Vet Visit

I went to the vet today to get my shots - 2 of them(!) plus a nose spray for bordatella. That was kind of weird. I sat real nice on the table for the vet and vet tech. They had to mess around a little with one of my back legs because when I play a lot (bounce around & play catch) it sometimes bothers me. I have injured some of the ligaments. I am no longer supposed to bounce around so much. That's a bummer because I REALLY like to play with my ball. The ladies at the clinic all said that I was pretty. I totally agree! It was a good visit, even though I got shots. At least I am protected now when I go to Paws in the Park and the Bark Park. Dr. Esau gave me a biscuit because I did such a good job!

Paws in the Park

Just a quick note to let folks know about the Paws in the Park event at Gage Park this Saturday - September 18 - 9-1. Last year I went for the first time. I was only a few months old at the time. It was a lot of fun! I got a blinky light for my collar and some yummy treats. We will be there this year, too. Hope to see you there!

Totally Awesome!

This week could not have gotten any better. Saturday was the birthday party. Two days ago was a visit to some friends' house. Yesterday was my first visit to Hill's Bark Park in a very long time. I had a blast! There were Australian Shepherds AND Golden Retrievers! I felt like I was at a family reunion. I ran and ran and ran. When I came home I collapsed on the floor from all of the excitement. I think I will rest this weekend.

Yesterday

Yesterday was pretty awesome. I got to go on a walk, AND I got to play with my pug friends. We were waiting for my mom to come outside when my dad lifted me over the fence, so I could play with them. It was great! I think I was a bit much for them because they kept getting on the toys the day care children play on to get away from me. It was still fun to play in their yard, though.

I am dictating this to my mom as I lay on the floor underneath the coffee table. It is 11:13, and I am very tired. Good night!

Mish Mash

I went to my first birthday party last Saturday. It was a lot of fun! There were lots of children there, and I got to play with my friend, Chance. I shared one of my birthday treats with him because we weren't allowed to have any cake. That was kind of a bummer. I was very tired the next day from all of the fun I had.

I have a new interest. I really enjoy playing with the cicaidas. I kind of go a little crazy when I am around them . My family thinks it's kind of funny the way I react to them. I am getting really good at catching them. I caught one that bounced off of the garage. My mom gave me 50 points for that one. I am not sure what that is all about. It kind of grosses out my mom when I eat them. They are very crunchy.

Bye!

These are pictures of my cousins, and me in Illinois. We had loads of fun together.

Bella's dad has something we want.

Here we are playing tug of war with a duck. (It's not real. That would be gross!)


Stryder & I are resting a little from all of our playing. He has a nice backyard.

Stryder is such a handsome fellow.

Enjoy the pictures!

Hot, Hot, Hot!

It is crazy hot outside! I am looking forward to cooler weather. I don't like to stay out very long. I bark when I am ready to come inside. My dad had the sprinkler on today, and I ran through it. For some reason when he waters the lawn it always seems to rain. I wonder if there is a correlation. It did feel a little cooler after it rained this evening. Off to play!

My Birthday!!!

I am so excited! I turn 1 on Saturday. It is also my dad's birthday. I won't say how old he is!! He might not like that. Anyway, I am excited to turn 1 because I will no longer be a puppy. I will be an adult dog. I am already eating adult dog food. It is just as tasty as puppy food.

My pug friends are FINALLY back from vacation. I got to play with them yesterday. It was good to see them.

Maybe I will have some birthday pictures to share after Saturday.

Good-bye, Samwise

We are sad at our home because our Samwise died today. I will miss him. Here are a couple of Mom's favorite pictures of him. Bye-bye, Sam.

Think Big Topeka!

I went to the Bark-a-Paw-Looza on Sunday. It was a lot of fun, although there were a couple of boy dogs that were getting a little too friendly. Besides that I did A LOT of running around. I had my picture taken by the Think Big Topeka sign. I am not sure what that is all about, so I am linking to their website.

Governor's Mansion

I went to the governor's mansion yesterday with my dad while my mom was playing bunko with the church ladies. I don't know what a governor is but he sure does live in a big house! We had a lot of fun on the trails. We were there a couple of hours. I got kind of tired. My dad said I did a real good job and didn't pull too much. Here are some pictures from our visit.

Sprinklers

I do enjoy playing with the sprinklers. They are so much better than actually getting a bath. Fortunately, I have only had one of those if my lifetime. My dad taped me playing in the sprinkler. Here it is:

Yesterday was great because the daycare children were outside. I just laid by the fence and watched them play. My pug friends were outside, too. I just like this picture of me!

Odds & Ends

I have been spending A LOT of time outside lately. The weather has been very nice. Since the weather is so nice the neighbor kids are outside more which means they will want to play with me. They have come over a couple of times to see if I can play. The kids at the daycare next door like to pet me through the fence. I sit politely and let them pet me.

We found out few weeks ago that the vet clinic Sam & I go to have a website - Companion Animal Clinic. We can see all of the nice people who take care of us. Mom & I went there the other day to get Sam's medicine. I was so excited about seeing everyone that Mom had to kick the door shut with her foot. I sat on the scale to get weighed. I weigh 50.2 lbs. Wow! Til later...

Gracie at Play

Mom did a cool slide show of pictures of me using Animoto. Here it is - Gracie at Play.

Greetings

We are very happy at our house because Kansas State won last night in double overtime! They move onto the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament. There sure was a lot of hollering going on. Go Wildcats!

We finished renovating our sleeping porch. We put new windows in, repainted it and added a new ceiling fan. I worked mostly in a supervisory capacity. It looks really nice.

Miss Me?

I realized yesterday that I have not posted anything in awhile. I have been spending a lot of time outside. I like to play outside, but I do not like to have my paws cleaned off when I come back in. My backyard is very muddy. I hope it dries up soon.

This morning I went outside and a bird flew up to the bird feeder. I just stopped and stared at it for awhile. There were all kinds of sounds - birds chirping, car doors shutting and a siren screaming in the distance. I was a bit overwhelmed.

We are very excited at our home because Samwise is getting his fur back. He lost his hair because of his adrenal disease. He has been on medicine for almost 2 years. The medicine isn't going to cure his disease. I think maybe it just slows it down. Anyway, he is looking pretty good. The nice people at the vet clinic are sure going to be surprised when they see him next week !

The picture you see is of my mom and me with our valentines.

Squirrels Revisited

That #$%@ squirrel is back again. I gave it the what for this morning. I tried something new by jumping AND barking at it. It backed off a little. Mom is a little worried that I might jump out of the yard.

I am getting really good at catching things like my squeaky bear and treats that are tossed to me. I like it better than just retrieving something after it has been thrown. Catching is much more challenging.

We are supposed to get snow again this evening. I think I would like it to warm up. As much as I like to play in the snow, I would like it to warm up, so I can play outside longer. Oh, well.

Eukanuba Dog Show

I am watching the dog show. The Australian Shepherd didn't win for the herding group, but that's ok. The Rough Collie got first and the Sheltie got second. Mom says I am her best in show. Here is the picture she took of me.

Squirrels

Drat the squirrels that live in my neighborhood! I had a stand-off with one of them yesterday. One of them was chattering away angrily at me because it wanted in my yard, and I wouldn't let it in!! I kept running it off. Buzz off!



On a more pleasant note the snow is very pretty outside. Here are a couple of videos of me in the snow and the stand-off with the squirrel and me. Enjoy!

Bark Park

I went to the Bark Park on Saturday. Yea! It was very muddy, and I was the only dog there for most of my visit. I got to jump through the hoops and run through the tunnel a couple of times. That is a lot of fun! It helps that there is usually a treat waiting for me on the other side. We really had to watch where we ran because a lot of people did not clean up after their dogs. Yuck! It was good to be back.

I am Now Legal

I didn't know I had been illegal. I am an Australian Shepherd, but I was born in Wabaunse County, USA!! Apparently, in Topeka, dogs and cats need to a have a license. What for? We can't drive. I guess it is if we run away from home. They know who we belong to. Why would I want to run away from home? Good food, good treats, hugs, a warm place to sleep, and my very own ferret. What more could I want? Toodles!

Training Humans

I have to tell you something funny I did yesterday. I had to go outside to go to the bathroom. I went to the back door like I am supposed to. No one paid attention to me. I sat at the front door and was ignored. I really needed to go, so I sat in front of the tv and looked at my humans until they realized that I REALLY needed to go outside. Finally! They are trainable!

Burst of Energy

I don't know what gets into me. I start running around the living room - around and around I go. Sometimes I do it outside, but it is kind of slippery today. After I get done running I just collapse on the floor. Nap time!

Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day outside. The snow is starting to melt! I didn't want to to inside when my mom had to leave for work. She wasn't very happy with me. She never stays mad a me for very long, though. I just wag my tail and lick her face. She can't resist me.

Training

Yesterday, I did a little training with my humans - sit, lay down, shake, high five, stay. They did a great job. Just kidding. I was the one being trained, not them! When I get older, my mom would like me to be a therapy dog which means I may go to libraries and schools and listen to children read to me or to nursing homes and hospitals to visit people who are sick. We both will have to take a test to get certified. Yikes! There are dogs that come to our library to listen to children read. It sounds like fun because I like to be around children. I don't think I can sit still for very long, though.

Greetings!

Hi! My name is Gracie. I am a 6 month old Australian Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix. I was found on the side of the road with one of my siblings. A kind man brought the two of us to his home. My human dad brought me home without telling my human mom what he was doing. She went out the back gate to take out the garbage. When she came back into the backyard, there I was in all my cuteness. All 5.5 lbs. of me. She said, "There's a puppy in our backyard." She squatted down, and I went right to her. It was love at first sight for the both of us! I was about 12 weeks old at the time, at least that is what Dr. Mike determined.



Life is good at my new home. Lots of hugs, toys and treats. I have a big brother named Sam. He is a 7 1/2 year old ferret. I have to be careful not to step on him. He is really little. He drinks out of my water dish, but I don't care. I like to follow him around the house.

Bye for now!