Our pack is expanding in 2010

Happy New Year to all. I've been busy over the last few months.

Mom has been keeping busy with other writing projects, so she hasn't been helping me. It makes it look like I've went dark, but I'm still very active.

I kept up with all the health care system reform debate. I've been absorbing all the economic news, as well as the Tiger Woods news. I just can't look away. Sorry to be a dog version of those rubber neckers on the highway.

In our household, Mom and Mr. Food Boy are getting ready to welcome a baby. Well, it's five months away, but you would think the kid had already arrived. They keep threatening to call the Dog Whisperer on Mauly and me. It probably wouldn't hurt, because we really need to be reminded of who runs the pack. The pecking order will surely change once the baby arrives.

Mom read something the other day and kept saying, "Things are going to change the month before the baby arrives." I heard her telling Mr. Food Boy about an article she read. It recommended weaning the attention away from your pets in the months leading up to the baby's arrival, as a way to hopefully avoid jealousy.

Mauly and I love our people, so it's going to be tough until they figure out how to deal with the baby. The baby has a name already -- Enzo. It starts with an E like my name, so I think that's cool.

Mom and Mr. Food Boy came up with the name after they listened to a book on tape. The character named Enzo was a dog. So, I'm thinking even with a baby they will remain "dog people."

Our pack had a great year in 2009 and we expect a great 2010 with our addition!

Rain, rain go away

Mom and Mr. Food Boy like this rain.

Mr. Food Boy was happy the ground was soaked, but not happy he had watered the lawn on Sunday evening before the heaven's opened up.

I think people call it a torrential downpour. I think torrential is the right word. It also flooded the garage. Despite all that, Mom and Mr. Food Boy were OK with the rain. They were discussing ways to avoid another flood. Mr. Food Boy put everything else on the shelves in the back of the garage.

Going outside becomes very cumbersome when it rains. Mom and Mr. Food Boy like to let us run around and around until we do our business. We can also play for a bit.

Mauly likes to sniff around in search of The Squirrel and the cat. I like to sniff around after Mauly.

Once our play time is over, we have to do more than just sit for the command to return inside. We must also have our paws washed. You humans can just wipe your feet on the rugs, but we can't.

Mom wipes down my paws with a towel. I sit at the top step waiting for Mauly to get cleaned up. Mauly's paws require the water hose. Then, she gets each paw towel dried. Sometimes Mauly doesn't pay attention and walks right back through the muddy water. The process gets repeated. I don't like the cleaning routine before returning home, but it's part of the rainy day ritual.

The other morning I ended up in the kitchen sink. Mr. Food Boy was eating his breakfast and I frolicked around in the mud trying to catch a toad. Mr. Food Boy worried the water hose might be too forceful, so he carried me covered in mud to the kitchen. He muttered as he cleaned me up, but that's OK. He's really nice to me.

Happy Father's Day!

I don't remember my real father. He's somewhere in Georgia living the good life with his people. Today, I spent some time with my person father — Mr. Food Boy. 

He cringes when Mom slips and calls him Dad. I think he thinks that's uncool. After all, that's how the name Mr. Food Boy was born. He denied that Mauly called him Dad. Instead, she affectionately calls him Mr. Food Boy (because he provides the food). 

The title stuck. Mr. Food Boy says Mom is like a steel trap. She doesn't forget anything like this funny name. 

While Mauly and I tend to favor our original people — she has Mr. Food Boy and I have Mom — we do our best to blend our family. If Mom is away, Mr. Food Boy kindly allows me to snuggle with him on the couch. If Mr. Food Boy is at work, Mauly will sit with Mom on the couch. 

We're a blended family. Mom takes care of Mauly just like she does me. Mr. Food Boy does the same. 

I love Mr. Food Boy on Father's Day and every day. 

Forget the politics — Bo deserves a happy home

I was listening to all of the crazy talk about the President and First Family's new puppy, Bo. Woof. I'm glad the dog has found a home. A healthy, happy home is all a dog can ask for in this world. 

While Mauly and I aren't living in the White House, we have Mom and Mr. Food Boy. Actually, we are living in a whitish, brick house on the Texas-Mexico Border. We like our people. Really, it's LOVE!

I was shocked by the attempts to make Bo's arrival meet some politically correct story line. Many people wanted the Obamas to adopt a shelter dog. It would encourage others to do the same. But, Malia Obama's dog allergies put a crimp in that plan.

No shelter dog was found, but the spin masters in D.C. are making it out like Bo is a quasi-shelter dog. The fact is — the one that keeps getting repeated is — that the dog had an owner briefly, but "it wasn't a good fit." Sen. Ted Kennedy stepped in to arrange the dog for the Obama family. 

If Bo lived with a Kennedy or near a Kennedy or with a Kennedy family trainer, I don't believe you can call it a "quasi-shelter" dog. 

The origin of the dog seems less important to me. When a dog joins a family, the pedigree of the family becomes more important. I give the Obamas two paws up, because they made a commitment to get a dog — to get their Bo. The family researched the dog. The family will walk and love their dog. 

Mom and Mr. Food Boy feed us, but I'm not sure how that will work in the White House. I'm sure there will be other people, who will help the family care for Bo. I'm just happy for Bo.

Forget the politics. Every dog deserves a happy home with a good family. 

Woof Woof Easter

Mauly and I got a first-hand look at some Easter Eggs this morning. Happy Easter.

Mr. Food Boy tried to make them last night, but Mom was exhausted. Funny, how getting up at 4 a.m. seems to suck the life out of her.

The Georgia relatives left at 5 a.m. on Saturday. Mom stayed up to do laundry, etc. while they were driving to the airport in San Antonio.

Mr. Food Boy had intended to color the eggs with my human cousin Rosa, but he forgot! Or, was it that he didn't find the dye until Saturday afternoon.

Either way, we had a great visit with the relatives and preparation is already under way for the Iowa and Massachusett relatives. They arrive in a week and a half.

Mauly and I really miss Rosa. She played with us. She petted us. She let us both sit in her lap (and that's a real struggle with Mauly since they are essentially the same size -- give or take three pounds). She let us sniff her. She even let us lay on her.

Sometimes, it's difficult to find humans, who really get us. Rosa did. We'll miss her, but she had to return to class. This thing our people call "Spring Break" apparently doesn't last forever.

We'll remember the visit and look forward to the next time Rosa visits.

We welcome (almost) all to our pack

Today, I found a great treat while doing my daily surf of top headlines. I found an article about how to introduce your dogs to the new baby. This is an important one to me since Mom and Mr. Food Boy have been discussing this lately.

Mauly has been on Mom's watch list since, there was a profile on her breed. The TV show wasn't too keen on the idea of Mauly's kind and little children. We'll see if Mauly can prove that wrong when our human cousin Rosa enters our home this week.

The article I pawed across today talks about how important it is for humans to keep a dog's routines while introducing the new bundle of joy into the household. I know Mom and Mr. Food Boy have been talking about routines a lot just in preparation of company.

"Mauly really needs a walk in the morning," Mr. Food Boy said. The extra walk will help keep her high energy in check (they hope). Otherwise, she might be a jumping, shedding beast.

"Yes, I'll walk her in the mornings," Mom promised. I heard her, so if Mom tries to back out of the arrangement, I'm telling Mr. Food Boy.

I love my Mom, but Mr. Food Boy has been kind enough to take me on evening walks in recent weeks. I'm loyal to him when it comes to walks. On other issues, I'm a little squirrelly if Mom is in the room. No point in lying about it.

The best news I read in the article about babies is a reminder that dogs (that's Mauly and me) shouldn't be punished or banished from a room when a baby arrives. That just gives us more reason to be jealous. Make us part of the experience by letting us sniff the baby's stuff and getting us used to a baby's scent.

When Mom's friend Julie and her boyfriend Mark came for a visit, we behaved OK. Granted we jumped a little too much and we probably licked them a little too much. Heck, we probably rubbed, leaned and sat on them too much.

Mauly and I like to think of ourselves as a friendly pack. We welcome all human creatures into our pack -- big ones and little ones. Of course, we might sniff them, lick them and (I'll be honest sometimes, I get excited and pee on their feet.

Introduce us slowly to a baby (or new people for that matter) and we're just fine. Of course, rule No. 1. NEVER, NEVER leave us alone in a room with the baby. That's just common sense.

Who? Me? I wouldn't do that -- at least not on purpose

The news is terrible. Forget Mom and her yells about the stock market, this is serious news. A new study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that pets -- like me and Mauly -- are responsible for more than 86,000 falls in the United States each year.

The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said that 88 percent of the falls were caused by dogs and 11.7 percent were caused by cats. Mom read me part of the report. She highlighted the fact that half the injuries were from falling or tripping or being pushed or pulled.

Woof. Very interesting. I don't think humans should blame their dogs for these falls and trips. It's certainly not the innocent pets fault. Sure, I know Mom broke her glasses last year, when I shot between the couch and the end table. I was honestly trying to avoid going to bed in my crate. I just wanted to stay up a little longer. And, let's be honest, she didn't have to chase me. If she hadn't, her glasses would have remained intact.

Sure, Mauly and I both do it. Mr. Food Boy is busy in the kitchen and we decide to plop down on the rug by the sink, right where he wants to go. Sure, we're in the way, but we would never hurt him -- at least not on purpose.

Those balls that Mom can't seem to keep tucked away in that basket, they aren't intended to trip anyone. They are just handy, if and when we decide to plop down and chew on them.

Our early morning jumps aren't intended to cause Mom any harm. We're just happy to be awake and ready for a new day. Granted I look more like I'm bowing as I stretch and stretch first thing in the morning. Mauly looks like like she's hopping on a Pogo Stick as she jumps and jumps up with excitement. She's always ready to go outside.

While our family has avoided injury, the new report comes out right at the time Mom has been providing daily lectures. "When the family arrives, you have to behave. When I say, 'Down, you have to do it.'"

We are having both Mom's Family and Mr. Food Boy's Family visit in April. Mom is trying to get us prepared for the reality of visitors. She and Mr. Food Boy want us to remember our K-9 training.

• No jumping.
• No couch. Mauly will be moved to her ottoman and I will be lucky to get a willing lap when the family members arrive.
• Be gentle. We have young children (Rosa and Scott) visiting us and older people (our human grandparents, who are in various stages of recovery from surgery and discovery -- meaning we're not sure what the diagnosis is yet.

We're all excited about having guests in Del Rio. Family makes everyone happy and travel helps the economy, right? This has to be good. It's also nice to show family members a little piece of the neighborhood.

Mauly and I can't wait to show everyone all the animals we see during our nightly walks. There are eating goats, galloping horses, standing cows, barking dogs, singing birds and sitting rabbits. The deer are everywhere, so I'm not sure they count. Mauly likes to point -- it's a hunting technique used for birds -- at Cow, her friend and at the goats. I like to chase bunny rabbits and bark ferociously at other dogs. Mom scolds me for it, but the other dogs started it.

We'll be on our best behavior. Cross our paws over our hearts. Mom has already told us there will be trouble, if we misbehave (which typically means it's time out in the crate).