Toby's got a girlfriend, Toby's got a girlfriend, nah-nah-nah-nah-nah, Toby's got a girlfriend~:)

Hi everybody! This is Toby. I was at daycare all day today and boy! did I have fun. I have a special friend there. Her name is Mia and she's a Dachshund like me. Did I tell you, I like other wienerdogs like me? And Mia is really nice and fun to play with. I'm soooo sleepy now and it's still light out and Mommy is going to walk us later so I think I'll take a little nap. I drank tons of water when I got home (I don't like drinking water or eating when big dogs are around) and ate my dinner and now (yawn) I think I'm going to tell Mommy to turn on Animal Planet so I can catch some zzzzz's. Latah!

I taught Mommy a game tonight! I bring her the tennis ball and she throws it! She caught on pretty quick, too. Xan and Toby didn't teach her the tennis ball trick, I did, Miss Willow Beagle. Tomorrow I go to daycare, yeaahhhhhhh! I love daycare! Mommy is going to a J-O-B. Well, I'm sooo sleepy, it's bedtime here. Good night!

Oh boy oh boy, I am a GRADUATE of Puppy 2!!!!! Yuppers, I have a diploma to show that next I'll be in a Grown Up Dog class. I know "Sit" and "Down" and "Stay" and I walk nicely beside Mommy on a leash and I come when she calls me. I LOVE school. The teacher is sooo nice and the other kids are fun and I have Mommy all to myself. I can't WAIT until classes start again! Here's a picture of my Puppy 2 class, with our teacher holding me, and Buddy and his mommy and Maggie and her daddy. I hope they're in the next class too.

We went to the dog park and met our friends. We really love the dog park here in Appleton. First we take Mommy for a long walk on the trails. We have a lot of fun doing that, even if Mommy is kind of slow and we have to keep coming back to make sure she's keeping up. I smelled so many dogs! My Beagle-nose is better even than Toby's long Dachshund nose, and way better than Xander's Spaniel nose. After we go around the whole trail, we go to the Small Dog Area. That's a small area where dogs can take their Mommies. There are tables and benches for us to put the humans, so we know they're not going to wander off and get lost while we play with our friends. Great idea, huh? Otherwise, we'd have to keep a closer eye on them, but in the Small Dog Area it's all fenced in so Mommies can't get lost or wander off while we play.

I have a lot of friends. At daycare and at the park, Mommy says I'm her bestest friend-maker. I get along with all the dogs.

Little Toby and I played outside all day Sunday too. We rode a long way in our crate in the van - sure was glad it was air-conditioned and big, because I don't like the car with all those windows. When I see other cars whizzing past, and bicycles, and worst of all motor-cycles, I bark at them! When we got done with our ride, we were at another house far away. Mommy had work to do in the house, but there was a BIG fenced in yard where we could play. We played and played, and I sunbathed (sure do like the feeling of sunshine on my tummy and grass under my back when I roll around on the lawn!) and we got soooo tired we ASKED Mommy if we could come in the house, and took naps, and then went outside to play some more.

This afternoon Mommy and Toby and I took naps in the big chair. I like having Mommy home during the day! But I know she's sad and worried so I hope she finds another J-O-B soon, even if it means Toby and I can't run and play during the day.

Byyyyeeee for now,

Willow Beagle

Good morning everyone! Rrrrrroooof I feel good today. Daycare yesterday- boy, am I liking THAT. Wasn't too sure at first - lots of big dogs, Willow running off and playing with her friends - but now it's greeeaat! We go to the Ruff House in Neenah, Wisconsin. It's really nice there. The people all know Willow and me and Mommy, and there are lots of nice little dogs to play with all day. Sometimes we take naps and I curl up with Will on a fluffy pillow, just like at home. Other times we run and play outside in the big yard.

This morning when Mommy and I were cuddling in bed, we saw a dog who looked just like me on the TV. Mommy thinks it's funny when I see dogs on TV but I don't know why - I can recognize dogs on the TV without hearing them bark. This dog was a Dachshund like me, only he has a little car-thing with wheels. Mommy said "awwww" as if it was sad but I just thought it looked cool. He (or she) sure can get around, and I bet he'd be fun to play with too. He sure didn't look sad. His mommy wrote a book about him called "Frankie the Walk and Roll Dog" and they are going to be at a bookstore in De Pere today. I sure wish I could meet him. Mommy said she might drive up and get the book and meet Frankie for me. Maybe she'll let me go too. Here's his blog.

We graduate from puppy school next week. Maggie and Buddy are in my class. Maggie is the St. Bernard I told you about. She sure was pretty last night. She seems to like me...hmmmm....who SAYS size matters? I'm verrry handsome, everyone says so.

Well, gotta run, Mommy's going to turn on Animal Planet while she runs her errands, but first I have to go to the shower with her. I curl up on the fluffy rug while Mommy stands in the inside-rainwater-thing and washes the fur on her head. Pssss....Mommy doesn't have fur, only skin. That sure looks funny. No wonder she wears clothes. I just wish she wouldn't make us wear clothes - I don't want to cover up this beautiful black and brown fur of mine!

See ya!

Toby Von Dachshund

Wow, I saw the biggest water EVER! It was ALIVE! At least, it kept coming towards us, trying to lap at our paws. It was called "Lake Michigan". I didn't let it get ME wet, and I pulled at Mommy so it wouldn't get her either. She sat right down on the sand and put her feet in it. Humans sure aren't too smart sometimes.

The sand was really neat for digging. I got some major holes in before we left. I mean BIG ONES.

Last night we went down to our big water - I thought Lake Winnebago was big until we went to see Lake Michigan on Sunday. At first I didn't want to get my paws wet - this beautiful long fur isn't easy to keep stylin' - but some other guys were there and we started playing chase and before I knew it I was in the water. Up to my chest! Man, those dogs could swim. They were all Labs - a fine looking blond lady, her black Lab brother, and two chocolate labs. One of the brown ones - I think his name was Brody - was AMAZING, he swam so far out to fetch his tennis ball and then back in. Maybe next time I'll try swimming a little.

Well time for our evening walk, I think. It's been so hot and humid I haven't felt like going far and neither has Mom. We wait until it's almost dark so the sidewalk isn't hot on our paws but still, between being hot and those nasty mosquitoes, I've been slacking off and Mommy needs the exercise.

See ya!

Xander Spaniel

Hey, everybody, Xander here. Boy, this "4th of July" business sure isn't for dogs. Last night we heard the explosion-gunshots-big bangs every few minutes and it was only the 3rd of July. Tonight Mom's giving us the valerian herbal stuff in the blue glass bottle, especially Will, so we don't get too nervous. Me, I'm cool - I was only walking around carrying my Teddy in case the pups needed him. But Will and little Toby were hunkered down next to Mommy all evening.

Mom and I went for a walk last night, just the two of us. We live in a town called Neenah, in Wisconsin, and overall it's okay. They let dogs in all the parks and that's nice. If you ask me, they should keep KIDS out of parks. I never saw a dog spray paint bad words on buildings or smash up the toilets in a public bathroom, or light off firecrackers, or any of the other stuff KIDS do in parks. Well, anyway, Neenah also has "bike lanes" on all the streets. Last night Mommy and I were walking down the sidewalk, and three big people came riding towards us on bikes. They didn't go into the bike lane at all, just aimed right for us. I kept my cool until they came RIGHT next to us and then I barked once, to tell them to watch out. One of them YELLED at Mommy and me. Mommy told them to use the bike lane, and one said "train your dog." Hehe, Mommy yelled back, "why? he's already smarter than you - HE isn't walking in YOUR bike lane." I'd show them, yes I would - they think they can hollar at Mommy because I'm a Cocker Spaniel??!! I hope there are a whole PACK of pitbulls next time they hollar at someone's Mommy!

Last year Mommy took me down to the park, and all the people petted me and talked to me. I love that! I wonder if she will again this year. The big sky-fireworks really don't scare me - it's the ones kids drop or throw right next to you that kinda freak me out.

Well, everyone, have a great summer weekend. I'm gonna do one of my favorite things - take a nap in the sun on my back, so my tummy gets all warm and aired out. See ya!

Hi! This is Toby the BIG DOG. I had an ad-ven-ture today. I stayed outside in the yard ALONE. Not just to play or go weewee but...stayed.outside.alone. I was brave, I was. I barked at the birds and barked at the noises and barked at all the BIG SCARY THINGS all around and played all alone with the ball without Xander taking it away. I heard Mommy leave in the car thing. She's NEVER gone away in the car thing with ANY of us in the yard, and she's NEVER left me alone without Xan. So I tried to peek out of the gate, and then I tried to squeeze through it. I tried to open the door too, I scratched and scratched. And then I laid down in the grass. I didn't cry, nope, nosirree, not me, I'm a big boy, I just laid down like a fierce big dog. And I wasn't scared, and I wasn't sad and I didn't miss Willow and even cranky Xander and didn't miss Mommy, nope, nope, nope.
I must have slept because when I woke up I heard Mommy's car thing coming back, and I heard Mommy go in the front door and heard Willow, silly Willow, yipping and yapping. I think she was trying to TELL Mommy, I do. But instead of coming outside, Mommy started CALLING ME. I heard her "Where's Toby? Toby! Toby!! TOBY!!!?" and some other stuff and Mommy sounded SCARED. I didn't know big humans get scared. I wanted to tell her "Mommy, I'm out here" but she wouldn't have heard me. Boy, did she run around in that house, yes she did, oh yes. Finalllllly the back door opened and Willow and Xan came out and Mommy saw me and scooped me up and I let her cuz I already proved what a big fierce guard dog I am so I pretended I was a little puppy-boy again for Mommy. She hugged me so tight and kept saying "sorry...oh my God poor little Toby oh you poor baby, you big brave boy, oh my god how could I..."and all kinds of words and I licked Mommy's face and let her hold me and even stayed in her lap when she sat down, like I was a BABY. That's okay. I know I'm brave enough to be a big dog now, but I sure don't ever want to be alone again, and it sure was good to feel Mommy hold me and see silly Willow and Xan and even the CATS again.

PS...Mommy fed me summer sausage!!! All for me!!! And kept calling me "poor little Toby" and "you brave boy".

That was my ad-ven-ture!

Toby

Oh boy oh boy oh boy I went to the vet last night. I love their treats! Everyone is so nice too! And the smells! I saw a sleepy tired white doggie who didn't bark back, and a weiner dog like Toby with his tail bandaged and a bigger white dog who didn't bark back either and a little Sheltie dog who did. And I got treats, lots and lots of treats, and did my down-stays (I can bark and wag my tail when I'm laying down too, and I get treats and Mommy says "good girl" anyway!) And a nice doctor came in and petted me and gave me more treats. I really liked him. He said I have a "sweet face" and "kind eyes". Mommy liked that too - she likes people who like us. Then I got hugged by Mommy and poked by a lady who gave me MORE treats and Mommy said I was a REALLY good brave girl. The boys don't like going to the vet very much - I remember when Toby came home wearing a funny plastic collar and without those little-boy parts and he was sad a little bit so I was sad too but then he forgot about it I think, and he still pees like a little boy and has a big deep BARK and I told him Xander comes home without his FUR when Mommy takes him to daycare and even without his tail once but that was before we knew him and as long as I still have my TAIL that's all good because I wag my tail a LOT to show I'm a happy little girl.

Mommy's home today. She didn't take a shower and get dressed up in her going-away-and-leaving-us clothes so maybe we'll do something fun today instead.

Bye!

Miss Willow Beagle