Archive: Dogarazzi

Those of you keeping track of Ted’s fascinating life will remember that we bought him a new crate for some roomier digs.  For the time being, we spread out old beach towels on the floor of the crate and had every good intention of padding it up with a pillow … or a cushion … or something … Um, yes, that was five months ago, and I’m sure that in the eyes of some, that time lapse makes us terrible dog owners.

Anyway!  JG and I agreed to get Ted some sort of dog bed to pad the crate, and I found a cushy one that was fairly inexpensive while I ran my errands last weekend.  When I got home, I made sure that it would slide in and out of the crate without any fussing, and we discussed how to introduce Ted to his new cratemate.

See, Ted is a bit, uh, sensitive to changes in his environment.  When something unusual enters the domestic atmosphere, he automatically launches into “INTRUDER INTRUDER” mode in the form of frantic, incessant barking.  Can’t we see that there is a large, cooler-type item in the kitchen?!  Isn’t it obvious that these boxes of Christmas decorations pose a very serious threat?!  It helps us understand whoever said that Westies would make excellent watch dogs if they weren’t so comically small.

With that in mind, I was hesitant to put the dog bed straight into Ted’s crate and leave it to fend for itself in the dark of night.  Instead, we decided to keep the dog bed in the living room and let Ted sniff it out on his own.  As we observed, Ted had a specific method of determining the safety of this new addition:

1. Proceed with caution
One never knows what sort of hostile newcomers might be lurking, so Ted sniffed the dog bed timidly before stepping in slowly.

2. Investigate thoroughly
Ted made a great show of sniffing and pawing, but we had to reprimand the inevitable chewing.  I was determined that the bed would not become Ted’s most expensive chew toy yet.

3. Size up the situation
I was a little concerned that Ted would be too big for the bed, but he wriggled around in it until he found the position to suit him the most.  The sides are supportive but soft, and he figured out how to use them as pillows.  The chewing subsided, and occasional sniffs remained.

4. Approve accordingly
If Ted does not like something at this point, he will resume his barking alert.  However, in the case of the dog bed, he assumed a stance of hesitant acceptance.  Every so often, he chewed on the edge, but he eventually fell asleep, with obvious resulting cuteness.

We haven’t left Ted alone with the dog bed in his crate yet, but I think we’re on our way.  With each introduction, Ted needs less acclimation time to remember that the bed isn’t a dastardly intruder or a chew toy.  I’m sure that our reasoning with him — “I don’t chew on my bed when I go to sleep, Ted!” — makes all the difference.

Saturday, at our house:

“It’s game day!  Game day, game day, game day!”

It was the day of Delaware’s first home football game! To get the full atmosphere, picture Ted propped up against JG’s knees with his paws punching the air in Rocky-esque jabs.  College GameDay is roaring in the background, JG and I have put together a list of what we need for the afternoon’s tailgate, and Ted is suitably garbed for the occasion.

It takes Ted a few minutes to get used to his jersey, but he stopped swatting at it after a few sharp corrections.  He looked very much the part of a Fightin’ Blue Hen doggie, and I think he was excited because we were, too.  Much to Ted’s chagrin, we couldn’t take him with us to the tailgate because it was much too hot and humid for him to camp out in the car during the game. Maybe next time, puppy!

For JG’s birthday last winter, his mom and I conspired to do a tailgate theme, and he was fully outfitted for the this game.  It would be our first time with a new tent, two collapsible chairs, and a caddy I put together so that JG wouldn’t have to raid the kitchen for the normal supplies.  We arrived at our usual tailgate lot more than three hours before kick-off, and we had set up camp in less than ten minutes.  JG and I retrieved drinks out of the cooler, slid them into our chairs’ cup holders, and tried not to stare at a family across the way who was struggling to erect their own pavilion tent.

JG grilled burgers and hot dogs for dinner, and we packed up our equipment with enough time to walk briskly to the stadium and catch the pre-game show, sporting our new jerseys. The stadium boasted a new scoreboard and sound system, and I was optimistic for a smooth performance for the team. The traditional home opener against West Chester wasn’t going to be a stressful game; we fully intended to blow them out of the water.  I anticipated a clean, practice-like atmosphere, and I hoped the team would be surprisingly put-together, despite last week’s loss against Maryland.

Even though we won by a large margin, I was not so pleased with the game.  The new quarterback was not entirely impressive, and for whatever reason, the defensive line chose to slap around the other team instead of tackling them.  At one point, I was so annoyed that I jumped to my feet and screamed at the top of my lungs, “Wrap! Him! Up!” The surrounding spectators glanced at me uneasily, and I immediately felt ashamed of my outburst.  Seconds later, a large man nearby did the same exact thing, and my shame flipped to vindication.

Let’s go, Blue Hens!

Ted received two presents this weekend!

During her trip to Scotland, OPH e-mailed me saying that she found “the cutest postcard … mostly for Ted.”  Of course, I passed along our address, and sure enough, an adorable Westie postcard showed up over the weekend!  I love how dignified they look in their native Tartan colors and how the one on the right has his head cocked at an angle in quintessential terrier style.  Maybe appealing to Ted’s heritage is the avenue to take en route to Happy Costume Land…

While I was hanging around JG’s team’s volleyball tournament on Saturday, I took a side trip to visit some family friends, Clint and Colleen, who still live in JG’s hometown.  More specifically, I went to visit their Westie, Roxy. Several years ago, we went to Clint and Colleen’s house for a function, and a younger and more sprightly Roxy bounded over to me to be petted.  She was and is incredibly sweet, and she will go down in history as the first dog I ever liked.  Despite myself, I also fell for their new dog, Romeo, a long-haired chihuahua, who was so affectionate and non-yippy that I couldn’t help but snuggle all six pounds of him.

I made small talk with Clint and Colleen while the dogs fought over a toy, and Colleen asked me if Ted had ever tried a Long Bone (Longbone?), the much-desired toy.  Apparently, seven-year-old Roxy loves these bones, and she has never had to have her teeth cleaned because she chews it so much.  Not only that, she never chews furniture or household items!  Sign me up!  Where can I get one?

Oh, no, Colleen did not let me leave the house without two of the bones, and they have completely lived up to the hype.  My internet searches are coming up short, so I am not sure what the toy is made of, but it appears to be some sort of chewy rawhide-type material.  Regardless, Ted loves it.  It is his Precious.

For any other kindhearted souls out there, Ted loves getting mail and chew toys!  Oh, and uh, Swedish fish and cute stationery, too…

As of yesterday, it has been a whole year since we brought Ted home! While it has been lots of fun to see the transition from a tiny, timid puppy to the best, cutest dog ever (sorry, other dogs), I have to give myself a small pat on the back for coming around to this whole dog ownership thing. I was not totally on board at the onset, but Ted won me over, with the help of JG and Cesar Milan. I wouldn’t say that I am a dog person now because I don’t love every dog I meet, but I’m certainly an our dog person. Ted is so sweet and smart, even if it doesn’t always mean that he does what we would like. I love having a dog that makes passersby coo, likes to run around the yard, and can still be picked up, that is, if we can catch him! Ted is small, (mostly) quiet, and cute, so the original requirements of the Dog Agreement have been satisfied. However, if we had adhered to all of my stipulations, we wouldn’t even have Ted yet, and I can’t imagine our house without that jingle-jangle of his tags.

With the arrival of Ted came the suggestion of his own weekly dog feature. I was hesitant at first, but I finally succumbed after a whole two days of consideration. Give the people what they want! Stalking down Ted and capturing his antics has been a challenge and a pleasure, and we love to joke about Ted’s ever-growing “Internet superstardom.” I can’t believe that I’ve written over 50 posts and built the largest photo set in my Flickr stream around this one topic.

At this point, though, I have concluded that the weekly posts have run their course. JG, Ted, and I have settled into our routine, and I’m enjoying the opportunity to sit back and pet Ted while I read, instead of having the camera at the ready for the first time he chews a tennis ball or when his ears refused to flop.

So, today, on the anniversary of the very first Dogarazzi post, I’m passing the Thursday torch to Julie and Bailey, who I am sure will carry on the tradition with pride. That’s not to say that Ted will no longer grace this neck of the woods; he just won’t do it every week or even on Thursdays, necessarily. It’s not a goodbye to Ted, just a “see you around.” With that, I leave you with highlights from our first year with Ted!

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