Barky Lark

A new cousin

2008-03-07T09:05:00.003-06:00

RL's brother lives in Kansas City with his wife and 3 kids. The kids have been here to visit me, but I've never had a chance to meet their golden retriever, Scout, or their little white dog, Belle (and just to be clear, I was Bella before she came along.) On Tuesday night, RL told me that they added a new golden puppy to their family, a sweetie named Bowe (pronounced B long-o). RL was mooning around the next day, asking me if I wanted another dog in the house (duh, yes). Our house is very small, so it would be really fun to romp and fight and play everywhere. I think RL is thinking the same thing, but not in a good way.

February update

2008-02-24T11:55:00.002-06:00

Hmmmm...I didn't realize it's been 2 months since I posted last. It's been horribly cold here and that means that both RL and I are not as active. Sometimes I think I want to run around and get outside but the pads on my paws get really cold and I decide I want to come back in right away.
We've had a lot of snow, too. Last week I was saying "hi" to Larry at the back fence....the place where the garden is built up....and I found out that with all the snow piled up there, I could jump right over! RL and Larry got busy right away and strung up some kind of green mesh so I couldn't do it again. But I'll just wait until they forget about it and try another side of the yard.
It has warmed up a bit and RL has got it into her head that it's time to groom me again. She takes me outside and has a pocket full of ham and cheese, but I still hate it. I do look incredibly beautiful when she's done though.

RL is baking

2007-12-23T11:17:00.000-06:00

I love it when RL bakes and she's doing it a lot lately. I always get scraps from whatever she's working on and I usually manage to steal the butter wrapper from the garbage before she catches on. It's so much fun that I hang around the kitchen instead of taking a nap in the basement.
RL asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I've asked for a new water bowl for the basement and a really big package of string cheese. And maybe another puppy to play with all the time? (RL says she sort of wants one, too!) Other than that, I pretty much have everything I need: I have the best friends in the whole world: RL, Linda, Larry and Jaeger. What more could a crazy Beardie need?
Merry Christmas to all my friends!

The Life of Riley

2007-12-09T22:15:00.000-06:00

RL was kind enough to buy a portable heater for the basement...my favorite place to hang out, in case you've forgotten. She came down tonight to turn it off and woke me up from a nap in front of it. I liked both the heat and the soft noise. She says I live the life of Riley. I don't know who he is but he probably has a heater too.

Smarter than RL

2007-11-20T21:09:00.001-06:00

Get a Cash Advance

I always knew I was smarter than RL and now here's proof. Her blog only got a "high school" rating, and mine is "genius."

In case you forgot

2007-11-19T11:44:00.000-06:00

Here's a reminder of how cute I am.

Helping RL

2007-11-06T07:59:00.000-06:00

Every morning, RL makes coffee and lets me go outside for a few minutes. Usually I hear something scary in the neighborhood and decide to head down to the basement to be sure and stay safe. But sometimes I look for RL to see if she can help. If I put my head in her lap, she strokes my ears and tells me everything is all right.
Most mornings she's got her computer in her lap, but I just put my head on top of the keyboard so she's sure to see me. She says that she's reading other blogs and keeps track of them with the list over on the left. This morning I looked at her list and could see that she hadn't read hundreds of posts yet, so I found the right key for her and cleared all of them out.
She gave me a kiss on my nose, but said that I really hadn't helped. She said she's going to keep me away from the keyboard from now on.

RL is acting weird

2007-10-20T09:26:00.001-05:00

RL and I have a routine every morning. She comes downstairs and puts water onto boil and then lets me outside for a minute. If I hear a truck I'll go in the basement right away, otherwise sometimes I hang out in the kitchen until RL makes her coffee and she tells me how sweet I am and scruffles my ears. It's quiet and nice and I like it.
But lately, RL is acting weird. She's been playing music really loud and sometimes flailing her arms and legs around the kitchen. Then she picks up my front paws and we dance together (I have to admit I sort of like that.) She'll even start singing out loud...and I mean really loud...and it's not a pretty sound. I usually go into the living room to get out of her way but I can't lie down and relax while she's doing this. Who knows what she's going to do next? I can't decide if I should go to the basement where it's safe or watch to be sure that she's not having a medical problem. Can dogs call 911?

The iPod Paw

2007-10-13T11:53:00.001-05:00

RL loves almost everything that Apple does (almost, she reminds me). I was happy to show her this video but I still don't think it looks very fun.

Miss October

2007-09-30T22:29:00.000-05:00

My nickname next door at BFF's house is Miss October. RL says it's because of this calendar photo of another fawn and white Beardie that appears on the October page. She says that's what I could look like if I would let her groom me every day for 2 or 3 hours and let my hair grow out. She also says that sometimes I act like Miss October (meaning I guess that I like things a certain way and can be stubborn about it).
If this dog is getting brushed that much I don't think she's having very much fun. I'd rather run in the mud and play chase with BFF than stand for that much grooming no matter how many treats I'd get.

Return to Weird

2007-09-26T19:13:00.001-05:00

Every night RL gives me a bowl of food and then watches me push it across the kitchen floor. Or sometimes I push it into the dining room. Eventually I eat most of it. Tonight I pushed it under the dining room chair and then had a nice dinner. I liked eating with a little protection over my head. You never know when....well, I'm not quite sure what I need protection from, but it's nice to have anyway.

Linda, the Treat Lady

2007-09-23T09:47:00.000-05:00

I think Linda might be one of my very favorite people! She lives with DPL and BFF. When DPL comes to get me, I always spend a few minutes running with BFF, but then I like to go and see Linda. She gives me a big bowl of water and my favorite treats, then turns on the air conditioner so I don't have to hear any scary noises. If I'm still nervous, I put my head in her lap and she tells me everything is ok. She says I take care of her and she takes care of me.
After the trucks left yesterday we had a dog party in BFF's yard and tried to take a group photo. You can see Max the Chihuahua in the background. The other two dogs live next door to BFF but I can't remember their names.

Bella can't come out today

2007-09-22T09:05:00.001-05:00

Bella asked me to post today (this is RL). Construction on the house across the street ramped up considerably this week, including a new favorite fear, the nail gun. The downstairs is no longer protection enough, now I turn on the dryer for her to mask the noise.
I was hoping that since today was Saturday, they might give her a break and take the day off. Instead, the cement truck turned up. Combine diesel idling with the rotation of the cement drum and I wasn't sure she'd survive it all. I did just check on her and she's laying down in front of the dryer (with a heartbeat, poor thing).
I have a little doggie bag of chicken for her as a treat when they leave.

Look! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superdog!

2007-09-16T09:19:00.000-05:00

It's gotten much cooler in Minnesota and RL says I'm getting full of myself. I've always been really good at jumping and leaping (I frequently jump over BFF when we're playing). Sometimes now RL opens the back door so I can get a running start and I leap off the deck....probably about 6-7' RL says.
So I'm not sure why it was a big deal when I jumped out of the car window yesterday. The car was stopped and we were coming to visit Sheba and RL's friend. The only problem was I didn't know which house Sheba was in. I ran up and down the block trying to find her. RL says next time she's keeping the windows rolled up and I have to walk with her nicely to ring the bell. That's fine, I suppose, but not as much fun.

Radio dog coach

2007-09-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

RL was working in the basement this morning (which is really my hang-out) and listening to this woman on the radio. RL told me that her name is Tamar Geller and she calls herself a "life-coach for dogs." At first I thought that was stupid, but we listened some more and she really had some good advice. Did you know that "barking is like chocolate for humans?" She said it releases good feelings in dogs!
She's a big fan of our Animal Humane Society and dog adoption. RL likes adoption (she said the dog before me was adopted) but she did buy me. I'm glad because she really knows how to handle my anxiety. Today was such a bad day...there is construction happening across the street...and she turned the dryer on in the basement so I didn't have to listen to it and could take a nap.

RL's Blue Day is my Great Day

2007-09-08T19:35:00.001-05:00

RL says she had a bad day today. She was trying to clean out some frozen turkey drippings from the fridge this afternoon and I was right there ready to help her. Something happened (it wasn't my fault!) and the whole thing spilled on the kitchen floor. Once again, I offered to help, but she put me in the basement for awhile (I could hear her swearing upstairs, not very nicely).
When she let me upstairs again I knew she was feeling bad so I lay on the kitchen floor and licked out all of the grease from under the cabinets and dishwasher that she'd missed when she washed the floor. I can't tell if she appreciated that or not.

Things are back to normal

2007-09-03T08:26:00.000-05:00

Last week was a bummer. BFF had a stay over friend called Cranky Franky because he didn't like any other dogs besides BFF. Not only could I not play with BFF, but I couldn't go for any walks with DPL or get treats and cuddles from Linda. RL tried to make it up to me but it just wasn't the same. Cranky left last night and I got to go spend a few hours with BFF before bed. RL says she knows when I have had a good day by the way I sleep. She says she checked on me before she turned out the lights and I was on my back with all four paws splayed out.

Is this dumb or what?

2007-08-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I like to climb into RL's lap...well, just my front paws...while she's on the computer. This afternoon I saw this and I asked her what that poor dog had done to deserve to be put in a glass bowl. She said it was something that dogs could have so that they could see out of their fences. I'm not sure what she means....my fence is nothing but wire and holes. And so is BFF's. And my friends in Wisconsin don't even have a fence. And what's the good of seeing without being able to smell what's going on. Anyway, I think it's really dumb.

Looking Lovely

2007-08-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

It's been really hot here for the last week so RL has let me hang out in the basement. She says she's worried about all the time I spend down there, but it's my hangout now, what can I say? She had a friend over the other night and I barked at them for nearly an hour inviting them to come down and see me, so she can't accuse me of not being social. I finally had to come up and get some attention from her friend on the porch.
You may remember that RL and I have a difference of opinion about grooming. She says I have to do it, I say I don't. But we seem to be working on our differences. RL has 2 new brushes for me which don't hurt nearly as much. I know the one in the middle looks scary, but it's my favorite. She also brings a baggie of steak for me...how long did it take for her to figure that part out? Sometimes she's not nearly as smart as I want her to be.

The great escape!

2007-07-21T08:11:00.000-05:00

RL took me and BFF over to the gardens last night. We walked around while she looked at cabbages and zinnias. BFF tried to roll in some kind of sticky leaves; I was really interested in some of the other dog smells that were around. She stopped and looped our leashes over a wood post and walked around putting water on different plants. BFF and I watched for awhile but when her back was turned, I lunged HARD and we were free!! I ran hard down the paths and turned to see where BFF was but he was just sitting there! RL didn't seem too concerned (but she might have been pretending). Since she wasn't chasing me and BFF wasn't running with me, I wasn't sure that escaping was such a good idea. I ran up and down again to see if they maybe didn't notice me. Nothing. RL was talking to a man I'd never seen and told him my name. When he called me, I ran up to him and he turned my leash over to RL. She gave me a hug and I'm pretty sure her heart was beating a little bit faster than it usually does. Maybe it's just better to stay at home.

Sundays are best

2007-07-15T10:02:00.000-05:00

RL swears I know the days of the week. Most mornings, I head upstairs to my favorite closet until I'm sure that there aren't any life-threatening trucks in the neighborhood. But 2 mornings after the ugly trucks come to pick up the garbage, I hang out with RL instead of going upstairs because I know she's going to take me for a ride. She says she's getting the New York Times. All I care about is that she takes me. So I don't really know the names of the days, but I do know what's important in my life and I'm not going to miss a ride in the car!

Big Day

2007-07-11T20:28:00.001-05:00

RL started to leave this morning, and then came back to get me! I was so happy to go for a ride even though I had no idea where we were going. It turns out we went to the house of 3 dogs. (RL says it is also the house of her BFF.) One of them is old, one is quite large and the other is just sort of weird.

The big one and I ran around outside...he is big but I can still out run him. Sometimes I got nervous and had to stay inside so they could talk without worrying about me.

RL's BFF's daughter is really kind and took good care of me (even though I jumped on her bed and woke her up).

We had so much fun that we posed for a group photo before RL and I went home!

Another Dog

2007-07-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

RL has another white dog that she plays with. While I'm sleeping under her desk in the basement, she wakes this dog up and he plays music for her. His ears move up and down and his head glows with different colors and turns back and forth. He barks when he wakes up and whines when he has to go back to sleep. At first I wasn't sure about having him around, but she doesn't take him for car rides or give him any string cheese, so I just ignore him now.

How I came to be cute

2007-07-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

RL found this picture of me at 4 months in her stash of photos. Now you know how I got cute!

Bad Day

2007-07-03T17:08:00.000-05:00

I'm not a dog that swears but really. Today was the worst. All seemed fine until Briana and Barklee showed up. RL didn't like us tearing up the house so she took all of us to the dog park. But I guess she didn't think about the fact that it was almost 90 and really muggy so we didn't stay long. When we got home, Barklee's dad was in the basement making horrible noises and I couldn't find anyplace that was safe. Thank goodness DPL came and got me and Linda could give me some hugs. When I got home everything was quiet and I found my favorite corner in the basement to take a nap. RL said it was hard on her, too, but I don't think she understands how truly sensitive I am.

BFF and DPL

2007-07-02T14:39:00.001-05:00

This is my BFF, Jaeger along with his "dad" Dog Park Larry (DPL). DPL is probably one of my favorite people in the world. He comes over almost every day and takes me for rides, walks or sometimes just to play in his backyard with other dogs in the neighborhood. He loves to spoil BFF and me but he's really very kind. His wife Linda is really good to me and gives me water in a special bowl and treats that RL doesn't have. Then I go and lie on their bathroom floor and take a nap. RL tells me that we're very lucky to have them right next door to us. I'm not sure what she means...I mean, how would it be any different?

Names

2007-07-01T16:12:00.000-05:00

Most people call me "Bella," but RL calls me a lot of different names:
Bella Ella
Bellarina
Bella Louise
Bella Marie
Bell
Bell-mel
fluffy girl
fluffy face
pal
pumpkin
sweetie
sweet fluffy girl

BFF's people have a really strange name for me, but I'll save that for another post.

Not me, but her

2007-06-30T18:26:00.001-05:00

I would like to point out that the last post was not written by me, but by RL herself. (Note that she refers to me as "Bella.") RL was trying to find any excuse to drive out to the Apple store and get an iPhone. I don't even know what they are. Now, if there was an iBone I might be interested.

iPhone

2007-06-29T21:22:00.001-05:00

Bella is telling me that she absolutely MUST have an iPhone, but I think she just wants a ride in the car and is using the launch of the phone to get me to take her on the errand.

Scary

2007-06-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

RL took this picture of road construction just down the street from our house. They are working everyday all summer. I'm glad they're not coming any closer. That noise would be so terrifying that I'd never come out of the closet!

Driving with Miss Bella

2007-06-23T20:18:00.000-05:00

Have I said how much I love it when RL drives me around? (Don't ask how she got that last picture. I'm not sure it was safe driving!)

Hide and seek food bowl

2007-06-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

I don't trust my food. RL puts it down and I immediately try and push it somewhere where I can't see it. In the winter, when RL has a rug on the floor, I can pull it over the food, but in the summer I have to work harder.
RL was out for dinner last night and when she came home she asked where my bowl was (she's always interested in whether I eat or not). She walked around the house several times and finally found it in between some boxes on the dining room floor. It took a lot of effort to push it out of the kitchen, into the dining room and then behind those boxes! And she wonders what I do all day!

Grooming

2007-06-19T08:38:00.001-05:00

I'm a grooming challenge, I'll admit it. Not only do I grow a mat in the blink of an eye, but I have to admit that I can get nasty when RL hits a sensitive spot. This spring we agreed to just cut off most of my coat and start over again. Last night RL took me out on the porch and brushed out my face and I have to admit, I look pretty cute again. I know she loves me, but now I look like I'm loved.

Basement time

2007-06-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

BFF Jaeger is at a family picnic today, so I'm spending time in the basement...cool and dark. Maybe RL will take me for a car ride tonight!

Book Puppy

2007-06-16T16:39:00.001-05:00

Hey, RL's friend Bookgirl in Asheville has a cool friend who started his own blog! Check it out!
PS....Bookpuppy, you should try plastic pens and bones for chewing....they're awesome!

BFF

2007-06-15T17:20:00.000-05:00

This is Jaeger, my BFF and RL's niece Briana. She brought her dog Barklee, too, but he wouldn't sit for the photo.

I hate Fridays

2007-06-15T07:06:00.000-05:00

Don't ask me how I know, but I do. The moment RL comes to get me from my sleeping pen (which I love) I can sense it's a bad day. In fact, I won't even go out to the yard to pee. It's just better if I head upstairs to my favorite closet and try and forget about the garbage trucks and recycling trucks that are threatening my world this morning.
RL tries to tell me that they've never hurt us in the past, but I know it's only a matter of time. She sits out on the deck and doesn't know that she's about to be run over by one of them. There's room on the closet floor for her if she would only figure it out.