10 Reasons why a Best Furry Friend is the Best Summer Fling!

In honor of the official start to summer, below are 10 good reasons why adopting a rescue dog, like me, and making him your BFF (best furry friend) is BETTER than finding a significant other this summer. Giving a rescue dog a "forever home" is a summer fling that will turn into a long lasting, loving relationship! Here are my top 10 reasons why!

10. A dog is always in the mood to cuddle...as much as you want...for as long as you want.

9. When a dog does something wrong, he admits it by putting his tail between his legs, and then you move on.

8. A dog is always willing and excited to go out on the town with you – no matter how you’re dressed, if you showered or whether you’re wearing make-up. And he makes an excellent wing-man/conversation starter (Oh, what a cute dog, may I pet him!?).

7. A dog loves you unconditionally and cheers you up when you’re sad.

6. A dog may be affectionate with others, he may even flirt a little, but he always happily comes home to you. Every single night.

5. A dog will watch a chick flick or an action film with you whenever you want – no arguments, no negotiations and no bribes needed.

4. A dog is a reliable workout buddy – always motivating you and pushing (pulling) you to stay in shape.

3. A dog never hides his emotions from you or leaves you guessing – he’s tired, hungry, in need of a break, gives you the puppy eyes or excited to see you. There’s no miscommunication or misunderstandings.

2. A dog appreciates every second of time and attention you give him, whether it's five minutes or five hours. Plus, he’s always thrilled to see you when you walk in the door from a long day!

1. A dog wants a long-term, committed relationship with you. No DTR (define the relationship) needed.

If you have the time and are able, consider making your home a "forever home" for a rescue animal. There are lots of dogs ready to fall in love with you today!

BACK ON BLOGGING!

So as you can see from my special post to my special friends, I'M BACK!!!

Mommy took away my blogging rights for a couple weeks. She headed North for a fun weekend - WITHOUT ME. And... Well... I had never spent a night away from mommy before and I didn't want her to go...so while she was getting the car ready, I unpacked her suitcase for her. She left it out, closed, but unzipped, so I just popped that badboy open and starting pulling everything out. I hid her shoes under the table, I dumped her makeup bag out, and don't even ask what I did with her matching jammies! Bow-wow-wow-HA!

Unfortunately, Mommy didn't find the stunt nearly as funny as I did. AND, it didn't help keep her here with me. She not only gave me a time-out, but mommy took away my blogging privileges for TWO WEEKS. What's a beagle who needs to express himself to do? I had no outlet for two whole weeks. Sad. PLUS, it was all for nothing. She went on her little weekend get-a-way anyway.

I will say, I think absence makes the heart grow fonder as I missed her a lot and we had a happy, happy, happy reunion. Happiest dog on the planet right here. I love my mommy. And my license to blog.

A Special Message for my Special Friends....

WINK. WINK.

VROOOM!!! vroom.

What a great long, Memorial Day weekend. I love long weekends because it means mommy has more time to rub my belly and I love having my belly rubbed... probably even more than having my ears scratched and about as much as chomping on a new big treat. Got a new one of those this weekend too!!!

I even like the Rolling Thunder -- all those Harley's that come to ride for freedom. 250,000 Harley's on this year's ride! It's for a great cause.

I just wish Mr. Harley could do a little tweak to the bike. I know it going VROOOOOMMMMMM!!!! VROOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!! is half the reason people buy 'em, but maybe he could make one that uses its library voice and goes vroom. vroom.

I'm a tough dog, but when a whole bunch of 'em raced down the street, not gonna lie... I hid a little bit behind mommy's legs. It was loud and a little scary and I hid. Yup, I'm dog enough to admit it. And you know what else I say!? RIDE ON! And God Bless America!

Now that's the Sh*t!!!

So I totally was debating sharing this story -- it's kind of disturbing on many levels... But then here I was, chillin' on the couch, waiting for mommy to come home and take me to my doggie playdate at the park, when I was watching Fox News and Megyn Kelly -- totally love her -- did a whole segment on this. So how can I not comment on this story about the condos, dog poop and whodunit!?

Sure, I poop. Guilty. But while I'm moving on to sniff something when I'm done, mommy's always out there picking up whatever little present I leave for her. Every time.

So I say shame on the mommy's and daddy's who aren't picking it up. Do you part! While I enjoy sniffing what's left on the ground, no one wants to step in it and no one should have to see it. That's just gross. They can totally take my DNA because I know I'm not guilty of that crime...and with a mug like mine, you gotta believe me!

You really should read the article -- it's pretty interesting!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!!!

Just giving a shout-out to the woman who gave my mommy life and who I know will have an excellent Christmas present waiting for me this year!!! Happy birthday, Grandma!!! In honor of your birthday, I'll totally let you rub my belly next time you see me -- a present for BOTH of us. :-) Have a great, great day!

Flat Stanley Visits!

Flat Stanley came for a visit. I showed him all the sites -- took him on a tour through town. He had a good, good time. Met some new people. But I'm pretty sure I wore him out -- he needed a nap after just a few days -- I happily obliged. I tend to like my nap as well -- can do it with my eyes open or closed. Sweet dreams, Flat Stanley. Sweet dreams.

Healthy as a Horse... errr, Beagle!

I just had my 4–year-old check-up and I am happy to report I am fit as a fiddle. Healthy as a horse. Good teeth. Decent weight. Overall good health. Hooray. What can I say, I’m a 4-year-old beagle in the body of a 3.5-year-old. Tell that to the ladies in the dog park! Of course, the tricks I can do are that of an old dog – as in, you can’t teach ‘em new tricks.

But more importantly, when the vet brought me out, the doctor told mommy, I was the best, calmest, sweetest dog she had seen in a week – and one of her very best patients. And she wasn’t just saying that – nope. She meant it. She even thanked mommy – I got the feeling the doctor had a busy week of crazy animals.

So you better believe it. I walked outta that office with my head held high and my tail wagging. It’s not every day you get such a compliment from a real doctor. I mean, they know their stuff. Mommy always asks me "Whose the best doggie? Whose the best doggie?" But now it's like confirmed and everything.

Calling All Fur Babies!!! Help with the Oil Spill!!! Get the Fur a Flyin!!!

So we've all seen horrible oil spill in the Gulf --- shaggy four legged friends --- your help is needed!!! We can't let the government try to fix this -- we've seen what they can (or can't) do. It's DOGS TO THE RESCUE!!!

Check out this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Turns out our fur can help pick up some of the oil that spilled -- which will help save some of our non-fury friends swimming out there in the water and what not.

So if you have the fur -- it's time to shave it!!! Summer's coming and you'll be cooler this way anyway. It's for a good cause. Let's get the fur a flyin'!

We Didn’t Beat the Rain

Mommy came home a little early from work so we could get our walk in before the rainstorm was to come. Lots of dogs were in the dog pen so we played there for a little while before leaving for our walk. Wouldn’t you know it… We get several blocks away and the rain came pouring down. I didn’t mind the rain, and neither did mommy, but then, out of the blue hail started coming down the size of my tennis balls – or so it seemed. I made a beeline for the bank awning – it was hail-free under there. Lots of people joined us. And of course, they all wanted to pet me because I was sitting so nicely. And of course, I let them pet me.

When the hail and rain stopped a few minutes later, we continued our walk. We made it home just in time. Right after I finished chowing down on my dinner, the sky opened up again – and this time it brought thunder and lightening.

I could tell mommy didn’t like that loud nice with the bright flashing light so I raced over to her on the couch and sat right on her lap. She was safer that way. I didn’t move until that storm cleared out and the loud noises stopped. And that shaking she felt, yeah, it wasn’t because I was scared. I’m tough. I was just nervous for her. Yeah, that’s it. Nervous for her because I know she doesn’t like those scary storms.

BEST WALK EVER!!!

I’m feeling a little guilty…I’m almost thinking I may need to head to that church in Massachusetts that’s holding a monthly worship service for dogs as I need to confess (did you read about that church in the Washington Post? Check it out HERE!).

Auntie Ali was here for a visit. And it was great. She’s really, really nice. She’ll dance with me and play with me. This time she even took me for a walk… but here’s the part that I’m feeling a bit guilty about. She had never walked a dog before on her own. And I could tell she had never walked a dog before. So I may have slightly taken advantage of her naiveness about dog walking.

We were just heading to the post office and back – a mere couple of blocks but I kept us out there for a long, long, long time. :-) I stopped and sniffed EVERYTHING. And then whatever I didn’t sniff, I peed on. And sometimes, yup, I’d sniff it, then pee on it. And then she’d want to go left, but I knew that wasn’t the walking route, so I pulled her right. She was very, very patient with me and that’s why I’ve got a bit of a guilt complex. I totally took advantage of her and I’m kinda sorry about that because she really is great.

If it makes her feel any better, I got to sniff and pee a ton and lead the way – it was really the BEST WALK EVER!!!

AUNTIE ALI & MS. MICHELLE IN LESS THAN A WEEK

Oh boy! Oh boy! Auntie Ali is coming in less than a week. I love it when Auntie Ali visits. She gives a good belly rub. Having her visit is like having filet mignon for dinner -- but better! And this time Ms. Michelle is coming too. I have heard good, good things about her. I bet they are coming to celebrate my birthday – which means even more treats for me!!! Oh boy! Oh boy!

The Stairmaster

I love my mommy because she often lets me walk down the stairs and through the hallway to the dog pen without a leash…and the reality is, (while I don’t admit it)… my separation anxiety levels from her are off the chart, so I usually don’t stray too far. I mean, I often sleep on her feet at night just to make sure that if she gets up, I know about it and can follow accordingly.

So after a play date with Beagle Howard in the fenced in dog park attached to our building (I’m a lucky dog!), we all headed up the stairs – Howard is on the floor below us. Mommy paused to talk with Howard’s mum for a second, and I, eager for my breakfast, headed up the stairs. Somewhere in there, I got confused, and kept on going. Up, up and up. I could hear mommy calling me, so I kept walking, but all the sounds in the stairwell get rather confusing. Suddenly, I had no place left to go. I was at the top. So I sat and waited. And waited. I knew when you’re lost, you’re supposed to stay put and let them find you, so that’s what I did. It wasn’t long before Mosby’s dad opened the door to the 18th floor and found me. He was helping mommy look for me. We took the elevator back down to the first floor. And boy was I glad for that. I may have four legs, but they are short legs and 18 floors is an awful lot of stairs, even for a dog with as much energy as a beagle!

He took me back to mommy. Boy, hearing her voice call me, I raced to her as fast as I could and jumped into her waiting arms. I was a happy, happy dog. I don’t know who was happier to see whom at that point! She clearly missed me. And it felt like I had been gone for hours, when it was really not even 10 minutes. Long enough for her and me. I was happy to get back inside our house and have some water and gobble down my food. 18 flights can really be exhausting!

SQUIRREL!!!

Saw a squirrel. Chased the squirrel. Followed the squirrel up the tree as far as I could. Squirrel got away. Darn squirrel.

Busy day

Woke up. Tinkled on a tree. Ate. Sniffed around. Napped. Chewed a few more Jenga pieces. Napped. Moved to the couch. Napped. Moved to the bed. Napped. Looked out the window. Mommy came home. Pee'd some more. Walked. Ate dinner. Napped. Played with my squeaky toy. Pee'd. Back to sleep. Busy day.

The Feds are After Me

So you know that tag on your mattress that says something like "Do not Remove or the federal government will totally come and get you and send you to jail without any dinner"!!?? Yeah, I removed it. Opps. My bad. Guilty.

Then, realizing what I did, I hid the evidence... you guessed it... I ate it... But my stomach didn't care for that too much (mommy was thrilled), so I had to throw it in the garbage, which means it's out there, with my paw prints all over it.

I'm so hoping the mattress tag people lack efficiency...I might have a dog fight in this match! If not, I have a good hiding space under the bed! They won't take me alive!

Hunger Strike

I’m holding a hunger strike. No, it’s not for any noble cause – and no, it doesn’t include treats, or snacks, or Drew's birthday cake (see Saturday post) or anything I find on my walks… It’s for people food. Mommy keeps giving me just dog food, and frankly, dog food is for the dogs. I want something delicious mixed in… like some meat or cheese to make it yummier. You know how boring it is to eat the same thing day after day!?

I’m pretty sure I got her right where I want her. I’ve held off for a couple meals, and she’s gonna crack soon and cave – I can tell. She may look tough, but she’s a softie when it comes to her BFF (best fury friend). And when she does cave, I am going to enjoy quite the feast….

Timeout...Again!

Mommy baked a cake. And it smelled really, really good. I could have sworn she said “I’m baking this for you.” She put it on top of the stove to cool off and then frost and decorate the next day. I’m not really a huge frosting lover (except for that buttercream frosting – now that’s a good lick) so I figured I’d save her the hassle. I somehow, we’re both still trying to figure out how, got it off the stove top and down to my level (all without breaking the glass pan, I might add – should have received props for that, but Noooo!) and ate it up.

It was delicious.

Well, mommy came home and she was not at all pleased to see that I had eaten her cake. In fact, she was pretty ticked. She put me in another timeout while she cleaned everything up. Have I mentioned how much I HATE getting a timeout!?

The whole time she was complaining about how I ate Drew’s birthday cake for the party, and now what was she going to do!? Oh yeah, come to think of it, she did say “I’m baking a birthday cake for Drew.” I guess it wasn’t I’m baking a cake for you. Opps. Well, cheers to you, Drew! Maybe I’ll get my ears cleaned in your honor!

The JENGA Chew Toy

Maybe they should put on the JENGA box that it’s a game to play and not a new chew toy. Good game. Delicious snack. I say why can’t it be both?!

Dirty Bath Water

Today I was duped. Tricked. Swindled. Deceived.

Mommy and I went for our normal walk. We like taking long walks on Sunday mornings because it’s pretty quiet and peaceful out. Mommy hit the gym (I wasn’t gonna say anything to her, but I was starting to tell it had been a while!).

When she came back and got all cleaned up, she said, “Let’s get you a bath!” and got the leash ready. I was all excited. Jumping up and down – a happy dog! We were going out. I did not hear “bath.” In my excitement, what I heard was “let’s go back to dog park, like yesterday, so you can play with the other dogs and chase squirrels for awhile and get lots of treats.”

About halfway into our trip, I noticed Mommy turned to the right, when the dog park was the road to the left. I was hoping we were going to visit my pal Kopek, but nope – there was only one place the car was headed – the Bath House. I hate the Bath House. As soon as I realized it, I started giving her the puppy eyes – pleading not to make me get a bath. I hate the water, and the blow dryer makes a horrible noise and the entire experience is just awful.

But she didn’t fall for the puppy eyes. She was tough as nails – steadfast in her driving to the Bath House. I fought going in. I vowed that they weren’t going to take me alive!!! She dragged me. Then the guy had to drag me back there.

The bath was horrible. The dryer was just as bad as I remember.

I’m clean now and smelling pretty good. Part of me wants to go roll in some mud, just to spite Mommy and the Bath House, but then I know I’ll be right back at the Bath House… so I think I’ll avoid the muddle puddles for a bit!