Alfred the Pug

When we're tired...

2012-01-16T19:19:00.000-08:00

What else can we do? Just sit on our favorite chair waiting for treats to walk over to us and get into our mouths. This waiting, kills us, though...

You have to go, really?

2012-01-06T13:02:00.001-08:00

Mom came home for lunch and when she opened the door I realized that it was a glorious day--the bone Gods were definitely on my side. After lunch and taking care of my business, I grabbed my buddy, Froggy, and out the door we went to find a sunny spot it the yard, and believe me we had lots to choose from.

Just as I was about to get comfortable, Mom called us in because she needed to get back to work. I tried to convince her to let me stay out but she offered to bribe me with treats and who am I to refuse a treat or two or even three?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T20:04:00.001-08:00

Wow, can you believe it's already 2012? Where did 2011 go? If I were a hunting dog, I'd try to find it. Well, in 2011, we moved to a different state. We are now in Memphis, home of Elvis and of BBQ. By the way, I still have not been able to convince my parents to let me try some BBQ or even chew on a few BBQ bones. Apparently, we are not allowed to chew on cooked bones--what a stupid rule, if you ask me.

We started 2012 with my brother Chopper suffering from diarrhea. I know, very, but very gross... You probably remember that my little brother Chopper has an enlarged esophagus and has to be on a special diet, which consists of FreshPet food. It was very confusing to try to figure out what to do for a poopy Choppy, but we finally settled on some boiled rice mixed with some of his FreshPet food. He's been doing pretty good, so I think that fixed him.

I've been pretty good myself, although I did have a wicked seizure about a week ago. It was a two stage seizure. My mom came home for lunch to feed us and I was sound asleep. I guess I must have been startled because by the time she came in, my muscles had gotten very tight and I collapsed on the floor (I have local epilepsy). Mom, of course, held me while it was going on and, after a few long minutes, I was as good as new, or so I thought.

When I went outside to do my business, the second part of my seizure hit and I collapsed again, this time under a bush in the backyard. Luckily, it did not take long for mom to come check on me and Choppy and she found me and carried me inside. That was a bit tough, because I'm a 23 lb pug and my mom is one small lady, but she managed. So then she held me again and this time, the seizure did go away permanently.

I don't like having seizures but if I go many months without having one, then when I have one it's really big. If I have them more frequently, then they're smaller. Either way, I get screwed. But not as screwed as my sister Stella, she has general epilepsy and she even has to take medicine for it.

Well, enough of sad pug stories. I just wanted to wish everyone a great 2012.

Your pal--Alf :-)

Chopper stole my idea!

2010-07-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

Brilliant idea!

2010-07-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Our Mom had this brilliant idea of putting Stella's fuzzy carrier and the fuzzy lamb, which is actually a cat's bed, in the corner of the guest bedroom. Let me tell you that this spot brings out the best in me...

Quick, rub my belly!

2010-07-07T16:52:00.001-07:00

We are tired!

2010-07-07T16:46:00.001-07:00

Yes, my brother, sister and I are too tired for words!!!

I'm not as sad as I look :o)

2010-06-30T18:14:00.001-07:00

I'm just super-tired after a big meal and taking care of my siblings. That Chopper is a handful!!!

Ready for bed!

2010-05-31T20:02:00.001-07:00

Here I am in our spare bedroom. I'm waiting for mom to be done working on the computer so that we can all go to sleep.

I hope you guys enjoyed the long weekend. Chopper and I chased each other around and we took our parents walking. We also played with our sister Stella. She and Chopper are sleeping together on the same
pillow now.

My picture in the NYT website

2010-05-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, my friends, I am finally famous and my picture is on the Lens blog of the New York Times. After terrorizing my Mom to participate, she finally got her ducks in a row and took at picture of moi at 10AM on Sunday, May 2. Then she uploaded it to the website and now here I am in all my pug glory. I also made sure all my favorite stuffed animals were in the picture. It was a lot of work to bring them all because every time my brother Chopper sees me carrying one, he wants to steal it from me--what a stinker!!!

Chopper is not in the picture as you can obviously see, I don't know in which pillow he was crashing. And my sister Stella was sleeping in her bed in our parents' room. Only I followed my Mom faithfully around the house and stayed with her while she graded some of her economics students' papers.

Finally the grading is over and Mom has more time to take us walking and rub our bellies, necks and ears.

We take care of the planet, why can't you?

2010-05-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Look at his adorable cousin of mine making a difference:

My new brother!

2010-04-08T21:44:00.001-07:00

It's official. Chopper and I are brothers now. Our pug family has
adopted the little booger. I don't think he would survive anywhere
else without me as his pillow.

Look it snowed

2010-02-22T20:43:00.001-08:00

And I got to walk and pee in fresh, white snow. How fun!

Stop, I tell you!!!

2010-02-22T20:14:00.001-08:00

Chopper, that tongue trick is getting old. Stop hoarding all the human
attention around the house!

Take us to bed Mom!!!

2010-01-25T20:26:00.001-08:00

Good pillow

2010-01-25T20:25:00.001-08:00

Yes, every once in a while Copper can be a useful, fluffy pillow!

Best Friends

2010-01-25T20:23:00.001-08:00

Chopper's hugs are the best. Especially when we're both tired!

How was your Thanksgiving?

2009-11-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

Ours was swell except for the turkey absence.
Since our parents did not cook a turkey, we could not indulge in a
proper Thanksgiving meal. However, not all was lost. Our Mom went to
Wholefoods and bought us dome organic treats. They were so delish that
I made her get up at 2:30 am last night so that I could get a little
snack.

Ready for bed!

2009-11-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

The pugs, the pillows and the pets (aka our stuffed animals).

Sharing with Chopper

2009-10-28T07:02:00.001-07:00

Here we are sharing Stella's bed. She must have been walking around somewhere...

I'm addicted to...

2009-10-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

Stuffed animals. Here's my lamb.

Too tired

2009-10-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

On this Saturday night...

We've been good, we promise

2009-08-09T18:14:00.001-07:00

And we deserve some itty bitty pieces of filet mignon!

Just chelaxing!

2009-07-19T11:02:00.001-07:00

It's too hot outside and I'm too tired to move...

Finally some rest

2009-06-23T20:36:00.001-07:00

Tonight, Chopper and I were tired so we did not quarrel o er who got
to be closer to mom on the bed. We just crashed on the pillows. We
loooove pillows!!!
Mom says that in this picture I look like I'm doing yoga. But she did
not tell me the name of the asana that I'm supposed to be doing...

Help!

2009-06-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

Our mom has been missing for almost a day. We don't know what to do
except look pathetic and beg for her to come back. Please momma! We
promise we'll be perfect pugs...

We're tough pugs

2009-06-01T15:53:00.001-07:00

And we're playing rough over a chew toy!

Greetings from the dryest spot on the carpet

2009-05-31T15:36:00.001-07:00

Mom has been steam cleaning the carpet and we, the pugs, have been
helping. Our job is mainly to inspect and indicate which parts of the
carpet still need to be cleaned. And so, here I am telling mom that
she missed a spot. You can tell I take my job seriously!

And here's me

2009-05-28T08:47:00.001-07:00

Don't I look relaxed and zoned out?

Here's Chopper last night.

2009-05-28T08:46:00.001-07:00

Good morning!

2009-05-26T07:35:00.001-07:00

We returned not that long ago from our morning walk. Chopper does not
like walking but our mom makes him go anyway. Stella goes too although
mom carries her in a Pet-a-Roo pouch because Stella scrapes the top of
her toes when she walks and they start bleeding.

Mom was happy this morning because Stella peed outside before and
after our walk. However, Chopper, our wonderboy, had two accidents in
the house. But mom is patient and she's trying to take it one day at a
time. Plus, Chopper does a lot better when it does not rain. And this
morning everything was wet because it rained all day yesterday.

As for me, I'm just trying to relax. And I'm hoping the weather
cooperates so that we can go on walks more frequently.

Tomatoes how I love thee...

2009-05-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

I love you sliced and diced,
Quartered and whole.
I love you in a plate, on the floor,
From Mom's hands and in my bowl.

Upside down and tired!

2009-05-22T15:55:00.001-07:00

That's the wrong look!!!

2009-05-22T15:54:00.001-07:00

Here is Chopper trying to get away from our morning walk. I love walks
and now he's trying to convince my mom to not go on walks. Chopper,
throw me a freaking bone, will ya?!?...

Froggy is mine, Chopper!

2009-05-20T18:47:00.001-07:00

Stay away, ok?

We are comfortable!

2009-05-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Froggy and I love to sleep together. He does not even mind that I use
him as a pillow.

Here's the reason we're banned from the backyard

2009-05-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yep, this is it. And it even looks like it needs its feathers combed. I'll be more than more to do it...

Us again, tired as usual!

2009-05-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

And tanning indoors. A robin family has taken over our backyard and our Mom will not let us go outside unsupervised for fear we might attack the robin chicks that are learning to fly. Ohhh, please... We're pacifist pugs!

Chopper is tired...

2009-05-16T12:24:00.001-07:00

Not surprising since he spent the morning pretending he was shopping!

Maybe he's going shopping...

2009-05-16T12:23:00.001-07:00

Chopper somehow grabbed Mom's bag and was walking around carrying it.
Luckily, Mom did not have her wallett in it or Chopper would have run
up the credit card bill shopping for treats...

Crash time for the pugs and froggy!

2009-05-15T19:30:00.001-07:00

Mom says we look like an old couple baking in the sun...

2009-05-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Chopper the pillow hog...

2009-05-15T10:32:00.001-07:00

It's after lunch and I am exhausted

2009-05-15T10:31:00.001-07:00

It feels good to stretch down on the floor. Chopper on the other hand
needs a pillow. I'll show you...

Me looking adorable and cute!

2009-05-13T20:13:00.001-07:00

Chopper looking pitiful

2009-05-13T20:12:00.001-07:00

We know, we know...

2009-05-13T20:09:00.001-07:00

We could not be any more pathetic if we tried!

Oh my goodness we are so tired

2009-05-11T20:21:00.001-07:00

It's past our bed time :-)

Chopper did it!

2009-05-09T16:48:00.001-07:00

Look, look! Chopper climbed on a counter-tall chair all on his own. My
parents got a counter-tall dinning table and unfortunately I cannot
jump that high. Chopper, who is skinnier than me, was able to climb on
one of the chairs today. Hmmmm, I wonder if I lost some weight, if I
could do it...

But going on a diet is too tough! I'd rather eat treats than hop onto
tall chairs!

On the way to visit my PaPa

2009-05-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

My poor PaPa had to spend a few days at the hospital with pneumonia,
so I'm on my way to cheer him up now that he's home.

No humans on this chair!

2009-05-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hello!
Here are Chopper and I again, the two tired pugs. When our mom is at
work we can finally relax. I think she wears us out. When she's around
we have to go on walks, be cute and funny, and jump for our treats. If
I did not know how much she loved us, I would call the animal abuse
people. Being perfect pugs is too much work for us!!!

Anyway, so our only chance to recover is when she is at work. So we
have taken over our dad's chair and this is where we'll rest today!

Inseparable pugs

2009-04-30T12:55:00.001-07:00

Chopper and I are "almost" joined at the hip!

We love our mom

2009-04-28T17:44:00.001-07:00

Her lap is small but we can layer!

Two tired pugs

2009-02-11T18:58:00.001-08:00

Chopper and I like to play catch with each other a lot. But I get
tired faster than he does. Luckily we also like to rest together!

Our cousin Chopper

2009-02-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

This is Chopper, who is waiting to be adopted at the NWA Pug Rescue.
Chop Chop is staying with us until he has a real family. He has an
enlarged esophagus and we are studying the best way to feed him. He, Stella and I cuddle all the time!

My annual meeting with Santa

2009-01-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings my fans!
I know, it's been a very long time since I have kept you posted on my adventures. I decided to test-drive our new scanner that my parents got for Christmas and here's the result. Yes, I know, it's a picture of me and Santa, the sweetest dog treat giver in the whole wide world. I was so over-joyed to see Santa again since our meeting last year that I almost jumped out of this lap with joy!

Warning: Dangerous Dog Toy

2008-09-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
One of our friends at the Northwest Arkansas Pug Shelter has forwarded a most horrific story about a beautiful dog, Chai, who was injured while playing with a Pimple Ball produced by Four Paws. Apparently, this has not been the first time that such a thing has happened and the company has not been diligent about preventing more of these freak accidents, since they knew about it in 2005 (according to someone who wrote to Chai's dad) and only now have they issued a recall.

Go through your doggy toy chests and make sure that (1) if you have a pimple ball, remove it and put it in the plastic recycling bin or in the trash, and (2) if you have other Four Paws toys, make sure you inspect them to see how safe they are (think of what would happen if your pup yanked a pice of the toy, or if the toy broke, etc.) or keep an eye on your pup when (s)he is playing with these toys.

Of course, my mom, who is the most paranoid person I know when it comes to our safety, would actually toss any Four Paws toys, if we had any. Luckily, she has trained us to love stuffed animals, and the most that has happened to me is that I poop an eye the following day. I know, gross...

Here's a disturbing picture of poor Chai and his Pimple Ball:

On the same blog entry, you can also see a video of poor Chai.

I hope all my pug brothers and sisters and all my other canine cousins are safe from this and other menaces.

Be well,
Alfred, your loving pug

Three happy pugs...

2008-08-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

Me (Alf), Stella and Olive!

Mom loves me...

2008-08-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Mom had to got to Orlando on business. While she was at the airport she got me a new Froggy. I love my new Froggy... Olive had chewed my old one pretty bad and Mom was afraid that it would not last much longer. So now we have no worries for a while.

Dad said that we may need to start scheduling regular trips to Orlando so that I can have a regular back up Froggy. I'm not sure if Dad meant it or if he was just joking but, in any case, I love my parents...

Mom thinks I'm chubby!!!

2008-06-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

And she is going to start giving me less food and I probably will get smaller treats. Mom says that she is going to cut those treats that I get for giving moral support to Stella when she goes to the bathroom outside. But I don't understand why I am being punished if I am being kind to my sister! Plus, I go on walks every day--my nails (and my feet) are so worn out from my walks that the ladies at the vet thought that I was chewing them!!!

Humans are too messed up...

Good Weather

2008-05-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

I love hanging out in the yard with my pets. Some months ago, Mom got me this rattling ducky that I love. I think he is my second favorite stuffed animal, the first one being my beloved Froggy. The rattling is really cute but my parents get a little bit annoyed when I bring him to bed at night. But then I give them one of my looks and they cannot get upset at me and the rattling Ducky.

Mom is the best pillow...

2008-05-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung

2008-05-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Mom loves this picture of me in front of the chives. I like chives too, they smell garlicky. And I love oregano too, it's a good herb to pee on. Sshhh, don't tell my mom... She keeps griping at me because she is not able to use her herbs for cooking anymore!

My Humans

2008-05-14T19:02:00.001-07:00

As you can see, my humans and I are a very close pack and we even sleep together, share pillows, etc. Here we are on a typical weekend morning.

Another Olive visit

2008-04-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Olive is coming to spend the night. Her mom has to go out of town again and so I will have to babysit Olive. Just to think about it I am already tired. That little pug is like the Energizer doggy, it just keeps going. I guess the good thing is that I'll have funny stories to tell you.

Speaking of fun, mom told me that she is taking me to the Farmers' Market tomorrow. OMG, I can hardly wait. I love that place; I never want to leave!

Watch out for the laser pug!

2008-04-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

She's gone!

2008-04-02T19:11:00.001-07:00

It has taken me several days to recover from Hurricane Olive. Oh my God! She is not just an alpha dog, she is the whole alphabet!!! When Olive arrived, we had a blast playing but soon enough I noticed that she was monopolizing my humans. They could not sit down without her sitting on their lap. And then she would not even share the lap with me. It took some major convincing on my part for her to finally let me have some of my parents' attention. Olive also monopolized my frogs! My frogs!!! I am still horrified because I love my little froggy.

The one thing where I could get ahead of Olive was in the food department (thank God). Olive is a little bit insecure when it comes to food, so when Mom was not watching I tried to steal it. Stella did too. But Mom caught us both and she locked us up in the big crate so that Olive could eat at her own leisurely pace. It's probably for the best, I guess.

Anyway, I love Olive and all but I am happy that I can have my parents' lap, bed and attention back (the only one that I don't mind sharing with is Stella). And my frogs too...

Olive, it's just a camera!

2008-03-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

OK, this cute girl over here, almost in your face, is named Olive. She is one of my friends and she's spending a few days with us because her Mom is out of town and her dad is in Iraq. I don't think Olive has seen a camera quite as fancy as my Mom's. Or maybe Olive's Mom is not a "camera-in-your-face-all-the-time" type of Mom. But Olive will get used to all the picture taking.

Well, it's been exciting around here this evening. Olive plays with me a lot. We chase each other around and she is always grunting. She's a very vocal pug... Mind you, I am still not very comfortable sharing my parents' laps with Olive. I know she loves to cuddle and all but she must respect my home and my cuddling time has priority over hers. Now Stella, she can have my Mom's lap at any time because she's my beautiful little sister of whom I love to take care.

By the way, my sister Stella is sleeping. She can sleep through all the chasing, barking, and running, bless her heart!

But I think it's time for us to go to bed too. We will be having a busy weekend! I'll let you know how it turns out later.

I love it here, seriously

2008-03-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

I suppose I would love it more if my parents got rid of this dinosaur of a computer monitor. That way I could spread out and take naps. I may need to have a talk with my folks...

My itty bitty sister

2008-03-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

I like my sister Stella. She is older than me, so technically she is my big sister but she is itty bitty so she is a little sister. I hope that as soon as she gets used to our house, she'll become more playful. She is really quiet (except for the light snoring and breathing) and she never barks. But that's OK, I can do the barking for the two of us.

Last night I woke up and Stella was missing so I scratched on the bedroom door. Dad opened the door and I went looking for my sister but could not find her. It turns out Dad was holding her in his arms. As soon as I saw she was well, I just went back to the bedroom and went to sleep. She's so tiny, I worry about her all the time.

Make Do

2008-03-09T10:10:00.001-07:00

We got my little sister Stella on Friday evening. She's a tiny little thing, very cute. She sleeps a lot and I think she's still very shy, so she is not playing very much with me. But that's OK because I am a very patient pug; besides, yesterday I went to Pug Play Day and I had the best of times. But I digress...

My sister Stella loves my basket and now I am basketless. Luckily, my Mom still had an old bed that my parents bought me when I was a puppy (and that I never used) and she put the bed next to the window so that I could tan. Of course, I just grabbed Froggy and off we went to the tanning salon.

The bed is tiny (or maybe I'm too big, but I like to think of myself as a healthy Super-Pug...) but it works fine. Mom said she'll try to find me another basket but apparently, PetSmart is out of wicker baskets so we'll have to check Petco.

A tiny seizure on Monday

2008-03-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I had a seizure; the good news is that it was a little one and I had not had one in almost two months. This was my fifth one and it was very, very mild. It happened when I was taking my afternoon nap and my dad got home from visiting my mom at her new work. I woke up startled and I had my little seizure. Dad said that I was very brave and I was not even scared. He just stayed with me and comforted me until it was over. Thank God for dad...

The waiting is killing me...

2008-03-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
It is official! Next Friday I am going to get an older sister. My dear sister is five years old and she has been living with some nice ladies from the Northwest Arkansas Pug Shelter. Her name is Stella and of course, she is a pug. She is very cute but you best watch out because I am a big pug (25 lbs, mind you!) and I will protect my little sister--she's only 14 lbs! Here a picture of her. Isn't she precious?

Horrible Things

2008-02-25T19:59:00.002-08:00

You know that my parents are really nice people--although, I have to say, a lot of it is because of the good values that I have instilled in them. They have been trying to find me a little brother or sister, preferably a doggy that needs rescue. So they have been spending many, many hours browsing rescue shelters and now they are very depressed.

There are so many puppies and doggies that need a home that it is really sad. The other really bad thing is to read all the horrible things that humans sometimes do to my fellow canines. There are doggies that are left at home for a couple of weeks without food or water, others are always kept outside whether it is below freezing or steaming hot, and that's not all. The horror stories go on and on and when you think it can't get any worse than that, bam... Another story even worse than the previous one.

Here's some of the shelters' websites may parents have visited (by the way, if you are an emotional person, don't visit these sites because they will make you very sad):

Pugs in NW Arkansas:
http://www.echoesbleeding.com/pug2/adoptable.htm

Pugs in Oklahoma City, OK:
http://www.homewardboundpugs.com/available.html

If you can help any of my little brothers or sisters, I'll be forever grateful! And don't forget, if you live in NW Arkansas, March 8 is Pug Play Day. You can take your doggy to meet all the great pugs in the neighborhood and you'll be helping to raise funds to help those that are not yet fortunate. And who knows, maybe you'll meet the pug of your life...

Getting ready for the summer

2008-02-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do, as you dear readers might have noticed, is to tan. Unfortunately, the winter is still with us but I am already preparing my tan every time I get a chance. Not even my dad's illness (poor dad has a cold or a sinus infection) gets in my way. A couple of days ago I even had to wake him up so that he could open the door for me. You see the sun was out just for me and who am I to not worship the sun? Sun, sun, sun, here I come...

Baxter and Me

2008-02-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had a canine visitor. It was Baxter, a Boston Terrier that has become my newest buddy. Shhhh, don't tell Tink and Macy. Baxter and I had a blast. We chased each other around and I showed him our big backyard and our house. I showed him the bedroom where I sleep with my parents. My Mom was not around, so Baxter did not get to meet her but I told him how nice she is. At night she is just a big pillow that I can lean against and sleep. I told Baxter that there was enough room for him on the bed if he ever decides to move in with me.

I like having friends to play with. I wish my parents would adopt a little sister or brother for me, but no, they're just too self-centered and keep thinking about menial things like jobs and money. It's just not fair. After all the work I have put into making their lives comfortable and joyous, I just cannot fathom how they can be so selfish...

P.S. Sometime after Dad took this picture, Baxter and my Froggy hooked up. I was a little suspicious of Baxter when he just grabbed Froggy and took off. Luckily my Dad rescued Froggy and put him in his cage. "It's for your own good Froggy!"

Look at these cuties...

2008-01-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

Look at this! J. Crew has a doggy clothing line Crewmutts that is totally adorable. And they are showing it off with these cute little puppies--I call this unfair competition! Although I must say that they did resit the urge to use pugs as so many other brands have done. The only thing that I don't understand is why are their sizes so small. Most of the items come in XS and S, quite unsuitable for a healthy pug like myself. Plus, it's like they think that only puppies need clothes, which is absolutely not true!

How Embarassing!

2008-01-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

This morning Mom and I got up and she let me out so that I could go take my morning restroom break. It was really cold this morning too! When I took my poo-poo, a little piece of it got stuck on my bottom. I was so embarrassed that I did not even want to go back inside. When Mom came to check on me, I was sitting in a corner away from the door. She called me and I went inside and she saw immediately my problem. I went and sat under the kitchen table to hide my shame. Mom was really nice. She got a paper towel and wiped my bottom. I was happy right away. Thanks Mom...

My Epylepsy Update

2008-01-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

I know that it's been a while since I posted. Oh, hush my fans, everything is fine.

About a week ago I had my fourth epileptic episode. This one was not too bad and I wasn't as scared. My parents and I now have enough information about these episodes to be able to observe a pattern. So here's what we know so far.

All my episodes took place at night. I would be sleeping restfully, when my dad would arrive from work and I would get startled with the noise of his arrival. I would sprint out of the bedroom to protect my mom (I didn't know for sure that it was dad coming home, you know!) and then BAM! my limbs would become stiff and I could not move properly. All four episodes happened like this.

On my last one, dad picked me up while I was having the seizure and took me to my mom. She held me until I was O.K. I wasn't very scared this time, so my legs were not as stiff and my face did not look as terrified. That made my mom happy. She thinks that maybe my seizures are getting weaker and maybe they'll go away. We'll see, I'll keep you posted.

I'm so glad my parents are here for me. I'm a very lucky pug!

Wishing you a happy 2008!

2007-12-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
Here I am with my Mom. Can you tell that she treats me well? I wish all the pets out there could be as well taken care of as I am. So my resolutions for 2008 are:

Work on my "pity me" look so that my parents feed me more treats
Sleep more, possibly try to develop a way to make the planet rotate slower so that I can have a 25th hour to sleep. Hey Superman, lend me a hand will you?
Pamper my humans more, although that will be almost impossible as they already are pretty pampered
I want people to treat their pets better, do you hear me? This means: take your doggy on a half-hour stroll twice daily, feed it proper food, and spend some time training it. If you can't figure out how to do this, then maybe you should not have a pet dog.
Last, but not least, I hope 2008 will have less pet abuse and less homeless pets than 2007!

Peace to all from your loving pug,
Alfred

It happened again

2007-12-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

Last night I had another seisure. This is my third one and my parents are concerned. They wonder if I have any other seisures while they are at work. I don't know because I can't remember. My last seisure happened around midnight. Dad had just gotten home from work and I went over to greet him. I had to work a little bit to get the bedroom door open because mom had closed it. When I got out and I went over to see dad, it happened. Dad said that it lasted a couple of minutes. He stayed with me to comfort me and watch over me. Then he took me to the bedroom and he woke up mom and told her. I layed on the bed and hugged Froggy.

We are now wondering if I am always going to have these seisures. So far they have happened about once a month and always at night. Maybe I get really excited when I dream and that triggers them. I don't want my parents to be worried but I am glad that they are there for me. They're the best pug parents ever!

I'm going to visit Santa

2007-12-13T17:43:00.001-08:00

I can't wait to go visit Santa at PetSmart! Mom said that I'm going on Saturday or Sunday, we don't know yet. I'm going to tell him how good I've been all this year. I hope he gets me some really good yummy treats and maybe an apple. Let's see all my accomplishments...

I ride in the car with my own seatbelt. And most times I don't try to escape. However, when I go to the Farmer's Market, I do have trouble containing my contentment and I pull a Harry Houdini.
I eat healthy. I always eat my veggies and fruit. I love my tomatoes, apples, and peaches. And I even love popcorn, which is pretty healthy--at least it works for the Weight Watchers people!
I work out and I keep a healthy weight. Even my vet is impressed with my weight control.
I am the cutest pug ever as you can see all over this Blog (and I even work for a living)!
I pet my dad all the time and I always try to keep his face warm by sitting on his pillow.
I stopped peeing on the bean bag!
I have excelled at training my parents who pamper and give me treats every time before they leave the house.

There, I think that's pretty good, don't you think?

Bubbleless bath

2007-12-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

Mom thought that I was a little bit stinky (Dad told her Nooo, how can the cutest pug in the world be stinky?!?) and she finally decided to give me a bath. I kind of like baths. I mean I'm not crazy about them but they're OK.

First mom filled the tub with warm water, then she grabbed me and put me in there. She got me all wet and washed my wrinkles with a washcloth before she used any soap. Then she started scrubbing me really well with soap and then shampoo. She tickled my back, but don't tell her that!

Mom likes to use this soap that she got at the Bath Junkie when they were still on the Fayetteville Square. (Then they closed and moved to the NWAR mall and then they closed again! Good grief...) And the shampoo she got me does not make my eyes cry in case it ever gets in them, but mom is always very careful.

While mom was washing me, dad warmed up my towel in the dryer. After my bath ended mom called dad to bring the towel but he did not hear, so I took the opportunity to jump out of the bathtub and off I went running like a mad pug around the couch. It was fun! Then dad grabbed me and dried me off a little bit and then handed me to mom to finish the job.

I like the toasty warm towel. It's better than when I go to the spa and they put me all wet in a stainless steel crate with a cold air fan blowing my way to dry me off.

My Christmas Tree

2007-12-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

We finally put up the Christmas tree. This is my first one ever because my parents did not trust me before this year. Well, I guess they still don't trust me considering all the No, No, Nos I hear. But, I mean, seriously, if you don't want me to mess with the tree and the decorations, then don't put stuffed animals under it. It's going to drive me nuts to see Pooh and Tigger and Woodstock and not be able to chew on them. I'm gonna try really hard to resist temptation, but I'm not making any promises!

P.S. On the left bottom corner, you can see my pictures with Santa from two years ago!

Not to me!!!

2007-12-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

On Friday around 2:30 a.m., something odd happened to me. I got really stiff and I started to get really scared. Mom woke up and saw me leaning against the closet door. She called me but I did not go to her. Then dad came by to check on me. He got scared too. I tried to walk away from them but I was stumbling. I felt really dazed and confused. Dad told mom about my other seizure that happened about a month ago. I don't know what happened either time but, on Friday, mom took me to the doctor. I like going there because I always see other doggies, there's tons of nifty smells and, hey, at the vet's office I am a star. Everyone loves me--my doc has a thing for pugs, eh eh eh...

My doctor thinks that I might have epilepsy but he's not sure. He asked mom many questions but as far as mom could tell, everything in my routine is normal. He told Mom to keep a journal of my seizures to see if we can find a pattern. Then he took me to another room and took a blood sample. I had a little drop of blood on my right arm after I was done. I don't like getting my blood taken.

Mom doesn't want me to be sick. Maybe I'm not that sick. We'll just have to wait and see. The doctor called later on Friday to let us know that my blood work was all normal. Thank God because Mom was afraid that maybe my food was made in China and I was suffering from melamine poisoning.

My Razorback Frog

2007-11-27T08:24:00.001-08:00

My mom knows how I love froggies. Unfortunately, my favorite one is getting old really fast because he's so pampered with all my love. Mom has been on the lookout for a good substitute for my favorite frog. She found this Razorback red frog that does an adequate job but he's not as flexible as the other bean-baby frog, my one and only favorite. We'll see how this plays along. Red frog will do until mom feels so guilty that she'll have to give me her back-up bean-baby frog, the one she got at the Orlando International Airport. Yeah, I've seen him lurking around, way up in a shelf, away from my loving teeth... But I can wait, I'm a patient pug!

Winter Sun Slave

2007-11-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

I don't like winter that well. I looove the sun and I miss being able to go outside and just lay around working on my tan. Luckily, my humans have caught on to me and they have rearranged the furniture on the south-facing bedroom so that I can still tan in front of the window. I just love feeling the warmth on my back...

Oooohhhh, I'm so tired...

2007-11-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Thank heavens for Froggy. He's my favorite pillow and sleeping buddy!

She's back...

2007-10-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

OMG, my Momma is back. I missed her so much that I cannot even find words to describe it. I spent the first few days that she was gone sleeping in her closet so that I could not forget her scent. My schedule was all out of whack and I did not have my two daily long walks, so I was having problems going to the potty. I did spent a lot of time going on short walks with Dad; he was a real trooper.

On a bright note, I did get to see Olive twice, my cute and lovely friend. I wish she would visit me more often but that's OK, cute pugs have very busy schedules.

Well, gotta go...

Correction

2007-09-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

It turns out that unemployment is not the doom we were expecting it to be. It turns out that there are other personal events that can really tear you up. But luckily I am here to support Momma. Where would she be without me? These humans are so inept, it's frightening...

Doom is near

2007-08-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Mom is a bit depressed because she is still looking for a job. I have been trying to cheer her up. I walk her twice a day, make cute faces and act adorable all the time, but she still find it tough...

I wasn't scared, no, really...

2007-07-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

My mother told me that because yesterday was the 4th of July, people burned fireworks that made a lot of noise and sometimes had pretty lights. I did not get it, why would anyone make so much scary noise for nothing? I thought we were under attack, so I barked until I almost lost my voice. Then mom was really concerned for me so she took me outside so that I could see what was going on.

We sat on the drive-way but I was still very scared and between defending my mom and running away, I chose to defend my mom. So I continued to bark... Finally, mom just grabbed me and held me really tight. I was still very scared, but I had to play tough, so I tried to escape mom but she continued to hold on to me. I think she could feel all the little jumps in my heart every time those pseudo-bombs exploded. I really had to put my best front up and after a while I had to quit jumping at every little explosion. That was so tough, you cannot even imagine.

Then, after some endless minutes, mom finally decided that we could go back inside and so we did. The explosions were still on going and I had to bark, I just had to! You know, just in case my mom was wrong and we were really under attack. You know how humans are, they don't hear very well, can't smell very well, and their eyesight is not very good either. They're cute, but they need to be protected and I am not one to shun my responsibilities... I am one tough pug, dude!!!

Me having my belly rubbed by my parents

2007-05-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

A belly massage is one of the great pleasures of a pug's life... You should try it some time!

Didn't I tell you I was cute?

2007-05-17T20:17:00.001-07:00

Spring makes me so tired...

2007-05-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

Yes it takes me all day to recover from my night sleep. It's such a huge chore being cute all the time, even in my sleep... Thank God I have froggy to keep me company!

Training Update

2007-05-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

I would like to announce to the world that my "Treat before You Leave" program is fully developed. Now my human dad is also fully trained, so I get treats before my mom leaves for work and before my dad leaves for work.

But don't be fooled. I work for my treats, you know. I am the first line of defense when there are animals on the big screenTV ready to jump into our living room. And I am persistent. I even check the back of the TV screen just in case they're lurking there. Gotta be on the ball with the digital creatures...

Peek-a-boo!!!

2007-04-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

I like to keep track of everything that my humans have. Here I am looking outside at our yard. Sometimes there are these cats who like to sleep in the comfy cushions of the garden chairs. Yes, you heard me right! I know what a cat is, and a dog too!!! The only animals that don't freak me out on the TV are humans and monkeys. Go figure, they're kind of alike...

I eat, therefore I am...

2007-04-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

Let's make one thing clear: I only go on daily walks so that I can eat more. That's it! I just want to eat more and more and more after that. I am very appreciative that my parents have the clear presence of mind to give me regular exercise--daily walks nearly twice a day--so that they can take pleasure in giving me treats more often. And I don't even mind begging for more treats and sometimes I even beg for walks so that I can get more treats.

When my mom is about to leave in the morning, I quickly run to the laundry room (where she keeps my food and treats). That way, she has to pay me so that she can leave for work. And what's the payment, you ask? TREATS!!! She gives me a treat, or two, or maybe even three, if I'm swift enough...

Boy oh boy

2007-03-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? It turns out that some wet pet food was contaminated with rat poison. Some of my brother and sister canines have gone to dog heaven because of that (and some felines too). Luckily, my vet told my mom to not give me wet food because it's 80% water. That's really expensive water if you ask me. And it turns out it's also expensive poisoned water...

Am I not totally adorable? Go on, admit it...

2007-03-22T12:30:00.000-07:00