doggy day care...

So, I got a job at RUFF house doggy day care a few weeks ago, (www.utahruffhouse.com) but it's been so slow that I had only worked once. So, today when my dad took me to get the suburban safety inspected, and were gonna go for a walk while waiting, I brought Poli. We were right by my work, so I took him there. I also wanted to see if I could come in, and I wanted to ask if i was allowed to bring my dog to work. Something you should know is that even though I try to train Poli and make him AWESOME, he's got some problems. Other dogs would be one of them. He is terrified. It's so stupid, but that's Poli. So I walked him over to RUFF House and said "hi" to my boss etc. She had me bring Poli back and he went crazy. He ran as fast as he could away from the other dogs and whinned the whole time. She told me to ignore him because I'm his owner and it would help teach him how to behave... Basically he did badly, and pooed, and stayed right by me, but Terra told me to bring him to work every time and he'd get better (I'm going in again tomorrow at 3). So, three problems solved: Poli will get the socialization he NEEDS, I can bring him to work, and I am going to work!!!! Yay! Another reason to love this twelfth of February...

HOORAY

One year ago today I drove with my parents and sister to pick up my brand new puppy. He was perfect. Although it was a rough week or two teaching Napoleon not to whine in his kennel and then to not pee in my room at night when he slept on my bed, it has all definitely been worth it! I have noticed, and I've talked to my family about it, but having a dog completely changes me. I am all around happier and I have someone to distract. I have always known I would be a dog person, and I thank my Heavenly Father for one of the best blessings I have. Although I'm allergic to many things, dogs have never been one. There was a time when I thought I may have dog allergies, but it was just grass. I have worked with MANY dogs the past year and can say with all confidence that I am not allergic, and I am definitely meant to handle dogs. Poli is the greatest blessing in my life, and I love him so much. Thank you Mom and Dad for giving him to me, and thank you everyone else for dealing with my ranting and crazyness about my dog.
And now, without further adu... Poli as a rug... or, at least he looked like a bear rug and I thought it was funny so here it is:

This is where Poli decided that the couch wasn't enough, or a pillow on the floor. He actually moved the pillow into position to lie down on it on the couch. He certainly seemed content. Happy aniversary!

biology...

I had a big biology test yesterday that was all free response, and misspelling lost you points. It was incredibly nerve-wracking. Today in Biology we went on to the Phylum Annelida...worms My favorite was when we learned about the class Polychaeta. They look like this: These suckers are generally 1.6 meters, but can be about 3 meters long... The picture he showed us in class looked fake. That thing looked like the perfect monster. All I could think of the whole class period was "Tremors." Remember that movie? Yeah, I barely remember it, but that's all that I could think of;)Now I really want to watch that movie!!!

crazy dog

so, last night, when I about ready to go to bed last night, I found Napoleon lying on top of Lindsey in my dad's office. He was chewing on his "bone" and loving it. I grabbed it and he started jumping on Linz. so funny. we decided to film it (even if we couldn't capture his initial crazed energy).







So I've been looking into therapy dogs: dogs and handlers that go to hospitals or rest homes etc. and help the patients. I really want to do it, but I highly doubt that Poli could ever do it. I'm rather upset about it.

On another note, last semester my family not only went to Boston for my nephew's baptism without me, but my closest cousins went on a cruise. I didn't go on either incredible trip because I had no money, I had school, and I was (am) trying to keep my scholarship - yeah, like that's gonna happen. Now, my parents, and sister, cousin, and maybe brother, are going on a Mediterranean cruise(yeah, one of my dream vacations). I would like to go, but I don't have the money, and I'm strangely practical for a college student; I don't see the point of going when I could use that money to do a number of other things(including buying another dog), but I don't have money anyway... so that's my sob story even though it's not really sad at all.

long celebration and explanation

I have loved dogs all my life. I always wanted to be a vet, and now I am actually planning on it. I worked at petco grooming, and now a doggy day-care just south of my home. I am one of those people who get almost depressed when I don't have a dog. It's silly, but absolutely true. I know how I've felt with and without owning a dog, and the difference is startling. Basically, dogs are a MAJOR part of my life.
Now Napoleon is my pride and joy, but I have always wanted a wolf or husky, (I read at least two wolf books a day in Elementary school) and about a year ago I discovered that they made it legal to own a wolf-hybrid without special training. I was in love, but, of course, my mother didn't want a dog 'cause I was a bad owner as a kid(she had to do alot). Also, She, and my uncle who comes over every week, is allergic to dogs.
This is where it gets interesting. I have spent so much time the past few years on dog cites that I've decided on my favorite ones and their order. They are the cites I use to learn about breeds and available dogs 'cause I have this ridiculous notion that if I let myself look at available dogs, it'll bake me feel like I get one... Anyway... last February I had MORP (well, I planned it with NHS, but didn't go) and basically threw a party at my house for my friends that werent' going. (February 9th) none showed...it was a whole mess of mis-communication. On Monday the 11th, I had my first tutoring session with a girl in elementary school. My dad walked in and told me he actually got my mom into a pet store that day. She had fallen in love with the puppy bichons. My tutoree and I spent a long time talking about dogs,a nd she agreed it stank that I didnt' have one(she had 2)
That night my dad more or less said, "Heather, Mom decided that you can get a Bichon Frise." we looked online for hours and finally found a litter of puppies at 7 weeks. My dad called her and and made an appointment to get a puppy the next day. That night we went to petco and purchased dog stuff. When I went to bed I couldn't sleep. My heart was going CRAZY! Longest night of my life...
We drove out to Colorado the next day and met her halfway. My sister Linz, of course, came with us to get my pup. She was gonna help, but it was really my decision. On the way we thought of names. Rambo, Prince, Princeton, and I think Frenchie were our ideas. Then we stopped to get drinks and realized my brother Spencer didn't know about this... we let him know and he or my sister suggestede Napoleon. I debated between that and Prince, but I would decide when I chose my dog. We bought a towel just before meeting the breeder, pups, and husband in a parking lot. Linz got out and she let us see the 5 boys in a open carrier in her car. One adorable one had pink on his nose and just jumped right up to lick us. He was also the biggest(to me, the bigger the dog, the better) I fell in love, but wanted to check them all out. Linz and I checked out like one more, but both were in love with that first one.
He was a Napoleon, we decided in the car, because it was cute, we could call him poli for short (names with a y sound at the end are supposed to be better in teaching dogs - yes I've done way too much research.) It was a VERY good thing we baught the towel, 'cause the poor thing threw up many times - hour long road-trip in the windy mountains. We got home and got him settled in my room (another life-time dream, having my dog sleep in my room which was now possible with a hypoallergenic dog.)
So I hope we can all understand that I need and love Poli. On the 12th we celebrate Poli coming into my life! yay!
I say all this not only to celebrate poli, but to show that I still love him even with my fascination. A fascination with Native American Indian Dogs: wolf-like, hypoallergenic, calm, huge, almost no grooming, quiet, kind, and basically my dream dog. I found them on a dog cite(puppyfind.com) and want one, for me and so poli can have a buddy. It's not that I don't LOVE Napoleon, it's that I'm a freakish dog person that pretty much devotes her day to dogs and would love a NAID to go along with her Bichon...
the end

You'll just have to ignore the creepy eyes... the pictures were taken with a regular camera with a flash


So, Poli took his two favorite toys and combined them yesterday... He hung his bear with his frizbee. No, we had nothing to do with it, it was all his doing