Creature comforts

Brie knows that the only place a poodle should rest is on a nice comfy bed. And in order to feel comfortable on a nice bed a poodle requires certain items. These items include raw hide chews, soft toys and maybe something to eat, like a marrowbone treat. What Brie doesn't realise is that waking up to cold, wet, chewed up bits of raw hide and suspicious crumb patches (that Brie has tried to hide by licking up) isn't very nice. I know it's you Brie so you can stop pretending you're innocent!

On her own

Brie is very good at staying in. Before she joined our family I read up on how to raise a dog who is comfortable on it's own at home when the owner leaves. So we trained her from a young age and she seems to take care of herself when we are not there.

Even when we are not there we can usually tell what Brie has being up to on her own. This is not because I set up a Brie-cam at home (I'm not that over protective of Brie) but she leaves trails and these can be spotted with keen eyes.

When I arrive home I am usually greeted with a sprinkle of toys and raw hide chews that Brie has been attending to around the house. Also, on the bed or the couch she leaves footprints and a bum crater. Usually a bum crater is accompanied by wet raw hide and is found in the middle of the bed along with pillows and cushions. I think that while we are gone she is lounging around in the center of the bed enjoying the luxury of having the bed all to herself.

Brie's way of appreciation

Brie loves parcels and letters arriving, she always has to investigate them using all her senses. She considers letters a little less exciting as she never received an eatable letter. The most recent parcel that arrived contained a little cushion for Brie amongst other non-Brie related things. As soon as she spotted a fluffy pink Brie-sized cushion she loved it and decided to carry it around everywhere.However later she decided to maul the cushion instead of cuddling up to it. I guess she figured that was more fun. Oh well, Brie seemed like the cushion very much.Especially the ribbons. Who can blame her, all the girls like ribbons, but I'm not sure if other girls would chew on them.

Beef ribs

When there is nobody around the house to play with Brie needs entertainment while she guards the house. So we have been giving her a beef rib to chew on during the day. This turned out to be a very effect method of keeping her mind occupied. A little too effective even, as once we have given her the rib, she runs off, only to return a few minutes later to check if we have gone and it's safe to chew it in the lounge. She even gets excited when she sees us getting ready to leave, instead of being sad. I thought you loved us more than ribs Brie!

Grim day

After last night's black out I'm convinced that our location has more power cuts than the rest of Auckland. The only source of entertainment in our house without power is Brie, so she got reluctantly trained under candlelight. This gave her a new challenge - find fallen treat in the dark.

This morning I was recovering from the flu and feeling pretty rotten in the bed. When Brie got up and snuggled up beside me I was overwhelmed with Brie's affection and her concern that my eyes where watering, well, the only thing watering was my nose, but they could have been. While I was pondering how fortunate I was to have Brie to cheer me up, she twisted and rolled onto her back!?... then I realised that she just wanted a tummy rub.It ok, I know you just have an unconventional way of expressing your concern, I know.

Huge relief

Last night we had a message from Coco's family that she had been hit by a car. Apparently the gate unlocked in the strong wind. This was a huge cause of concern for us and we were very worried about her.

Luckily, she is not too badly hurt, some bruising and scratching, and a chipped canine. She had a day of thorough check ups and the vet has confirmed that she has not even a single bone broken. Brie, I think your friend Coco is either a super dog or just a very lucky dog. Either way she is recovering in the comfort of her home. Get well soon, we'll be visiting as soon as you get better.

Coco during intense chewing. She can't get enough of her bone (pre-accident).

Meet Coco

Since the last entry about Coco didn't even capture a hint of Coco-ness this is a long over due follow up to gain her some fans. She is my friend's 4 year old golden retriever and is a very dog-like dog (unlike Brie). She loves dogs, bones and running around.

A while back we took Brie to meet her in the hope that some of her dogginess will rub off on Brie. This idea was as far away from reality as possible. Just like I thought, Coco was ecstatic about Brie and she wanted a sniff, but Brie on the other hand was a bit frightened of the friendly welcoming and she decided to curl up on my husband's knee. Poor Coco. I hope she isn't traumatised by poodles. Hopefully one day they can share amicable doggie greetings.