On my way to the vet!

Well, hello again,

I thought I would try and sneak in another post before the human takes me to the vet for a 6 day stay. She is heading off to New Orleans for some big conference - all work and no play makes her pretty dull!

While I am at the vet, I am having my teeth cleaned. When I was last there they tried to clean my teeth, but I was not having any of it. When I first moved here I had to have 20 teeth extracted, which is no joke. And which was also not my fault. Its not like I had a toothbrush and some floss. My life before this was not exactly pleasant and I did not get the kind of care and attention I get now. So, after enduring that last lot of dental surgery, there was no chance I was letting them anywhere near my few remaining teeth. So, my human has arranged for me to be sedated while they clean my teeth. She had convince me that this was a) going to be painless for me and b) that it was critically important. She did a good job of convincing me, and now I realize that this minor inconvenience for me is important - I really can't afford to lose anymore teeth!

J and W have promised to come and visit me while I am staying at the vet. It pretty cool for me, because I am the only dog boarding who gets visitors. It does a lot to boost my reputation! Plus they always bring treats!

Well, hopefully when I write again I will have some pearly white teeth to show you. In the meantime remember to floss!
Talk to you soon
Clifford George Jackson

Rainy Monday

After some spectacular spring weather, we have had some rain on and off since Saturday. Now I know rain is important for several reasons, but as you know I am not a big fan of rainy days. It has severely curtailed my outdoor time, so I might have become a tad cranky over the past few days.

What is more interesting is that the human appears to have some sort of spring fever and is going out more. This is really strange, but not necessarily a bad thing. She went to dinner with friends on Saturday evening and then went out for lunch on Sunday! Usually the only thing that gets her out of the house is when she has to travel for work, or when she has to shop for my food. So, I wonder what is going on? I am not complaining, sometimes I like having the place to myself as it gives me time to lie on every piece of furniture in the house.

This morning the human took me for a walk - in the rain! And would you believe it, the cat, Olive, joined us for our walk. She often joins us for our walks, even when there has been snow on the ground. It really makes people stop in their tracks to see a cat out walking with a human and a dog. Have you ever heard of a cat going for a walk, let alone a walk in the rain? She finally ran off when a school bus came driving by and spooked her. We haven't seen her since. She has probably found some new and exciting place to explore. But in the rain? She is, to put in mildly, an interesting cat.

Well, I need to try and find a cozy spot and catch up on my sleep.
Stay warm and dry 'til next time
Clifford G. J.

Did you think I had forgotten you?

Hello to all of you!

I know its been a while since I last wrote to you. I wish I could say that I have been busy, but that would be a stretch of the imagination. Once again you can blame the human, she has been busy and that means I have to lie around and wait.

I hope you all had a good Easter. I did, and I got some Charlie Bear treats in my Easter Basket. I overheard the human telling someone that she was going to cut egg shapes out of bread and give them to me as my Easter treat. Well, at least she was trying to be creative! For those of you who are puzzled by this, I usually get bread as my treat. This pancreatitis severely restricts what I can eat, so no ordinary dog biscuits for me. I stick to wholewheat bread and Charlie Bears, both of which are low in fat, which is what my pancreas can't handle. Hardly a tough life! Besides the Clifford likes to watch his boyish physique, so only the best for me!

The human and I kicked back on Sunday night and watched some movies and then watched a few episodes of the Dog Whisperer. That Cesar Milan, he is quite something, isn't he? He really thinks he has us dogs all figured out. He thinks because we respond to some command we have changed our behavior and you humans are now in control. Hasn't he read my earlier blog posts about acting? And as for that notion of the human being the pack leader, well, really, is he kidding? Does he, and don't all of you humans, realize what is going on? We can respond to your commands, do those little tricks you find so amusing, stay off the furniture,...but do you really think we care? We know what's going on, and we know which side our bread is buttered. So, next time your dog does something cute in return for a treat, just stop and think about what might be going on in our old brain box. I guess its no different than you feigning respect/love/admiration/fill in the blank, for your significant other/spouse/boss/fill in the blank, to get what you want from them.

Luckily for me, my human doesn't try to implement any of his techniques with me. As she says, "Cliffy, you are the perfect dog" so why would she want to change anything. Sometimes she shows some real potential.

Well, the human is hitting the road again this weekend, so I am gearing up for a visit to the vet. Its been a while since I visited them, so I hope they have things shipshape and ready for me.

And to those of you who have asked for my opinion of healthcare reform, I will be posting my comments on that soon.

Happy Spring to all of you,
Clifford George Jackson