face! He wakes up laughing and pats my head. I also use my big, black nose to find chipmunks in their tunnels in the back yard. When I stick my nose in the tunnel entrance it gets red mud all over it. When I push the door open to go inside, I leave a big, muddy nose print!

One Whole Week

July 21, 2007: Today makes a whole week I've been living with the Hughes family and I love them! Today, I also wore my new red bandana and, I must say, I looked pretty! I met some new people today that spoke Spanish! I didn't understand what they said, but my leader did. I made friends with them anyway. Well, I gotta go, but I wanted to give an extra wag of my tail to Zach Johnson who wrote me a nice note the other day.

A Shopping Trip

July 20, 2007: What a great adventure I had today! I went to the local Petsmart store with my leader and his mate. There were several other dogs there; some little, some big. There was even one that looked like me. I walked through the store and smelled everything and everybody. (There were some nice humans there, too.) I got a couple of new toys to chew on, a new water bowl and a brush for my fur. I'm looking forward to going again!

To Bark or Not to Bark

July 19, 2007: Some of my dog friends like to bark a lot, but I'm not like them. I only bark when I really need to. Well, I've been here for six days and I haven't needed to bark until this morning. A neighbor dog barked to say said, "Hello," and welcomed me to the neighborhood. I returned the greeting in my deep, throaty voice. There are several other dogs in the area that I will meet soon. WOOF!

Bed in the Grass

July 18, 2007: In my new home, there is a nice, fenced yard. On one side there is some long, green grass so I decided to make a bed in it. (Can you see it in the photo?) Now when I go out on a hot day, I can rest in a nice, cool place. I keep finding interesting things here!

Chasing Rabbits

July17, 2007: I've gotten comfortable with my new home. There's lots of places to take my naps during the day. This afternoon, I was dreaming that I was in a big field chasing rabbits. I nearly woke myself up making funny noises and moving my legs. After my nap, I got a drink from my water bowl: "slurp...slurp...slurp...(swallow) slurp...slurp...slurp (swallow)."

Taking a Walk

July 16, 2007: Today I took my first walk with my leader. I get so excited when he snaps the leash on my collar! He knows that I know how to "sit" very well, so now he's trying to teach me to walk beside him. "Heal!" he says. I'm starting to realize what "heal" means, so I'll keep trying. I think my leader has a problem walking because he walks slowly and sometimes he stumbles, so maybe I can help him someday. By the way, I am not yet over my picture shyness, so my leader found this photo (above) of a distant cousin of mine who looks exactly like me!

Visit to the Vet

July 15, 2007: I have to take medicine every day, but by foster leader forgot to bring them when I moved to my new home. So I had to go to the vet. Of course, to get to the vet’s office the leader and his mate put me in their car. I love to ride in cars! It was pretty exciting at the vet’s office because there were so many different smells and sounds. I really wanted to play with the other dogs, even a poor little puppy who was very sick. But they took me to a smaller room where we waited for the vet. While I was there to get my medicine, I got a booster shot and some tests. The vet said I was “good to go.” We came home and played ball, I even tried catching a Frisbee! My leader tried to take my photo, but I am very shy, so he never got a good shot of my face. (See me hiding my face in the photo above?) Maybe I’ll feel a little more brave later. Well, I found a really comfortable spot in the dining room, so I’m going to say, “Good night!”

My First Day

July 14, 2007: Today I came to live with the Hughes family. My name is Sheba and I am a black Labrador. I weigh 58 pounds and have big brown eyes. I arrived about 4:00PM with my foster leader with whom I lived about 10 months. I spent the first hour or so sniffing around the yard and checking out the house room by room. The pack leader (Carlton) was very anxious to play ball with me so we played about a half an hour. I’m not very good at giving up a ball that I worked hard to fetch, but he’s teaching me to share. The leader’s mate (Cheryl) went to buy food for all of us and when she returned I got to spend some time with her. She even fixed me a nice soft bed. I’m not afraid of much, but if I had to list my number one fear, it would be thunderstorms. (I don’t like the noise. I guess it comes from being chained outside all the time when I was a puppy.) Wouldn’t you know I was hardly in my new home when a storm came over. Fortunately, it wasn’t too severe and the leader patted me a lot to reassure me that I was safe. I had my first supper of kibble and Alpo…um, delicious! The leader checked out the commands I knew so far, like “sit,” “down” and coming to my name. He seemed pleased. When it got dark, the mate went to bed and the leader stayed up with me, but I got tired a little while later and found a nice, soft spot in the office and went to sleep. I think I’m going to like it here.