That Face!

He looks at me like this all the time! It makes me kind of long for lickable postage stamps.

Three-year-old Puppy

We brought Joey to this huge park this weekend and met lots of dogs and their humans (only one humping incident - yea!) Everyone asked us if he was a puppy. We thought this was strange. We chalked this up to his hair - which is making his head and paws look cartoonishly large compared to his body. To us he just looks like Joey. I guess I would rather have a dog that looks like a puppy, and acts like a dog, than an ugly old-looking puppy. Are there ugly old-looking puppies? Here is our most puppy-ish picture, what do you think?

Week Two!

Well, it is the end of the second week and tomorrow will begin our third. I have come to see our whole house from a doggie perspective. This, for example, used to just be our entry way. You know, a good place to shake off dirt and mud before walking on the carpet. Little did I know it is the coolest place (besides the bathroom floor, of course) to lay around if you're hot or tired. The canvas chair is a hammock. The couch is a whole landscape of sleepiness. The windows are vital portals to the outside world. He has taken it as his household duty to observe and catalog all the people and creatures that wander across his radar screen. Don't worry, he doesn't keep the information to himself! We're learning a lot from him. Did you know there is a pair of cats that hang out by my garbage can at midnight? Joey told me about them. He finds their behavior audacious. So here he is, chilling out amongst our shoes after a long Saturday of running around. Happy two week-iversary, Joey.

Play Time

Finally Joey is showing some interest in his toys. I am hoping he will like them and play with them when he has to be home alone. I read about how other dogs love their Kongs and just go crazy for them. When we gave one to Joey he was kind of like, "cool color" and left it alone. He was willing to lick out some peanut butter, but not if it was too much effort. Cream cheese, on the other hand is worth some serious work. It may be hard to see, but in Joey's world this is what being extremely busy looks like.

You can see the sore on his shoulder in this picture. This was a result of poor past grooming and has been on the mend since he entered the shelter. It looks worse than it actually is, and is healing nicely. What is interesting about Wheatens is that when new hair grows in, it is the color of their puppy hair which is typically darker than their mature shade. So he'll have a brown spot there even after the skin has totally healed, until the hair lightens.

Meditating

Okay, I don't know if Joey can meditate. This is him listening to Shinzen Young's The Science of Enlightenment. You could argue that in this moment, I was not really listening to The Science of Enlightenment, but that I was instead photographing my dog. It's on my iPod. I'll hear it again.

Not that you asked, but I am really enjoying Shinzen Young's work and recommend him to anyone interested in meditation or mindfulness at all. His website is also excellent. You can find him at http://www.shinzen.org/index.htm.

In other news, I now know, through Joey, every domesticated animal on the block. I have met some of their owners. I am learning who picks up after their dogs and who doesn't (I do! I do!). I am also learning that people know me that I don't know. A woman started chatting with us when we were outside. She wanted to know if we had a new dog or were just sitting for one. I had no idea who she was, but she obviously knew we didn't have a dog before. I'm guessing she lives across the street... I gotta pay more attention!

Favorite things to do...

Joey likes to sleep on the orange chair. He also likes sleeping in front of the front door or in front of the back door. He likes sleeping on the couch (either end is fine with him) and any patch of carpet pretty much anywhere is good for a nap. He likes his squeaky toys, particularly a small stuffed beaver named Special Patrol Unit (a.k.a. 'Slimy,' a.k.a. 'S.P.U.') The poor thing has already needed minor surgery to keep its head on. Joey likes him a lot. Of course he likes his walks and knows all the dogs and cats on his normal route. He likes looking out the window and barking at little dogs. Peanut butter flavored snacks are okay, but liver is the bomb. Let's not even talk about cheese. Maybe the most fun, outside of cuddling, is sitting with fellow house humans on the front step, watching the street life go by and enjoying the weather.

Joey: Week One!

So this blog is mostly to keep friends and family up to date with the newest member of our family. We adopted Joey from the Humane Society last weekend. It was not our intention to get a specific breed of dog, but apparently Joey is a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. He does not currently have a very 'wheaten' haircut, but his personality seems typical for the breed: steady, curious, friendly (very very friendly!), and energetic. We have been having so much fun with him and marvel at how lucky we were to meet him and get to take him home!