You Went On Vacation And So Did I

Lucca

2009-02-21T10:21:00.003+01:00

Lucca was here with us for a few days this week. All I know to say is that she is as pleasant as they come, wags constantly, and if she was a person she would walk around all day with a big smile on her face. Like other labs she stays with us perfectly on walks. She went on one snowshoe expedition with Bernd, Uben and Jazzie and all three came home exhausted. I like it when they pass out cold from good old healthy clean Bavarian air and snow. Come again anytime Lucca. We are your new fans.

Linda

2009-02-21T00:21:00.002+01:00

Linda was my friend Rosie's little dog. She was very sweet, very pampered, and very loved. This picture was taken at my friend Kamalika's house where Linda used to go for day care while her mom worked. She died somewhat unexpectedly last year and I wanted to post this just to remember her. I'm partial to spaniels especially little cute ones, but she was so perfect that to me she almost did not seem real. But real she was. Little Linda, rest in peace. We will always remember you tearing around our backyard like a wild woman! I know you are missed by your mom and dad and you will always be in their hearts.

Jazzie

2009-02-20T22:57:00.006+01:00

This chick likes to just sit around out in the snow. Go figure!

And then this boy prefers to run....well, when he's not dozing on pillows:

Why we love and miss Boudreaux.....

2009-02-17T20:18:00.004+01:00

This face says it all........

Dari's dogs

2009-01-29T08:22:00.002+01:00

My friend in Los Angeles lives with these 2 guys, Tim and Devil Dog. Really I just don't know what the small one's name is! I think they are very cute. I knew 2 dogs from her past, Frank and Maxine who I thought had really excellent names. Rest in peace you guys.

Uben and Rosie

2009-01-24T21:20:00.002+01:00

Uben and Rosie out for a little morning exercise.

Rosie from England

2009-01-24T21:15:00.002+01:00

This sweet girl was here a couple of weeks ago. She was new to us but did very well here. She's 11 (I think) but being a Jack Russell she's still very BUSY! She was great with Uben, liked hiking around in the fields, and was a good girl all the way around.

Her mom told the story that when they lived in England she used to wait by the door for the mailman to come and put the mail through the slot..and she would attack the mail! This has resulted in some of her dental problems because she attacked with such vigor that I think she knocked out some teeth and did some serious bleeding. I think those days have ended because we surely did not see this kill the mailman side of her. She was very sweet and we hope we get to see her again.

Sasha, Lucky and Uben in January

2009-01-24T11:14:00.006+01:00

Sasha sittin' pretty in the Cool-a-Roo bed. She is wishing her mom would buy her one hee hee.

Little Lucky our neighbor's dog. He's nice but snarly when the others jump on his head! He's not really mean but saying "HEY! I'm little, watch out you big dudes!"

This is clearly not a guest here but the head of our household.

Shelby aka Shell

2009-01-13T21:31:00.004+01:00

Shelby is our friend's dog. She lives mostly in Maine and is the prettiest red golden I think I've ever seen. Her mom writes e mails about her chasing squirrels and chipmunks and she has a best friend in her neighborhood. She is trained as a hearing dog for her mom. I've never seen her in action but I'd bet my bottom dollar that she sees and hears EVERYTHING! Here is a better picture of her than the one below that we took in California last year......

We heart you Shell.

Auntie Susan and Uncle Bernd

Fa la la la la la la la la

2009-01-06T11:07:00.002+01:00

And another good thing about dogs.....

2009-01-05T22:18:00.004+01:00

Have you ever dragged out of bed in the morning after being kind of smooshed against your pillow, looked in the mirror and amazed yourself with how bad your hair looked? I had the worst bed hair-do of my life last week and I really expected that the dog would say something about how bad I looked...but no. The boy never says a word, never acts like he notices, still just wants that morning pig's ear and then wants out to run around in the yard and carry on with his day as if I looked more normal.

Sunny and Uben

2008-12-28T08:52:00.001+01:00

I love this picture! Uben looks so clueless that his friend is about to land on top of him.

Uben and some neighbor friends

2008-12-28T08:26:00.001+01:00

Grazin' in the grass is a gas....

The locals

Sasha aka Sashie

2008-12-28T08:19:00.003+01:00

I would have to declare that this girl is pretty much doggie perfection. She's smart, well behaved, and more responsive than my own dog. She LOVES to play with her buddy Uben. Another dog joined us yesterday and I think she's quite concerned about her place in the pecking order and she half-heartedly snapped at the other dog, but in Sasha's case this is more like she gummed the other dog. She loves the other dogs in the neighborhood and seems especially smitten with one particular beagle. Her mom should be proud of what a good dog she is.

Daisy

2008-12-28T08:16:00.002+01:00

Daisy is my relative dog. She belongs to my brother's family in Indiana but really her heart belongs to my sister-in-law. She's protective of the family and has a little crib deal that she stays in when the family is not at home. She goes into her little space happily because it is full of toys and blankets and pillows for her comfort. I think she is very cute. My niece Abby thinks she likes only pink but we got her a red collar in September which I think looks better with her salt and pepper coat

Jazzie

2008-12-28T08:09:00.005+01:00

Jazzie's family is on the move in a big way, so she's become maybe our most frequent guest. She's used to being here now and adapts quickly. She's always pleasant, gets along with others, is somewhat stubborn (or maybe just determined!), always has something in her mouth that she's retrieving (shoes, boots, pillows), and she LOVES to swim. No matter what the weather is she throws herself into the water. Temperature does not seem to matter. She's a good girl who loves the sound of her voice and barks just for the joy of barking. Uben desperately want her to play with him and every once in awhile she gives in and accomodates the boy. He's more attached to her than he lets on at times because when another male in the 'hood showed interest in her he got pretty upset and barked at the other dog to leave her alone!

Annie V.

2008-12-28T08:06:00.002+01:00

Annie was here I think in August. She's a sweet girl who seemed to like to pose for the pictures. She liked participating in everything going on here, and I did a pretty bad job at keeping her brushed. She always had twigs and leaves hanging from her coat and a couple of times I had to get the scissors. She was a very good girl.

Jessie S.

2008-12-28T08:02:00.003+01:00

Jessie comes once a year in August when her family goes on vacation. She was much less fearful this year and got right into the swing of things, including trying to steal dad from Uben. Uben is willing to share his dad to a point. She barked her head off and protected us from all people walking down the street at all times. We love this little brown girl.....

The passing of a perfect dog

2008-11-10T11:01:00.004+01:00

Being in the dog sitting business for the past few years, it is inevitable that dogs are going to die. It is always sad, but thankfully it is not as bad as if it were your own dog. Yesterday we got a note from the parents of our best customer, Terrapin, that she passed away on Nov. 7th. Terrapin's family had to do a lot of traveling when they were here in Germany, and she sometimes would come and stay with us for months at a time. She was always a joy to have around because she understood everything, was always ready to get out and walk or SWIM or EAT!!! She was perfect with our boy Uben though he bugged her almost incessantly to play with him. Every once in awhile she'd give in and humor him with a swat or a moan or would roll over on her back and let him put his mouth in hers. She went on vacation with us to the South of France, and at least in our own minds we became her dog grandparents. If you are prone to love dogs Terrapin was irresistible. To hear that she has passed is almost as bad for me as if she were our own. We loved you old girl, we were always happy to have you here, and I hope the time your spent with us made being away from your family a little easier than it would have otherwise been. Rest in peace and eat until you don't want anything more.

Me and my pals Felix, Moritz and Valentin

2008-08-07T08:20:00.003+02:00

Last weekend on a sunny day in the yard

The boys tucked me in for the night. I was hot after about 5 minutes.

Camping with the dudes

2008-08-07T08:16:00.003+02:00

I went camping in the back yard recently with my dad and Felix and Moritz. The real truth of the matter is that we only camped for about 30 minutes because of a thunderstorm. I went back in the house before the rest of the guys did because I needed to make sure that my mom was all protected from the storm!

Uben in France on vacation

2008-08-07T08:11:00.004+02:00

Very handsome

Life is tough here and I'm hot and tired

Home again in Germany but thinking about my summer vacation
This photo could be called Uben Parkbench

The Odd Couple

2008-08-07T08:04:00.003+02:00

These 2 fellows (Oscar the pug and Stanley the maltese) came to stay for a weekend recently. They were very well behaved and seemed to have a pretty good time. They took a dip in the fishpond without me knowing it and I almost had a heart attack when I could not find them. Bernd finally found them floating side by side in the midst of the water lillies. They did not seem to have been in any distress and were just laying in the pond floating. Overall they were sweet and very entertaining!

Our summer vacation

2008-05-24T20:53:00.004+02:00

We just got back from 3 wonderful funderful weeks in the United States of America. We were in Chicago, Indianapolis, East Tennessee, Chicago again, Seattle, Vancouver, Olympia, Cannon Beach and Bend Oregon, Sacramento and Claremont, a suburb of Los Angeles. Along the way here are the fur people we encountered. Thank goodness for the dogs since we badly missed our own pup who was at home with his very cute dogsitter.

Dixie and Riley, Sacramento

Brandy, Vancouver, B.C.

Dixie the leaping wonder dog

Mr. Riley

Shelby, Camden, Maine but wintering in California

Harrison, Sacramento

Willi

2008-05-24T20:49:00.003+02:00

Little Willinger has been here for a bit. He's as cute as ever and Uben is his leader and big hero. He acts vicious toward cats but his dad says he'll do nothing if the cat stands still. Big brave Uben is the same. They have had fun in the past week running around together, keeping cats out of the yard, and fighting over toys and sticks. They get along well for the most part, the only problem being my dog (uggh) now and then. I think he's having problems with smaller males who are not neutered. Bummer.

Jazzie

2008-04-20T16:17:00.002+02:00

Jazzie was just here again for the weekend, and we've never exactly been amused with a dog like we were with her in the past few days. She was long ago spayed, but there is something not quite right with the girl and she seems to think she is in heat and for sure smells like she is to the boys in the 'hood. She pestered Uben to help her out with this and he gave it the old college try, but then remember that he's neutered and really could not complete the task.
I've never lived with a female in heat before (or in fake heat like in this case) so I found myself totally surprised and amused at what a little trampette the Jazz girl was. She clearly had sex on the brain and was clear about this with every boy that she met. She's kind of popular around here at the moment. The really excellent thing about this from our point of view was that she was a terrific companion for Uben the past few days, went everywhere with him, licked his ears until he was hoping she'd stop, but most importantly, she played like a puppy with him. He was loving this turn of events and was happy to tolerate the ear licking because when she got done she would chase him and this is one of his favorite things.
Come back soon Jazz, we miss your company except for the part where we now know where our shoes are!

My life is a constant struggle

2008-04-06T22:09:00.003+02:00

Mr. Spoiled Dude in France this year. He's exhausted from chasing all the birds from the yard and from covering lots of ground twice a day on adventure walks. He found a sheep's head which he thought was a major treasure, and in every way had a very nice vacation while his parents painted, cleaned, and gardened. It is very hard to be the Brittany.

Jazzie, Boudreaux, and as always, Uben

2008-04-06T21:54:00.002+02:00

I have no good excuse for my lack of blogging recently....just too lazy to transfer, size and upload photos mainly. I apologize to the dogs who have been here but did not make it onto my blog. Jazzie and Boudreaux (aka Boudie, Boudielicious) have been here for the past few weeks and the photos are the proof. I was not sure how Boudie and Jazzie would get along, but after 30 seconds of checking each other out they became great pals and running mates. Neither can keep up with Uben when he's in hunting mode so they just ran together at all times. Once I saw them laying together and holding paws. Very sweet. Jazzie likes him more than she likes to let on but her wagging tail is the proof and occasionally she even broke down and played with him.

Boudie is sadly moving to Baton Rouge later in the month, and Uben will be losing his very best friend. He loves to play with this guy, and loves being Boudreaux's leader. They are a rowdy little pack of 2 at times, always soggy wet, muddy, thirsty and happy. And they share a bed at times. We will all miss Boudreaux around here. He has a great face, soulful eyes, and he tries very hard to be a good boy. We hope you have a great Louisiana future in front of you Boudreaux. None of us will ever forget you. sob.

Christmas with the dogs

2007-12-14T21:04:00.000+01:00

We have been having a wonderful time here with the dogs recently. We have not had any new dogs who have not been here before, but some of the regular cast of characters have been around....Jeda (love him), Terrapin (love her), Boudreaux (love him too) and of course, good old Uben (love him the most of all).

Jeda was just here for a couple of days, but he's just so adorable and cuddly and I love how he smells. Not everyone loves that dog smell and I don't like WET dog smell, but healthy dog smell I LOVE! I'm a new fan of Border terriers because of him. He has a good time playing with Uben and Uben likes him very much. After he had been here a couple of days Boudreaux arrived. This did not go as well as planned and since I'm not Cesar Milan with the skills to magically make them get along, we lived for one day with baby gates and rotated the dogs in and out to play with Uben in the backyard. I was a little surprised that sweet Jeda took the attitude of "I was here first and you are not really welcome to be here so LEAVE RIGHT NOW" but it all worked out in the end though I was a bit panicked in the beginning...they were both pretty vicious with the other. Terrapin and Boudreaux are here until mid-January. What can I say about Terrapin? She's perfect. Aging and seems sore but perfect. She has a big vocabulary and understands everything. She goes on the walks every day come rain or come shine, but spends a lot of her day resting and sleeping. She still loves to eat, now and then breaks into a bit of a run out in the fields, loves to have her belly rubbed, and I think really misses her family. We think she thinks about them every day and as she's been here a lot she knows they will come back for her so she waits by the front door for a portion of each day. She eventually joins the rest of us in the living room and settles in. She struggles to come upstairs every night and sleeps next to Bernd in Uben's bed. She is comfortable here and likes us but I think will be happy to go home. She is precious unless you are another dog and get too close to her food...in this case she has food issues and will not be nice about it! Otherwise she gets along perfectly with others and does not have a mean bone in her old body.

Boudreaux. If I ever write a book about the dogs the best chapter will be Boudreaux. He is young and adores his pal Uben. Whatever Uben does Boudreaux does it too. If Uben is on a leash Boudreaux does not even need to be on a leash because he stays right next to Uben. Uben seems to be ok with the adoration and they play together all day every day. The play is rowdy and noisy but they seem to be having a great time with each other. Boudreaux is so enamored with Uben that I've had the thought that if he was a kid with his own room he would have posters of Uben everywhere. I love how he pays attention to EVERYTHING, stays very focused, and really wants to behave which for a young labrador is pretty amazing....he reminds me of Marley in the book Marley and Me but he is much better behaved than Marley and tries hard to be a good boy. He stays with us perfectly on walks and he's a joy to have around. He gives me a look that seems to say "I know you are not my mom but I like you anyway and so whatever you say to do next is ok by me!"

I'll take some Christmas photos and get them posted as soon as I get over my uploading photos laziness.

Belle and Jolie

2007-10-20T11:42:00.000+02:00

Belle and Jolie arrived yesterday so I don't know them all that well yet, but they are nice little dogs and live together as sisters. Belle is 13.5 years old, very sweet, and sleeps a lot. We call her Oma. The other dogs seem to realize that she is very old and have automatic respect for her. They basically just leave her alone, though Boudreaux being our teenager of the moment does try to get a whiff every now and then. Belle is tolerant and mostly just minds her own business.

Jolie is younger and is following me everywhere. She had a bit of trouble calming down for bed last night, but there is a lot of activity here at the moment, and just a lot of dogs. Everyone went to sleep except Jolie and I heard her little nails clicking on the wooden floors until very late. She went with the boys for a walk last night, and was THRILLED to be allowed off the leash, and stayed perfectly with Bernd. He took her again this morning on the big walk, and she got to the end of the street, turned around and wanted to come home. As we had snow last night, maybe she was not really getting into the weather.

They are doing fine here, and there is now only the occasional conflict between Jolie and Boudreaux. Thank goodness Boudreaux does not seem to have a mean bone in his body and does not really want to hurt her. She can be a bit testy with him, but I think she's just putting him in his place and he seems to be accepting her limits...until the next time he has to try!

Boudreaux

2007-10-20T11:28:00.001+02:00

Boudreaux is a constant source of entertainment here. He's a really nice dude, 2 years old, and he loves playing with Uben. He watches me with that expression in the picture, and I think he tries really hard to be a good boy. He is however, all Lab, and being fairly young, he reminds me of the nice guy in 9th grade who will clearly join the football team. He's so enthusiastic around the other dogs (coming up in the next post) that the little one, Jolie who is also here, almost got lifted off the ground in his attempt to get a good whiff of her rear end. She got pretty mad at him and had to tell him repeatedly to back off. If he was the guy in high school, he would be trying to kiss all the girls.....he does not mean any harm, but he's got to get in there and give it a try. He took 2 unauthorized pees in the house and I thankfully caught him during the second one, read him the riot act and scared him so badly that he peed his way across the living room and out into the hall. We told him to knock it off and that he was on probation for the next few hours, and if he did it again I was going to have to call his parents. Thankfully the peeing stopped. He is terrific on walks in the fields and in the woods and stays with us at all times while still having some fun out there....he seemed to immediately grasp that we are his people of the moment and he stops and looks for us when he is out ahead, and never goes too far. I must say that the boy is a complete urination machine, and he and Uben are in constant competition in marking the world around here. All in all, Boudreaux is a terrific dog, we like him a lot, and it has been fun having this teenager around for a few days.

Enough said

2007-10-13T08:18:00.000+02:00

Ubes

2007-09-30T07:36:00.000+02:00

Little Uben never fails to amaze and entertain us. Last night we were standing at the end of our driveway talking to our neighbor who came along with his Malamute puppy. Now Uben knows and likes this puppy Abakus, but for some reason he barked his head off when he first saw him. He calmed down, but clearly was telling Abakus that Bernd and I belonged to him, and would get between Abakus and us whenever Abakus came to be petted. As we were talking to our neighbor and the dogs were also standing there talking to each other, Uben walked over to Bernd, raised his leg, and started to pee on Bernd's foot. We assume this was a further signal to Abakus that "this guy is my territory so back off." Bernd jumped out of the way in time to save his leg and foot from the drenching and we both ended up hysterical at this new and not so wonderful development in Uben's repetoire. The above picture was taken a few weeks ago when Bernd started working on his new office in the basement with his Brittany helper. The room is now almost finished and thankfully looks nothing like this photo!

Coney Island

2007-09-06T21:27:00.000+02:00

Our poor little dog has been through hell recently. He got hurt in France crashing through some dry bushes around the first of July and had a pretty bad wound at the base of his tail, or more correctly put, at the base of his stub. He licked it before we got home to our vet and by then it had abcessed. Oral antibiotics did not touch this wound, and it has been off and on pouring pus for 3 months now. He's spent way more than his fair share of time in a cone, and in the last 2 weeks the vet has been coming every day (thank goodness she lives 1 minute from us) and irrigating the wound with powerful antibiotics. It was looking better every day, but yesterday the irrigation seemed to really hurt at the opening of the wound, and this morning even though the wound was closed it was red and swollen and just angry looking and seemed to hurt worse than ever. Our vet Yvi took a look at it and was not happy. She said it looked like a hematoma which came out of nowhere. So she opened it up, flushed and squeezed and there was no pus but it just all looked awful. Yvi and I were both just pretty depressed. After she was finished and Uben had a treat (never has there been a dog so cooperative with this daily irrigation...he's just been amazing) I asked him to come back and sit in my lap so I could see the wound. His butt was more toward Yvi and she squeezed and felt the wound once more, and then suddenly her expression changed and she said in an excited way, "It's coming, It's coming!!!" and out came the source of all the problems of the last 3 months, a nasty old thorn. I almost started to cry just in relief. Now we think the wound has some hope of actually healing, and little Uben soon will not have to put up with daily assaults on his butt. He seems to know Yvi is trying to help him, and as soon as it is over every day he is all over her licking her and jumping on her. His daily message to Yvi is "Don't hurt me, owww that hurts, ok I still love you." It was looking like little Ubes was headed for the operating room, but thankfully we think maybe just maybe it won't be necessary. He's back in a cone for a few more days until the wound closes again, and so his name this week is Coney Island. Note the duct tape on the cone....this is from wear and tear in the past couple of months, and no cone ever slowed my dog down in a corn field! He came out one night with the cone totally torn apart, thus the duct tape. Yvi, thank you for all you did to try to fix this wound and for never giving up. Please don't send us a bill ha ha ha.

Willie aka Willinger aka William

2007-09-06T21:18:00.001+02:00

Willie is here for the second time, and I would have to say that this is one nice little Jack Russell. He for sure remembered everyone at our house and adapted to the routine here instantly. He likes Uben and Jazzy, is very well behaved on walks (especially for a dog so young), plays well with others and is just an all around pleasant little fellow. I also think he is exceptionally photogenic!

Jazzy

2007-09-06T21:08:00.001+02:00

Jazzy is the dog of our neighbors, and she is here for the first time entertaining us with good old Labrador antics. She carries everything she can find around the house (to remind us she's a retriever), and finding our shoes this past week or so has been a challenge. She also drags around her bed, her rug, and today an empty plastic bottle. She barks at the door when outside on behalf of all the dogs here when they want to come in. She stole an apple strudel from the kitchen table of my mother-in-law over the weekend and we just hung our heads because we know better than to let food sit within reach of a labrador. Bernd's grandchildren were here over the weekend and she played with these two little boys like she's an old pro with children. She cracked them up when she jumped repeatedly into our pond. She is the queen of all the hedgehog hunters around here. She does not hurt them thankfully, but wants to sit outside and stare at them after dark. She can be stubborn as a mule and sometimes looks at me with a thought bubble that says, "You are not my mom and I don't have to listen to you. Period." She's quirky in her own interesting way and she's been a lot of fun to have around.

Jessie

2007-09-06T21:04:00.000+02:00

Here are some nicer pictures of Jessie. We miss you girlie!

Jessie

2007-08-20T08:32:00.000+02:00

I’m ashamed to say that we almost did not take Jessie when she needed a place to stay on vacation. When she first came to visit she was slightly snarly with Uben, and at the time I took this as kind of a sign that maybe she would not do well here. She came for a 2nd visit, was fine with little Ubes, and I said ok to taking her. I now realize that the snarly behavior was nothing but a bit of fear. This is the most fearful dog we have ever had here, and it has been a challenge to make her feel loved and secure. We have been extremely gentle and more quiet than normal in dealing with her, and after a few days she’s staring to warm up and is slightly less fearful. We understand that she came from Greece, and had been left on a beach to drown when the tide came in. What the hell are people thinking? This is the sweetest, most eager to please dog of all time. Thankfully she now has a nice family who love her.

We were very concerned about letting her off the leash during walks because to get her on a leash in the first place was a bit of an ordeal. She would only come to my husband when he sat on the couch, so he would go through a couch sitting routine to get her hooked up to the leash before leaving. We did not want to let her off the leash because it seemed clear that she would not come back to us. While out walking yesterday she went into some bushes and when my husband pulled the leash gently toward him there was no Jessie at the end of the leash…she had somehow come unhooked. He figured that she was just gone and that he would have hell to pay with me, not to mention her owners who love her. As it turned out, she seems to grasp the whole idea of staying with the humans on walks, came to be re-leashed eventually when circumstances called for it, and has been off the leash on walks ever since. She goes wherever Uben goes, stays with him perfectly, and they are a nice little pack of 2 with Uben obviously being the leader. This works well for us since Uben knows where he is and what he’s doing (although this would not be obvious to those who do not know him as he races around like a madman looking for birds to point at and chase).

Jessie has a brand new and totally deluxe dog bed. I was schlepping it up and down the stairs daily for her so she could sleep with the rest of the family in the bedroom. This got old quickly, so I broke out an extra dog bed for her (with sides so she would feel safe) and put it in the bedroom. She has this little habit here of laying beside the dog bed for about 15 minutes before climbing in. I thought she would never get into the new upstairs bed, and I could hardly bear the fact that she was bedding down on the floor while everyone else was in a bed. Finally she slowly made her approach and slowly climbed into the new bed and made herself comfortable for the night.

It is impossible not to love a dog that is damaged but eager to please, so fearful, but so totally sweet. She is welcome here for the rest of her life and I hope she always comes. She’s so fearful that I cannot imagine that she would have to go anywhere else now that she is getting used to us. And Uben loves her too, watches out for her a bit, and loves to run around in the yard with her alternately chasing her and being chased. They play tug of war with the toys and no one ever gets rude about it….he likes it so much that he takes toys in his mouth and hits her with them so that she’ll grab the other end and play with him.

Jessie, we are so glad you came to stay with us and hope you will always come back. We will totally miss you around here when you go home.

Uben, Laika, and Smilla in the South of France

2007-06-18T07:41:00.000+02:00

We are fortunate people to have a couple of houses in the South of France, and we are here on vacation at the moment. Uben is here of course, back in his homeland, and this year we also brought along his friend Laika. On the trip here she seemed to be a little nervous…I think she was worried that her family did not know she was traveling so far away, but she’s settled in quite nicely and is totally into the spirit of vacationing. We have a nice German couple in our small house and they brought along their dog Smilla. She’s a puppy still, a 6-month-old Husky who is in love with both Uben and Laika. Uben likes her a lot but the jury is still out with Laika. Thank goodness Laika is just never, ever mean and though Smilla constantly wants to be in her face and lick her mouth, Laika just barks and tries to get away from her.

Yesterday we went to something in the next village called Transhumance where the French move their sheep from where they winter to where they summer in the mountains.
The dogs were pretty thrilled to get a look at the sheep walking down the street. Laika especially wagged her tail constantly and was all excited to watch the procession. Uben stuck out his nose and looked a little more in shock at the whole thing but also seemed to like it. It was a great big poop-fest and Uben of course liked this aspect most of all…he’s all over any opportunity for a snack.

Rufus

2007-06-05T09:17:00.001+02:00

Rufus is a young husky who is here for the first time. He's a bit nutty but gentle and nice and has playing on his mind at ALL times. He has a comfy bed here which he refuses to use, and the choice of 2 other beds, one of which is big enough for him. For some unknown reason he prefers the bed that is way too small for him (see above). He crams himself in there every night and wakes up there in some form in the morning.

Rufus is also the biggest thief I've ever encountered. All I can say is that his mom warned me, but I did not fully grasp the professional nature of his stealing. He steals everything within reach. He's helped himself to Uben's dogfood which was on the kitchen counter, dog treats from a shelf in the pantry, a rouladen that my mother-in-law had sitting on HER counter in HER kitchen for her lunch, a tupperware container of cream, and the list goes on and on. When I give the dogs a bone, Rufus puts his down and concentrates on stealing Uben's. When I tell him no he lays down on his back, tries to distract Uben with moans and groans and the offer to play, but really what he's after is the bone.

Rufus really had the full service treatment here, and had sex for the first time yesterday. Our neighbor came around with her female labrador who was not in heat, but has some kind of problem where she smells like she's in heat even though she's been spayed. She stuck her tail in the air, put her rear end in Rufus' face, and he totally rose to the occasion. We heard some yelping (Rufus) and went outside to check and they were hung up. We could not do much except laugh at them. Thankfully the female won't really be having baby Rufuses, and I hope the experience though kind of quick and interrupted, was fun for Rufus.

Also, for the first time ever we've seen a real change in Uben when he's out with Rufus. Rufus is not doing anything in particular (except not coming when called), but Uben seems to turn into Mr. Bold Delinquent just because Rufus is with him. Totally misbehaving at times, chasing everything in sight, and not responding like normal when he's called. They are a handful together.

In spite of everything we like Rufus a lot, are happy that he came, and we've done our level best to try to keep him with us. We've lost him about once every day to a rabbit or a deer or anything else that moves, but thankfully he's always come back to us.

Peekie Pants

2007-06-05T09:12:00.000+02:00

Peekie Pants was here to visit for 3 weeks. As advertised by his beloved mom, he really does want to be a good boy and tries hard to behave. He lost his mind a little bit when Rufus came (next post), but normally he's a spunky little poodle who is fun to have around. Uben loves to play with him, is sometimes a little rough with him, but he pops back up and asks for more. He's a popular dude around here.

Your dog

2007-04-11T11:16:00.000+02:00

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
-Anonymous

The latest from Misiu

2007-04-06T09:36:00.000+02:00

Dear family,
I just wanted to let you know that I'm starting to cheer up, and I've decided this place is not so bad after all. The people are nice to me, they only put me in the bathtub once, and they don't seem to mind my muddy paws. I've been talking to them more than I was, and I've found that if I hang around with them they give me treats! I went on a walk/run this morning with my best friend Uben to the Isar. We had a great time running around. Then we came home and begged for food while the people ate breakfast. Anyway, I wanted to just tell you that I miss you but I'm better than I was. Happy Easter.
Love
Misiu

Where are you guys?

2007-04-03T21:06:00.000+02:00

Dear family,
I'm still here and I really can't figure out why and I'm wondering where you guys went. Susan keeps telling me that you will come back for me, but as you know my English is not all that great and all I know is that I miss you and I'm very very sad. I'm playing with Uben a little, but even that is not the big thrill that it was at first. I'm so bummed that I'm not even really liking the walks anymore. They do not make me go when I hide from them, but Susan does make me go once a day whether I want to or not....she says something about a little bit of exercise and hopes it will make me a little bit happier. I'm otherwise trying to be good. Susan told me that I should cheer up and she thinks that if I was in a kennel I would be suicidal whatever that means. I just miss you so much and hope you come back for me.
Love,
Misiu

Misiu

2007-04-01T08:32:00.000+02:00

Dear Family,
Here I am at the dog hotel and you can't see him, but Uben is sitting next to me. I am a little bit upset that you went on vacation without me. I've been sitting by the front door a lot, and when I'm outside I keep checking the street to see if you are coming back, but no luck so far. My first night here was especially tough and I barked all night so that you would hear me and come back and get me. Last night I did better and slept all night without barking. Susan said she was really proud of me. I'm having fun with Uben and they say I've been good on the walks. I don't listen to the people here when we are out walking, but I stay at all times with Uben and they seem to be satisfied with this. I listen better when I'm in the house, but out walking Uben seems to know what he is doing and he runs around like a crazy guy so I run with him. I'm still a little bit sad and miss you, but the people here are nice to me and I like Uben a lot, so really I'm ok....but I'll be really happy when you come back and get me.
Love,
Misiu

Love fest...Willi and Ruby

2007-03-26T11:34:00.000+02:00

Well we had a bit of a love fest here this weekend. Ruby, our friend's new puppy came to visit just for the weekend, and it was love at first sight between her and Willi. They rolled around together for about 48 hours, kissed a lot, and they were clearly boyfriend/girlfriend by the end of the weekend. We felt sorry for Willi when Ruby had to go home. Ruby is a sweet girl who just loves to kiss and play. She was just Willi's size and they kept each other busy and entertained. Willi also likes Uben, but the love thing was really more between Willi and Ruby. Uben sat on the sofa, watched and supervised. They would both come and try to kiss him occasionally but he found this annoying so they would just go back to playing with each other.

Here's a couple of new buddies

2007-03-26T11:32:00.000+02:00

Here's Willi and Uben takin' a break together on Uben's new lounge chair....he's fine with sharing but wants a pillow for his chin if at all possible.

Willi aka New Jack

2007-03-20T08:06:00.000+01:00

This little fellow is Willi, but as I seem to right away change everyone's name, he's been dubbed "New Jack." Another Jack Russell (the Benman) was here when he arrived, so right away they became Old and New Jack.
Willi is having a good time here. He and the Benman had to be separated for one day and Willi New Jack cried to be with him for oh...about 12 hours. Now that Benny has gone home, Willi New Jack has stopped crying. He's a good boy all the way around. He likes to play with Uben, does not bounce off of the walls, and is very quiet. I think he has an interesting face with expressive eyes. He likes to go for walks but the dog walker's comment last night was that he is pretty slow and more my speed than his. I think his little legs are so short that he would have to run to keep up with Bernd.
Anyway, so far so good with Willi New Jack. He slept like a log last night which was great...sometimes on the first night here the dogs are restless, but he just jumped into his bed and stayed there until morning. When I woke up I found him in my bed, but he's little and did not take up too much space....and he was nice and warm!

It's true I'm a bit sick and twisted

2007-03-07T11:28:00.000+01:00

Benny loves Uben. He follows him everywhere, they bark together, howl together, dig for mice together. Those of you who know Uben personally also know he's got a little medical problem with his sphincter, and since last year has been a bedwetter. He wears a wrap at night to save my sanity. Benny was kind of looking longingly at Uben's wrap so I put one on him too (though just for about 1 minute). He stood there looking pained and acted like he was afraid to move. We had a huge chuckle, took the picture, and then took it off. Had to unfortunately leave Uben's on but really he seems not to care too much and comes to us willingly to put on his "sleeping pants" every night. He's just a very good boy. Benny prefers to sleep naked.

The buddies

2007-03-07T11:27:00.000+01:00

What more could one possibly say?

A note from the Benman

2007-02-24T20:11:00.000+01:00

Hi mom and dad,

Susan told me today that you sent her a note from Tie-land. I'm glad you are having fun. Here's a picture of me with my friend Tony. I like him sometimes because he is nice, but he likes sticks like me and as you know, all the sticks in the world belong to me so that's been a bit hard to explain to him. I'm still barking a lot because no one else does, and someone has to guard this place. We took a very long walk this afternoon and I had a wonderful time. Uben rolled today in dead fish and smelled really great until they put him in the dreaded bathtub. Terrapin has just been good as usual and she rests a lot. Tony and Uben are wild together but they play with me too some. I have been following Uncle Bernd around today at all times and everyone seems surprised about this, but I just thought I'd try warming up to a dude and see how it goes. I'll keep you posted.

I love you mom, and dad, well I love you too sometimes

BennyBenman

How cute is this little girl????

2007-02-23T09:31:00.000+01:00

This little angel baby is not staying here (sadly), but she is the new puppy of one of our neighbors in Provence. Her name is Kaleen or Kayleen (sounded like Coleen but with a Kay instead of a Co) and I think she is so perfect and adorable that she almost looks like a little stuffed dog. She's found herself a wonderful home with Isabelle and Jean-Luc and their children and I can't wait to see her again this summer! This is Alicia holding her new puppy and at one point I had her in my arms and said to Alicia "merci pour le chien" and started out their gate. A big howl of a "NON" came out of her!

This week's pack

2007-02-22T19:09:00.000+01:00

These kids from left to right are Terrapin, Benny, Tony and Uben Hertwig. They are all getting along swimmingly (thank you God) and the 3 young ones are having a great time playing together. Terrapin seems to like watching them in between naps, but she has not refused a walk since she's been here which we think is great at her age. She even goes on the 5:30 a.m. walk without complaint.
I headed out with the 3 young ones on leashes today just to go down the street, and little Benny got between Uben and Tony and just pranced like he was proud to be runnin' with the big dogs (Terrapin does not have to be on a leash since she stays and listens at all times). Since the weather is beautiful and dry even my floors are in ok shape since there are not 16 muddy paws tracking in dirt. I'm proud of all of them and how well they are getting along...and it is also nice for me to be able to let them hang out in the yard most of the day. Tony seems to have endless energy for playing, so it is really kind of great that Benny came yesterday so that he now has Uben and the Benman to play with.

Here's a picture of the very cute me

2007-02-21T12:49:00.000+01:00

La Petite Maison

2007-02-21T10:14:00.000+01:00

My mom found this site today and I really really really want one!

http://www.lapetitemaison.com/dh.html

I'm not sure this Swiss chalet is exactly right for me, but a Bavarian version of this would be just the thing.

Love from Uben

Spoiled? Well...uhhh...yup!

2007-02-08T09:30:00.000+01:00

Here's me relaxing after a hard day in my new lounge chair. My mom said that she got it for me because I always hog her chair when she's trying to score some rays. It is in the house for now since it is winter outside, and I really like how I can stretch out and take it easy, and see the front door in case my dad comes home. My mom found this on ebay.de and the great news is that even though you can't see it, they got me 2 of these....one for here and one for serious sunbathing at our pad in France. I'm luckyluckyluckylucky.

Little Jeda Man

2007-02-07T20:51:00.000+01:00

This little feller is one of our new favorites. He's a very nice Border terrier who everyone thinks is a mutt, but he's absolutely not! He's friendly and loves to play and he is now one of Uben's new best friends. And unlike Herr Uben, this guy will cuddle! He's popular already in our neighborhood, and when he went home this week the neighbors were asking where he was.
Come back soon Jeda, we all miss you!
(P.S. His name is Norweigen and means hunter)

Terrapin

2006-12-28T19:45:00.000+01:00

Hi mom, dad, and Asher,
Just wanted to let you know that in tribute to James Brown I've been out in the fields 3x a day lately singing "I Feel Good!" Susan and Bernd say it is remarkable how I go go go with my tail in the air wagging at all times. I've been following Uben a little bit in the woods, playing with him a little (just to keep him calm), and we had a nice Christmas full of Greenies and rawhide bonies. Yvi is getting married tomorrow and everyone is going, but Susan said I don't have to go if I don't want to, and since I really don't like her like Uben does, probably I'll stay home and guard the house. The wedding is at the Rathaus so they said they will only be gone for about 30 minutes. I'm never sure if Yvi is going to do something to hurt me, so I'm thinkin' it is best to just avoid her at all times. So that's my plan.
Miss you guys but I'm doin' fine. Don't forget to come and get me soon. I love it here but I still love you guys more....though they are pretty good around here to rub my belly for me. They seem to think my grunting and groaning is kind of cute. Strange humans.
Love
Pinstergirl

Merry Christmas

2006-12-22T08:54:00.000+01:00

Thanks to all of you who came to stay and play with me this year, and please come back again! Merry Christmas and a healthy and peaceful 2007!

Last Day

2006-11-15T11:11:00.000+01:00

Hi - Mia here. Uben has been hogging up the blogging so far but he agreed to give me the last post of our visit together. Of course I'm going to write about him because he's taking a little piece of my heart with him when he goes home. I won't tell him that now as he's prone to flaunt my weakness and shake me down for treats.

No matter what people say, every dog has his own personality, just like you and me. Uben's personality is all about being a little wiggly butt, an "i'm just sooo happy you're sitting here" guy. His eyes are deep and sensitive; his fur is just as soft as he is gentle in spirit. His greatest day is a wide open field, the expectation of treats in your pocket, and to run run run. If he could get a tattoo, he'd have one that says "I love H20".

The following is the littany of nicknames lavished on Mr. Uben during his stay: Ubie, Mr. Snorty, Snorty Pants, Schnuggly, Sweetie Face, Du Baby Du, Little Guy, and Big Guy (depending upon Benny's proximity).

One of my favorite things about Uben is how excited he is when you get out of bed in the morning. No one has ever been that thrilled to experience my matted bedhead and morning breath. And, when he's tired, he'll tolerate just about anything. Here he is, dressed up like a babushka lady.

Well, my job here is done. I hope everyone has enjoyed hearing from Uben as much as we've enjoyed having him here!

Ubie, we will miss you.

ubens-eye view

2006-11-13T14:12:00.000+01:00

Sigh.

2006-11-08T13:39:00.000+01:00

Sigh. I wonder if they bought me anything at the outlets.

First Snow (You missed it!)

2006-11-07T12:56:00.000+01:00

Well you would not believe it Mom and Dad but you missed the first snow. In Icking, Omi was probably shoveling a mountain but here it was just a nice dusting to make everything super tasty.

It was like a whole different forest that day.

As usual I was in constant motion. No flake must be left unsniffed! No frozen leaf left unturned!

Oh, Mannnnn! It's always "Uben Look!" - click - and "Ubie Over Here!" - click - . Just give me the. damn. bonie.

Snow is very tasty. We like our snow with fava beans and a nice Chianti. Or treats. Whichever.

While you were gone, I also learned to Cha-Cha.

xo,
Ubie

Joie de Vivre

2006-11-06T21:43:00.000+01:00

Sunday Madness

2006-11-05T16:25:00.000+01:00

You'd better sit down for these pics! You might faint from all the cuteness.

Me and Benman played a lot today while Chris studied and Auntie Mia did stuff on her computer. We're slightly crazy. I like Benny a lot - if we both have a bone, I don't like mine, I want his. Here I am giving him a friendly lick:

Here's Benny asking me to play (for once!):

Who, us?

Hi!

2006-11-04T23:55:00.000+01:00

Hi mom and dad,

When I'm not chasing birds in the backyard, this chair is my favorite place to lounge around and nap. Benny likes it too, so sometimes we share. I don't mind, because we're buds.

I really like this forest and big grassy area near Auntie Mia's house.

There's no need to worry about me running off though. If you pay attention, you can always catch a glimpse of me somewhere.

Especially if you have some bonies.

Love,
Uben Hertwig

Incoming!

2006-11-02T13:32:00.000+01:00

I'm coming to save you, Mom! I heard you were sick, and we're all sending you big hugs. OK, and a couple licks from me but not too many because you know I'm not like that. Here are some pics to cheer you up.

This is me in my comfy pose:

This is me and my new friend:

Did you say Bonie???

More friends to play with! It's kinda like home.

I'll upload some more photos later. Meanwhile, have lots of bonies and feel better Mom. Say hi to Dad for me!

Uben

While You Were Flying

2006-10-30T23:33:00.000+01:00

dear mom and dad,
well. today was an experience. i was in a totally new forest this morning. the forest is filled with new dogs and smells and people who were really nice to me. i guess no one can resist my face. especially auntie mia.

then! then this afternoon i was in a completely different forest than the first one, and suddenly there's this big field, and all the dogs you could wish for. kids were flying kites and i danced around them and ran with other dogs. i must have played with at least 6 other dogs. there was one i especially liked because she reminded me of milou.

when i got back, i was beat. it was sunny and while auntie mia worked i sat in the garden taking in some sun.

benny and me played in the garden and i peed on everything in sight.

well, now i am totally beat. we watched 'a pint of lager and a packet of crisps' on bbc and i had a bone and i'm pretty comfy in my Yankees blanket. gute nacht! i'm thinking of you and hope you had a good flight.

Faithfully and ever-so-cutely yours,

Ubie

Miss you already

2006-10-29T21:58:00.000+01:00

Dear mom and dad,

Ubie here. I'm not sure where you went, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing okay. Chris and Mia took me out and I was really good on the leash. I got to know the neighborhood a bit. I whined a little bit afterwards but then I came up and sat with them and watched CSI. All is good. Don't you worry.

Ubie out

ps: xoxo
pps: i snagged about 5 treats tonight! we played a game in the garden where i had to hunt for them and i found them all!

Me in France

2006-10-05T10:03:00.000+02:00

I put this picture up today just because my mom likes it. I was just swimming in Lac de St. Croix. I'm not really that into swimming. I like running around more and stealing sticks from other dogs. I DO like the water for chillin' when I'm all hot from running around. My friend Terrapin is the greatest swimmer of all time and I just can't compete. I can out hunt and out bark her and sometimes she will drop her stick because I've barked right in her ear and almost burst her eardrum.
My mom and dad tell me that I was born in France, but for some reason I speak better English. I also speak a little German but I have no idea what the French are saying to me when they talk to me.... except for when they say "dit bonjour" and then I know that means that I should shake hands with them. This language thing is pretty hard here in Europe.

Picopunkypoodleman

2006-09-27T21:27:00.000+02:00

Hi mom and dad,
Here are a couple of pictures of me. One is me in my oh so cushy bed here. I sleep right next to Susan for some of the night, and then on her head for the rest. I hide in the mornings so that guy who lives here won't make me walk with him and Uben. I mostly just hide in bed with Susan and that seems to be working pretty well for me. I don't like to walk without her.

The second picture is just me hangin' out. Uben is next to me chewing on a bone, and I'm relaxing until he turns away and them my plan is to steal it from him. He's a nice guy and lets me have what I want. I love to steal from him. He was really fun to play with today. He is my friend.

Today I tried to get up close and personal with a cow. Susan got all excited but I was not gonna bite the cow or anything. Then I think you heard I went hunting for mice...everywhere. Uben and I dug together some, and then I dug half way to China on my own. Never did find that mouse, but I really made a big effort. Life in the country is very fun, and I never knew there was so much to do in the world!

I miss you but mostly I'm keeping very busy.
Love
Peekiepants

Peekiepants

2006-09-25T20:42:00.000+02:00

Dear mom and dad,
I had so much fun today that I don't know where to start. That girl who lives here went away for an hour, and when she came back I made it clear to her that I was THRILLED, TURBO THRILLED that she was here. I danced, ran all over the furniture, did cool balancing tricks...you name it I did it. I played with Uben some today and we ran all over the yard. Then we went for a walk in the fields. Thankfully the cows were not there today because they kind of worried me last week...I only come up to their ankles so I stayed as far away from them as I could. That little dog who is in heat was also not around today, so I just ran around with Uben in the fields. I'm having a great time and that girl says she likes it that she can see my eyes now. She likes my haircut and said that it was a nice cut because you can hardly tell that I've been to the beauty parlor, yet I'm just not too bushy on top anymore.
I can't wait to see you on Wednesday, but have fun without me and no need to rush home if you are out because everything with me is under control.
Love,
Peekiepoodleman
P.S. Thanks for writing to me. Susan read me your note.

Pico aka Poodleman aka Peekiepants aka Punkypoodle

2006-09-18T13:46:00.000+02:00

Hi mom and dad (oops!),
I'm glad you found this place because it is fun here. I'm sticking close to Susan at all times because she is a girl and reminds me of you. I like the Uben guy who is here too. He wants to play with me constantly, but sometimes I am too busy following Susan around. He seems to understand that I have other stuff to do.
Don't worry about me because I am fine, I'm takin' it easy, but it is also nice to have a person to follow around all day.
Love, Pico

Pinny Pin Pin

2006-09-02T22:02:00.000+02:00

Well I've just about decided that Susan and Bernd are my grandparents and Uben is my young cousin or something. Things are fine as usual. I've been my normal good self. Everyone loves me and I've been swimming a few times. Susan and Bernd say that I stink a little bit and have been talking about making me get in the shower before you come home. I'm not so sure about this and I hope they are kidding. I hear you will be home in a couple of days and I can't wait to see you mom. I'm just hoping you decided to leave that baby person back in California. Ok not really but if you did I will adjust to being the baby again with no problem.
Love you
Terrapinster

Milou

2006-09-02T21:59:00.000+02:00

Hi mom,
Well all I know to tell you is that I've been busy busy busy busy busy while here. I have been running around like a madman, have been jumping through the fields on our walks, played a little with Winnie, and have barked my head off. I've had a great time as usual. I'm sticking with Susan at all times when I'm not otherwise busy busy. I missed you for 5 minutes when you left but then I remembered that it is also fun to be here so I've made the most of my weekend. Can't wait to see you.
Love,
Milou

Winnie

2006-09-02T21:55:00.000+02:00

Hi mom and dad,
They say that I've been a really good girl while I've been here. I have cooperated with everything, gone walking twice a day, and have played a little with the younger dogs. I have been getting along well with others, except that guy Milou tried to do you know what with me and I had to growl at him, but otherwise we have all gotten along just fine. I like it here but I'll be happy to go home too.
Love,
Winnie

Living room hunting

2006-09-02T21:53:00.000+02:00

I just figured out how to hunt from the comfort of my very own living room. Sometimes dad even brings me a pillow for my chin.

One last note from Nanka

2006-08-17T18:53:00.000+02:00

Dear Mom and Dad,
I don't know how to break this to you, but I almost like it here. I was friendly to others yesterday when we walked, and I LOVE being outside.....way better than being stuck in this house with the other two dogs because of the rain. I have spent a lot of my time here sitting by the fence and watching the road and waiting for your car. When I got tired of waiting I sat a lot with the Oma because she is my friend. I played with Uben for about 10 seconds yesterday and this seemed to make him happy. I still don't like it when the other dogs get close to me in the house, but really they are nice and I only had 2 small fights while I was here...but I had to let them know not to get close to me. I showed my teeth a lot and this seemed to make them stay back. I learned to enjoy the walking around here, and I don't try to stop and rush back to the house anymore. Susan said I was a lot like a horse that wants to run back to the barn, so I thought I better try to cooperate so she would quit calling me a horse. I will still be happiest when you come back to pick me up, but in the end I decided after about 5 days that my depression was not really helping anything and I made the best out of a bad situation.
Love,
Nanka
P.S. The people here like me even though I don't like them hmmph.
P.S. Again.....Bernd said this morning that I had earned his trust and I got to run in the fields with the others.....and I stayed right with him when he started running. This was THE most fun that I've had since I've been here.

Nanka

2006-08-15T22:59:00.000+02:00

Dear Mom and Dad,
I just wanted you to know that I decided to cheer up a bit today. I got along better with others, did not try to stop on the walks, and was friendly toward all other dogs that we met. I even wagged my tail today when we met others. Things are looking up around here and it just took me several days to get over the shock of being here. Maybe it is not so bad after all.
Love,
Nanka

Nanka

2006-08-15T18:32:00.000+02:00

Hi Mom and Dad,
I kind of feel a little bit lost here without you. There are a couple of other dogs here, and I don't like them very much. They don't bother me, but I prefer living alone in our house. I tried to head for home one time, but the people who live here chased me down and made me come back. Today I felt a little better about being here because the sun came out and I could stay outside and lay under a tree in the backyard. The neighbors have a cat and I stood at the fence, wagged my tail and barked at her. This was kind of fun. I like the Oma who lives next door, and I have spent a lot of the day today on her porch with her. I kind of like just keeping some distance between me and the other dogs. I'm trying to be good, I'm eating what you sent, and taking my pills like a good girl. But really, I think I'll be happier when you come back to get me. I really miss you guys a lot. The people here say that I should cheer up because this is Disneyland for dogs but I don't know what that means and I think I'm going to just stay kind of bummed out until I see you again. Sigh.
Love,
Nanka

Tony's spielurlaub!

2006-07-31T19:12:00.000+02:00

Dear Mom and Dad and kids,
Check out how I can suddenly speak English! No problem!
I am having more fun here than any dog ever had. I'm trying to play 24 hours a day. Uben and Leika are not totally cooperating with my play schedule, but I keep trying. Susan says they are worn out and I should sit down and take it easy....but I'm having so much fun that I just can't! Susan says I'm a very good boy when I'm not poking the other two dogs with my nose. I have not gone upstairs like you showed me, and this gives the others a place to go to rest. I have stayed with Susan and Bernd perfectly when we have gone for walks and swims. They say that I stay with them better than Uben. I keep getting in trouble for pulling stuff out of the recycling bin in the pantry, but really you don't get yelled at around here. I can't help myself because the stuff in there smells so good. I went by our house the other night but I'm having so much fun here that I decided to just stay with the other dogs and Bernd and kept walking with them. I don't know if you guys are at home or not, but I'm fine over here and come and get me when you are ready. I'll be the big brown dog in the backyard playing.
Love,
Tony

Leika again

2006-07-22T14:53:00.000+02:00

We have a few dogs who come here regularly who we have really bonded with, and we think of them as part of the family. Terrapin and the Benman come to mind immediately and we love them like they are our own. Leika has officially joined our list of favorites. She has the same temperment as Uben, has become one of his best friends, and they play together perfectly. This dog is way up there as far as perfect animals. Sweet, affectionate and obedient. We love her totally and it is going to rough on us all when she goes home. Thank goodness that she lives only 3 minutes away. I've given her a "southern name" and so now we call her Leika Lou. I wish I was better at Red Eye removal but I'm horrible at it. Her eyes are not really red.

What we like about Leika

2006-07-16T09:14:00.000+02:00

1. She wags her tail in circles like a propeller. She can do it in both directions.
2. She likes all other dogs.
3. She likes love and is totally affectionate.
4. She plays nice with Uben.
5. She plows into puddles
6. She has fun running on walks, but stays with us.
7. She comes when called.
8. She does whatever you ask of her.

What we don't like about Leika
1. Nothing except her tail is a lethal weapon.

Terrapin and Uben

2006-07-04T20:52:00.000+02:00

We went to a beergarden the other night for dinner, and then afterwards we found a cool swamp to swim in. Mom and dad were not happy with how muddy we were, so as a bonus, we got to jump into the river and swim some more! Here we are at the beer garden hoping for a handout, and here is a picture of my friend Terrapin on the ride home. She always sits like this but it is ok with me because then I get most of the back seat to myself.
xo
Uben Hertwig

Leika

2006-07-04T20:36:00.000+02:00

Hi mom and dad and kids,
I'm at the Dog Hotel and having a pretty fine time. I like the other dogs and they like me too. Susan says I'm very well behaved and play nicely with others. I'm not really sure why I'm here and I have cried a little bit because I miss you, but otherwise I'm doing fine. We took a long walk last night and I ate some delicious cow poop and then found some to roll in too. Uben rolled with me and Susan said we both smelled like skunks. They have something called a hose in the backyard and Uben and I both got a partial bath. I think we smelled better before, but the people here seem to prefer the smell of Fa. Susan missed some of the poop behind my ear and I had to go through the hose thing again this morning, but she said I was very cooperative and I got a treat for being so good. I like how they pet me here and it is nice to have company all day long. Uben so far is my new best friend and we have had some fun running in the fields together. I love you and miss you but if I can't be with you this is at least a pretty fun place to be.
Love,
Leika

Weloveprovencewoofwoof!!!!!!

2006-06-29T10:13:00.000+02:00

Oh what a good time we had. Here we are waiting patiently in the car for our moms who were outside taking pictures of lavender. We almost just had a head on collision with a crazy French driver who we think was drunk and on the wrong side of the road. We pulled into a wheat field to avoid the accident and she almost hit us anyway when she swerved even further into our lane. Our moms were upset but we think everything is an adventure. I (Terrapin) have decided to drive from now on because Susan is shaky. She said something about an adrenaline rush. I wonder if this is something I can eat.

Hi from the four

2006-06-13T23:03:00.000+02:00

Benny - I got into a big fight today with Felix our neighbor. I'm really against him joining my pack and I don't like him to be too close to my mom. We had a big snarly knockdowndragout fight and my mom got in the middle and got the worst of it. She has huge scratches down her leg complete with bruises. The back of her elbow got bit by Felix but thank goodness the holes are not that deep. She feels beat up tonight. I got sent to timeout with Uben who also tried to get in the fight. I'm a bad influence on young Uben. I went to the lake after I got out of timeout, and I have become a serious skin diver and bodysurfer. I'm one great swimmer. I learned all about it from Terrapin who is an Olympic gold medalist in stick retrieval (she can even do double and triple stick retrieval). I love Uben's bed but I like Provence most for the large and high quality sticks. Grrrrr. Stay back. Don't get too close to my mom. Or my stick. Or anything that is mine.

Terrapin - (Singing) Life is good, life is good, life is good. Swimming, my favorite. Food, my favorite. Going for a walk, my favorite. Eating cherries off the tree, my favorite. Realizing I can feed myself at the cherry tree, my favorite. Sticks, my favorite. The LAKE!! My favorite! The neighbors, my favorite. Markies, my favorite. Cold floor on a hot day, my favorite. Dog fights, not interested. Snort. Snort.

Uben - There's a bird, I see a bird, do y'all see that bird, did somebody say bird? Birds, my favorite.
Butterfly!
Bees!
Stick, stick, throw the stick!
I like to swim more than ever. Like Benny, I got some swimming and stick lessons from Terrapin, and now I have better skills than before I used to have.They say I look like an otter when I'm wet. I like Benny and Terrapin and Felix. I like everybody come to think of it. Life is fun fun fun and all my cousins are here in Provence.

Felix - Ich mag die Provence. Uben ist mein Freund und die Terrapin auch, aber Benny ist ein kleiner Teufel. The people in the big house like me, even though Benny has tried to turn them against me. I love to swim too. Today I went Uben's house and stole 2 dog bowls, every towel that I could reach that was outside, and I was not too swift about giving things back..but then Benny keeps taking my toys so this is how I retaliate. I bit his mom on the elbow and scratched her leg, but I did not mean it, and I got her something nice for her hair because I felt bad about it. I like Provence except for the stickers in my beard.

And then, when it is sunny in the South of France...

2006-06-08T08:20:00.000+02:00

Uben

2006-06-07T08:19:00.000+02:00

Here is Uben (by the gate) and his long, lost, younger brother. We found U's brother at the lake.

If Terrapin wrote a book (Written by Mia)

2006-06-07T08:16:00.000+02:00

Chapter One, Page One
I love to swim and eat.
THE END

3 Weeks, 3 Dogs, and 2 Chicks (Written by Uben)

2006-06-07T08:10:00.000+02:00

We 3 dogs arrived safely in Provence on Sunday night. We were getting sick of the car, and were glad to finally get out and stretch our legs and have a bite to eat. We were rewarded for our patience in traveling when Susan and Mia took us to the lake for a swim. The place was deserted and we had a heck of a good time.

There are people here in the small house (we are in the big house) and they have a dog named Felix. He is big and young but a nice guy. We mostly like him.

We went to the lake again yesterday and had a great time. Terrapin had a pretty bad fight with Benny over a stick, and had to put him in his place because he was being rude. I also had my first fight ever with Terrapin because I barked in her ear until she could not stand it any more. I wanted her to play with me, but I also got pushy and rude. She chased me and tried to kind of bite me, and my feelings were really hurt because really I just love her. I think she still loves me too. I hope. She is still my best friend.

It is really nice here, we are out all day long, we take the 2 girls for a couple of walks every day, and it is just nice to see the sun and blue sky and all of the birds.

Terrapin and Uben

2006-05-19T14:31:00.000+02:00

Thanks to those of you who sent good wishes this way for dear, sweet, Terrapin because it looks like she is going to be ok. She had cancer surgery but thankfully it had not spread. She has lots of stitches but they will come out on Monday and she seems to be feeling pretty good....she is playing and having a good old time here in the Dog Hotel. Thank goodness. Next stop, Provence, so stay tuned for more photos and the dog's travel journal, coming in June.

Uben is very happy that his friend feels better and can play with him a little. He seems to be proud when she is around to go walking with him, and he has less interest in other dogs when he has his girl along. Now if he would just stop with the bedwetting! The house has been waterproofed and for sure I'm running a little dog hospital here.

Terrapin is in the hospital

2006-05-05T07:41:00.000+02:00

Terrapin fell very ill this week and is in the University small animal medical clinic in Munich. They still don't know what is wrong with her but if you are reading this please say a prayer for her. She is old and sweet and gentle and we are all very worried about her.
Uben, Susan, and Bernd

Terrapin

2006-04-30T20:33:00.000+02:00

Hi mom and dad,
I'm fine and here is a nice shot of me laying in the yard today. It snowed here last night sigh, but thankfully the sun came out, the snow melted and Uben and I hung out in the grass. Found some water today on the evening walk and had a little swim. A lady came to visit today and brought us some new balls to play with. They are spongy and nice to carry around.
I miss you and don't forget me ever. I think about you all the time, but this is the place to be if I can't be with you.
Love
Terrapin M.

Cookie

2006-04-29T11:40:00.000+02:00

Hi mom,
Susan said that she could not believe that a dog could be as good as Terrapin, but I've been just that good too. And I don't steal food from the others like Terrapin does. My name today seems to be Cookster, and I don't know why every day they call me something else. I went on the morning adventure hikes the last 2 days and they say I'm poking, but really there is so much here that I need to smell. I'm fine and don't worry about me. The sofa is comfortable, I like everyone here and they like me too. But come and get me don't forget because I still love you best.
Love,
Cookster
P.S. I've been walking through puddles like the other dogs here and hope you don't mind. It is really very wet here and they are hard to avoid.

Cookie

2006-04-27T16:45:00.000+02:00

Cookie has now become Cookie Monster (but we mean this in the most loving of ways!)
She is super well behaved and a dog sitter could not ask for a better dog. She still has not talked to us except she barks and growls at Bernd. She's not being mean and she stops when he sits down to pet her. She's eating fine, putting herself to bed at night and konking right out. She seems to like Bernd's mother quite a bit and is happy to see her in the yard and goes right to her to be petted. She came out of the hall today with a little urging and sat with me on the sofa and together we sewed. She's is a very good girl and we like her very much.
Have fun on vacation...saw the temps there today on CNN and I'm just jealous!
It is raining here, oh what a surprise.
Susan

Cookie

2006-04-25T16:28:00.000+02:00

Dear Mom and Dad,
So far so good here. I've been mostly outside today sloooowly checking out every blade of grass, and sniffing to figure out who else has been here. So far it all checks out. The other dogs were happy to see me when I arrived, but I have been ignoring them. I have also been very quiet and sometimes I stand around and just stare at my new digs.
Don't worry about me because I plan to be good, and have fun on vacation.
Love,
Cookie

Terrapin

2006-04-23T08:03:00.000+02:00

Hi mom and dad,
Thank you very much for your letter because I was so happy to hear from you. I went swimming again yesterday on our evening hike and even though Bernd and Uben and Charlie were ready to keep walking, I HAD to stay in the water. Bernd walked on a little bit without me thinking that I would come (I was in a pond in a field) but you know me and water...I just kept swimming around in circles until he came back for me. I finally got out but I was not that happy about having to leave that nice swimming hole.
Susan emptied my food into something smaller in her kitchen and now I don't have to guard my big blue bin anymore so that is kind of a load off of me. There is no other news here except I am enjoying the sun (when it comes out), have been doing some sunbathing and I'm still being perfect.
Love,
Terrapin

Charlotte

2006-04-21T12:32:00.000+02:00

Hi Mom and Dad,
I'm having a terrific time here. I've played a lot with Uben and we like each other very much. He likes to chase me and I like to chase him too. He is nice to me.
I have spent quite a bit of time here trying to escape, and I'm an expert on the fences around this yard. I dug my way into the neighbor's yard because they have cats who I wanted to meet. I got hauled back into Uben's yard and I'm not sure if I got in trouble because I was covered in mud or because I went awol.
I'll fill you in on all of my adventures when you get home.
Love,
Charlie

Terrapin

2006-04-21T11:46:00.000+02:00

Hi Mom and Dad and Asher,
I'm being a good girl as usual. They say I'm really the only normal dog here. I listen to everything these guys tell me to do, and I mainly just watch the other 2 dogs who are here. They both act like idiots. I've been swimming a couple of times since you have been gone, and I've been hanging out in the yard because the sun has finally come out.
I love you but I'm having a good time on vacation.
Love,
T-pin