21 weeks old, and 13 weeks in!

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Yesterday Penny went back to the Happy Puppy Park day care for a half-day romp with the pack. 9am to 1pm, ten bucks! It don’t get much better than that! When we went to pick her up, on entering the compound, we were immediately surrounded by approximately 30 dogs. Neither Jeri or I payed any attention to them as we walked in, we’ve watched the Dog Whisperer enough to know that. They were all calm, no jumping, no barking, no excitement, just milling about, curious as to who we were. It’s really a strange sensation, but cool too, I can understand some people being a little nervous or scared in a situation like that, but we enjoyed it. I said we were surrounded by 30 dogs, I’d like to add at this point, but not Penny!...No she was waaay too busy playing in the sand pile with a couple of her buddies. We shouted her name, and she eventually decided we were worth the effort and sauntered down towards us, at least 5 shades of grey darker than her usual coloring, and her front legs were soaked through, evidently she had decided to have a quick front paw plunge in the pool before coming down to see us. Brenda, the owner asked us when we were having Penny spayed, and we replied next Tuesday, exacly 5 months to her birth date. Brenda said “Good, because otherwise I don’t think it’ll be long before she comes into season, she’s had about 5 boys (all neutered) following her around all day, and she’s showing the signs.” Now isn’t that weird that you can become ready to procreate before you’ve got rid of your baby teeth? So off we went back home, and apart from a quick wake up every now and again to pee, eat, etc, she slept for the rest of the day.

Talking of sleeping, when we first got Penny, we were informed that Doodles were high-energy dogs, either that person was kidding me, or we have a freak on our hands, and I’d go for the latter. I’ve never known such a lazy dog. Granted she’s all go when she’s awake, very playful and full of fun, but boy can that dog sleep! Just like a teenager who thinks that breakfast starts at 3pm. (Aaaah! I remember those days, now I think I’m laying in if I’m still in bed at 7am!)...In a morning, Penny will yawn and shuffle about in her crate, so we open the door, it can be another hour before she deigns to come out of her crate, then she’ll often go and lie on Abby’s sofa for 30 minutes or so before she even considers going outside for a pee. Another thing she does which makes me laugh, is that during the day and she’s asleep, upon stirring, she’ll look over to you, and if you call her, she’ll crawl on her belly towards you, dragging herself along by her front legs, back legs and tail trailing along behind, doesn’t matter how far it is either, getting up just seems like too much trouble. She also still likes to take the same short cuts she’d take when she was much smaller, like under the side tables, and dining chairs etc, bangs her head every time, but doesn’t stop her taking the “easy” route! Then there's the begging for tidbits. When we eat at the table Penny doesn't beg, but when we're snacking in front of the TV, then we're fair game. She sits in front of us, looking at us with intensity and smacking her lips. But if she gets nothing for 5 minutes, she just falls over, way funny! (Yes, I purposely wait until she falls over...hee hee!). So I’ve composed this little ditty, now sing along everyone to the tune of Nellie the Elephant:

Penny the Doodle
Is full of spunk
always on the go-oh!
But that’s a lie
coz you and I
know she’s a lazy bitch!

Ha ha, now did you sing that to yourself, or out loud?...do tell!

Now that I’ve mentioned songs, I’m going off topic for a moment, you know when you get a song in your head that just won’t leave? And it’s usually one that you don’t like much, I was plagued by “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies when I was a young teen. The other day, what line of a song suddenly popped up in my head? But “Oops! There goes another rubber tree plant!”...Couldn’t get rid of it for three days! What the hell? I haven’t heard that in years, the only radio I listen too is rock or heavy rock, and I know I haven’t heard it from the TV, so what makes your brain delve into the memory banks and pull that to the foreground?

Back to Penny, or as she looked yesterday PigPen! Obedience class is going well, she seems to be taking to commands very well and is still very well behaved in class. Have to say though there is one command she just hasn’t got yet, and that is “Leave”...as demonstrated in the following photos....I know I’m encouraging her here, but it is quite funny, and don’t worry I am careful with the gardening tools, but this behavior has got to stop...and soon! Or else the garden is never going to get finished!

And to prove Penny's growing:

One last photo that I couldn't resist taking....Potsy looking like a thin cat, emerging from a fluffy fat suit!

Next week, I'll be reporting how the operation went....hopefully all will be well. Have great week everyone.

[Jenn]

Good luck with the operation! Keep us posted on how she and you are doing! I love your kitty picture! So cute!

[cheryl & oliver]

thanks for another wonderful posting...I look forward to Penny's stories each week....

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

Great post, Kevin, and your Penny is growing like crazy! Loved the photos with the captions. Good luck with the operation - keep us posted!

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

I thought your PC would play MP3s, but I run a Mac and they come with iTunes anyway. Jeri and I love our iPods, great if you want some time alone when you're in fact not alone!

[Michele Barton]

Ach! I don't have an mp-3 player or i-pod or anything like that. So I just sang your ditty to Old McDonald Had a Farm!

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Nellie the Elephant is in fact English, a kid's song, here's what Wikipedia says: The original and most famous version, released on Parlophone in October 1956, was recorded by child actress Mandy Miller, with orchestra conducted by Phil Cardew. It was arranged by Ron Goodwin and produced by George Martin. Although never a hit single, it was played countless times on BBC national radio in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly on "Children's Favourites".

You can download an MP3 of it at: www.mediafire.com/?rno25cd0uu2. Obviously my parents were intent on torturing me, my little re-written version is to the chorus tune.

[Kevin Poole, Penny & Ozzy]

Oh Wow, I never thought about Nellie the Elephant being an English song, I'll have to check into that. Yeah, I hate the moonbeams in a jar song too. way too many memories of being a kid and having to listen to that stuff all the time. As for the cats: Chelsea was huge and looked like Buddha when she sat up, which is why her aka was Boo, but alas she got thin before she passed earlier this year. Potsy's not really fat, just frikkin' fluffy, her fur feels like drier lint, very soft, and she deposits balls of it all over the house, so nice, Penny likes to eat them if she finds them first! As for tails fluffing up, that's Bunny's alarm sign of choice, can't believe how big it can get, looks like a raccoon's when she's pissed.

[Michele Barton]

Maybe those boys like Penny because she's just so darn cute! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she doesn't go into heat before Tuesday.
Be glad you have a laid-back pooch. I think Gus would sleep in if he could, but that sister of his is up and barking to go out every morning by 6 a.m., not to pee (because Mike lets them out around 1 to 2 a.m. before he goes to bed) - she wants to play! Poor Gus looks soooo tired sometimes, but he doesn't want to miss anything, so he stumbles around behind Molly!
I don't know the tune to Nellie the Elephant - is it an English song? Funny, but I sometimes get that Rubber Tree tune stuck in my head too - I used to sing it to my kids when they were little. Also, that one that goes "would you like to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar" - though I can never remember all the words. It's maddening when that happens!
Anyway, the pics are great - Penny the gardener - maybe she could get a summer job next year! And the cat photo - funny! My cat is so fat she looks like Buddha - but it's so funny when she freaks out (chased by pups) and her tail puffs up. Is that what's happening to Potsy, or is she a fat cat like KitKat?

[Debbie and Thomas]

Same thing here Kev, our dood Thomas could sleep in until noon if we let him-even then when we make him go out to do his business, he looks at us like he is saying " hey I'll let you know when I have to go" but now is not a good time. Even at night-he wanders around in our new yard for 5 minutes before he squats (yes he still squats at 11 months old) and has to find the perfect spot. We wait and wait and wait until he finally goes so that we can go to bed. Then when he does go, it is like Niagara Falls! I think to myself" you little bugg..., you had to pee, but you made me wait out here with you for 5-10 minutes while you sniffed around before you found the perfect spot". These doods are real characters aren't they? Good luck on Tuesday with the spaying. Our Thomas was neutered @ 6 mths and I remember well the worry. I won't tell you not to worry as I know you will but I send our best wishes for Pen's quick recovery! Deb and the "Tom Cat" doodle

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Penny will be fine Tuesday! You on the other hand, I am not sure about. I know I always take it harder than the kids do.