The Wondrous Life of Parker the Pug

Olympics

2010-02-22T22:49:00.003-05:00

Parker is legitimately watching ice dancing right now. I wish I was kidding. He's sitting next to me on the couch and his little head is going back and forth as the crazily clad Russian pair bounces around. Perhaps it's because the woman's outfit looks quite bird-like. How come my dog decides to finally pay attention and it's to my LEAST favorite part of the olympics?

He's been a little off since Saturday, when my downstairs neighbors got a little puppy named Watson! Parker is confused and likes to sniff outside of their door, as though Watson might just appear. We're working on their relationship....so far Watson just likes to look at him and bark/whine.

They're using our dog walkers, so Parker and Watson are going to playgroup together everyday. Clearly these two will be BFFs soon. Today apparently Parker was too distracted by his girlfriend Maude to pay much attention to his neighbor.

Slow and steady.

Westminster

2010-02-16T13:53:00.002-05:00

GO Cody GO!

Oh and I'm definitely getting Parker that outfit. This way when I train him to make me dinner and bring me a glass of wine, he'll be wearing the proper attire.

dog muggin

2010-02-10T12:38:00.002-05:00

My friend Laura just shared this link with me. I encourage you to read it and be horrified on behalf of Lexie.

Don't worry -- Parker would cause quite the ruckus if someone tried to take his coat (which cost more than $25!). He packs quite a punch.

Wise pug.

2010-01-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

Reporting for duty

2010-01-15T13:45:00.002-05:00

Parker better be next! He would clearly be the foreman.

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO133130/

TWINS Bazzle...TWINS

2010-01-13T21:16:00.003-05:00

Parker had a visit tonight from his bff Bob...and Bob's dad, Martin. I wish everyone could have seen how excited he was when Bob appeared at the door.

Now that Parker has a new jacket, they are finally twins...for real.

Trying to stay warm...

2010-01-13T11:30:00.002-05:00

Here's Parker sporting his new jacket on our walk this morning. In case you can't tell, those eyes are saying "thanks Nancy for the Christmas gift card to the dog store where Mom bought me this glorious item."

Spread 'em

2010-01-12T09:41:00.003-05:00

Sunday night I'm having dinner at my parents' house and I look down to see Parker in a rather peculiar position...
At first I thought maybe he slid and landed like that...and he would readjust asap. Nope. Just lay like that for about ten minutes. Spread eagle and just hangin out. The world is your oyster, Parker.

Happy 2010!

2010-01-07T12:04:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Parker and I actually had a really nice holiday with my family. I say 'actually' because I expected him to be a holy terror...and instead, I was pleasantly surprised. He was a lovely host to my aunt, uncle and little cousin who stayed with us and helped put together an awesome Christmas Eve dinner.

Perhaps the most shocking development over those 3/4 days was that he slept every morning until we got up and opened the crate. Literally...on the first morning (Christmas Eve), I was completely in shock. I heard my uncle up and moving about the kitchen around 9 am and my eyes shot open in bed and I lay there waiting for the first bark. One minute went by....two minutes went by...I even risked it by waiting a full five minutes, and NADA. So I got up and tiptoed out into the kitchen to see if perhaps someone had stuck a sock in his mouth. My uncle was getting breakfast and making tea, and I walked in and just looked at him...puzzled. I think I said something like "I don't get it...where's Parker?" To which he responded, "still in his crate, I didn't wake him up yet."

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

All in all, Parker was really well behaved over the holidays. He didn't beg when we squeezed 12 people into my place for Christmas Eve dinner, he hung out at my parents' house on Christmas Day while people opened presents and we had dinner, and he followed my 5 month old cousin around obsessively trying to lick his little hands and feet. We decided that Parker just loves being surrounded by people...the more love the better. So in that way, the holidays were his personal puggy heaven.

Fortunately we went out this weekend and bought him a new jacket, because it's been freezing in Boston. Oh, that was on Saturday...the day that I slept until 10 am and woke up assuming that he was dead because I hadn't heard a PEEP from his crate. We have turned over a new leaf my friends, and I like it.

Are they here yet???

2009-12-23T10:27:00.002-05:00

Parker is feeling festive and ready to greet our holiday guests!

The holidays are upon us...

2009-12-22T15:32:00.006-05:00

I do apologize, it's been AGES since I have posted.

The past 6 weeks or so have been very interesting...and I hope to write a complete update about that soon. Parker and I have certainly had our ups and downs (and the downs were pretty extreme). At the moment we are doing well and getting ready for Christmas fun. He and I are hosting Christmas Eve, so the monster will be quite thrilled having 13 people in the apartment to lick, jump on, and generally harass.

He has certainly enjoyed the snow. I'm not quite sure what happens, but the moment that he steps outside and realizes there is snow on the ground...it's like he has taken a hit of speed. If you ever wondered what a pug on crack looks like, this is it. He does get very chilly though, and I only have one hoodie that fits him...

Exhibit A:

Everyone laughs and calls him santa pug. I guess it's warranted. I promise that he actually likes it! One thing that he did not like, however, was the morning when I dressed him as rudolph pug...

Exhibit B:

We did not get a real tree this year for a variety of reasons. Topping that list was my fear of Parker lifting the ol' leg on it. (Once you hear some of the crap that he's pulled in the past few months, you will see why.) But with the help of an uber crafty friend, I still decorated this weekend -- keeping everything out of pug reach.

This morning's bark time...

2009-11-13T09:15:00.002-05:00

6:14 a.m.

This was after closing the crate door and covering it with a blanket last night. So that tactic is out. On to plan b...

Please place your vote (via comment) for either:

1. Citronella anti bark spray collar.

or

2. Stationary bark control training system.

Who's in charge? Pug...mouse...or me?

2009-11-11T10:14:00.010-05:00

Last night my friend Laura said to me "it's pretty clear who's in charge in your house." In case you're wondering, she wasn't referring to yours truly. It was the second time in less than a week that someone said this to me. So, I'm working on it. Turning over a new leaf. Getting serious. Game face.

Lets go back a few days...

Parker spent last Friday with his pug buddy Bob and his owners Martin and Cat. He's been there countless times and never had a problem, and yet on Friday, Parker peed in the apartment. First of all, way to make me feel SUPER when I come pick you up, jerk face.

Kate: "Hey, Martin! How was the day? Thanks so much for hanging with him!"
Martin: "Oh it was great, per usual. We went to the park, hung out, did some chewing. Then Parker peed on my bike."
Kate: "Excuse me? Please tell me you're kidding."
Martin: "Nope. Right here [points to bike]."
Kate: "Shit, I'm so sorry. He's been acting up lately and I'm stressed about it."
Martin: "It's cool. I yelled at him and put him on his back for a while. Yeah, he's clearly going through adolescence and trying to assert his dominance. You have to remind him that he's not the alpha. He looks at me and says 'that guy thinks he's in charge, so I'm gonna pee on his bike.'"

Does this look like the face of someone who's running the show?

Okay fine, maybe it is.

Martin has offered to take Parker for a week of boot camp. As he said, "I'll break him down and you can build him back up." This is frighteningly appealing to me.

In the meantime, another living thing has moved in with us. Mickey mouse is living in the pantry and has enjoyed such delicacies as almonds and chocolate chips, while pooping everywhere. (Jury's out on which one of those is worse.) What I haven't figured out is why Parker isn't going after him when he hears the noise. Or does he just not hear it? Bear with me for a minute -- how can Parker hear my cell phone alarm go off in the bedroom every morning while he is tucked away in his crate all the way down the hall -- and yet not hear the sound of a furry animal chomping away at almonds a mere 9 feet from his pen??? It's very unclear.

So as much as I am dreading the day when Mickey runs across the kitchen floor, I am totally down for PUG v. MOUSE. I'm taking bets...

Things We Can Learn from a Dog

2009-11-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When loved ones come home, always run to great them.
When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.
Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
Take naps and stretch before rising.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout...run right back and make friends.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you’re not.

...thanks to my friend Ashleigh for passing this along. I've read it 8 or 9 times now and it keeps getting better.

FML

2009-11-03T07:10:00.002-05:00

Can SOMEONE please explain the time change to Parker? Please....? Barking started this morning at 5:55 am, and would not stop no matter how long I ignored him or how many times I yelled at him.

Okay - any ideas on how I can convey this to him? Anyone have Cesar Millan's cell number so that he can whisper it to Parker over the phone?

Monster legs

2009-10-29T10:50:00.002-04:00

This lovely photo was taken this morning, as Parker lay with his head under my bed and his legs sprawled out behind him (those things are LONG I tell you). Everytime he gets into this pose, it reminds me of an old post on my favorite pug blog.

Lately, he does this every morning while I'm getting ready for work. First he has to cruise around the rest of the apartment and get his nose into just about everything....then eventually he makes his way into the bedroom and decides to check out what's happening under the bed. Sometimes he just stays like this, without dragging himself all the way under. I don't really get that though? Is he just surveying his "kingdom"...? I wonder if he remembers being stung one time while he was under there. Who knows. From time to time I have to check under there to see if he's left any of my socks or underwear. Trust me, it happens.

I'm gearing up to get more serious about training. Parky has been acting up big time over the past couple of weeks and I need to get him back in line! Ugh.

I spoke too soon

2009-10-23T14:36:00.004-04:00

Remind me NEVER to make any more comments about Parker behaving while I'm in the shower. OK? Thursday morning I exit the shower and see the Comcast remote control on the rug in the hallway outside of the bathroom. I'm not really sure why I took a moment to think about whether or not I had left it there...because that answer is pretty obvious.

I pick it up, look at it, and then look at my friend the MONSTER sitting innocently in the kitchen. (If I could read his thoughts at that moment, they would have been "mom, that was SO five minutes ago"), I then bring it over to him so that he remembers his handy work when I'm yelling at him...
Some of you are probably thinking, "gee, Kate, this sounds awfully familiar." For those of you who aren't, I draw your attention here.

I didn't have the heart to check and see if it worked before I left the house. I knew that if it didn't, the thought of having to wait to get a new remote before I could watch everything I had on DVR would make me want to chuck something off of my porch. Fortunately for Captain Destructo, it did work when I got home last night, and we were able to curl up and watch a few episodes of Glee.

Since I started watching Glee, I've noticed that Parker takes a particular interest in it. Usually he only watches TV with me when there's a dog on screen (Cesar Millan is his personal favorite), but there's something about this show that he finds interesting and entertaining. Last night while I lay on the couch watching an episode with Parker on my lap, I noticed that he stopped chewing on his rope to watch this scene with me. If only he was bopping his head along with the music, now that would have been fanpugintastic.

In other news, Parker spent last weekend at his buddy Bob's house and had a blast. It was a bit chilly on Saturday when they went out, so Parker wore one of Bob's jackets and apparently didn't want to ever take it off. When Martin went to put it on Bob the next day, Parker tried to wiggle his way in! So, now I need to purchase him one for the winter.

Tomorrow night we are off to a birthday pawty for his puggle friend Sophie. I will be sure to get some photos.

Ponkadoodle

2009-10-15T15:51:00.003-04:00

Dad: "How's the little man doing?"
Me: "Oh he's good. He had a playdate last night with his friend Wilbur. He's a goldendoodle."
Dad: "Oh yeah, I think I've seen a few of those at the dog park recently when I take Parker. Tall? Lots of fur? What are they called again?"
Me: "Goldendoodles. Cross between a golden retriever and a poodle."
Dad: "Oh ponkadoodle."
Me: "No, GOLDENdoodle."
Dad: "Yeah, ponkadoodle."
Me: "Okay, yeah, sure. Ponkadoodle."

It's cold!

2009-10-14T11:17:00.002-04:00

Is October in New England always this cold? And if so, how come I forget every year? I could see my breath at 6:45 am while I was out walking Parker. I ran into my neighbor Stacey who was walking her dog Wilbur and one would think that it was the middle of January by the way she was dressed. Priceless.

The good thing about Fall though is that I get great photos of the little monster...
I decided that a full blown halloween costume was cruel and unusual punishment for him, so I purchased a halloween shirt at Old Navy. I must say that he looks really cute and bad ass in it. There will be photos next week, not to worry. We headed out to visit Stacey and Wilbur the other night and Parker was wearing his shirt. Two NSTAR guys stopped us on the way to admire him and thought that his outfit looked smashing. (I was totally expecting them to make fun of me for purchasing a halloween t-shirt for my dog, but they must have partners who do the same thing.) Instead of being super gracious and appreciative, I snapped "AM I GOING TO LOSE MY POWER?" Because the thought of being home, alone, in the dark, freaked me out.

We're back

2009-10-08T10:29:00.002-04:00

Dogs are adaptable. This is what I've always told friends who are going through major life changes. I'm sure that I've even said, "dogs are more adaptable then people, so don't worry." But when it's you and your dog, it's nearly impossible not to worry. Everyday I'm anticipating a change in his behavior...and I'm trying to appear happy and "normal" for him. I keep thinking back to the morning when I had to take him to Angell because he was foaming at the mouth and refusing to eat, and Nik kept saying "you MUST remain calm! He can sense your anxiety!"

So, this means that I have an adaptable dog who also picks up on all of my insanity. I'm screwed.

That said, he seems to be doing fine (aside from the peeing on the bed incident...and an infection in his face wrinkles which was/is really quite horrifying and disgusting), and is still happy with the little things, like our evening couch time. Now that the morning routine has changed, he's even behaving while I'm in the shower (knock on wood).

While I try to focus on me and figure out how to make positive changes in life to get me to a better place, I'm also going to spend a lot of time with my favorite monster. If nothing else, he's a great listener.

I heart grass...

2009-09-16T18:04:00.002-04:00

I came home from work today and the dog walker's note said that Parker was "dognapped" for the afternoon. Apparently he went on three walks, and two doggy playgroups. Needless to say, by the time I got here, he was pooped. It's really quite glorious to return from work and know that your dog had a fun filled day.

So we didn't hit the park this evening, because he didn't need the exercise. Instead, we went on a walk around the neighborhood and ended up in our backyard. At this time, someone decided it was time for a snack:

Really? Seriously? Does that taste good?

Sunday morning

2009-09-13T10:51:00.002-04:00

Just another Sunday morning photo shoot here at home...

Pawty

2009-09-06T08:25:00.003-04:00

I have been a no good very bad blogger. I am making a commitment to be better! And now I have quite a few witnesses so I have to stick to it.

Parker had quite an exciting month of August (lets have a moment of silence for the end of summer......). Our neighbor Erin threw him a pawty complete with streamers, blowers and doggie ice cream! To say that the little man was in heaven would be a vast understatement. If he could have fit his entire head in that ice cream cup, he would have. He certainly tried.

Though we attempted to clean his face of the dried ice cream, he ended up making the trip back to Boston with that crap caked all over.

Now that he is 1 yr old he:

-Is finally sleeping until 7 am...

-Is still eating the toilet paper whenever he can get his dirty little paws on it...

-Is still passing out on the couch every night at 8 pm. If there's a lap available, he's on it...

-Is still just as crazy as ever and hasn't figured out how to entertain himself unless it involves jumping on a bed, sticking his face into a pile of laundry, tugging a pillow off of the couch, etc.

-Is still so damn cute...

Birthday boy!

2009-08-15T09:29:00.002-04:00

The little man is growing up! Friday was his 1st birthday. He's getting so old -- now if only he could behave like it.

Though we didn't throw him a birthday party yet, I have a vision of it going something like this with his doggie friends:

I'm generally up to no good

2009-08-11T09:05:00.003-04:00

Friday is FUNday

2009-08-07T11:06:00.004-04:00

The two happiest pugs in town...

It's "noisy boys" Friday, and Parker is in heaven. I wish that I could hang with them today and see how happy they are. More romping photos to follow, I'm sure.

In other news, a very big congratulations to our amazing dog walkers, Urban K9, for getting Best of Boston from Boston Magazine. I can't imagine the last 10 months without them.

Morning antics...

2009-08-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

"Now that I got myself in here, how in the world will I get out?"

Other potential plans...

2009-08-05T11:57:00.002-04:00

My friend Laura has suggested a spray collar that's controlled by remote. This is a veeeeeery interesting idea, and I am considering investing in one. When Parky was young, we borrowed a sound activated spray collar from one of our doggy park friends. I thought we could try using it on Saturday/Sunday mornings when he's in his pen and barks his head off starting at 6ish. I'll admit that we chickened out and never used it. I was worried about whether or not it would traumatize him, and if his little puggy nose and eyes would be bothered by the citronella that's sprayed. (I can be very overprotective, fyi.)

But at this point, I think that using the remote spray collar at the park when he goes to eat wood chips may not be a bad idea. Laura also reminded me that it's slightly insane for 3 or 4 of us to go running around the park after him with spray bottles.

...

For the past ten minutes, I have been trying to find information online about pugs and spray collars. I didn't find much, except one book that suggested pug eyes can be irritated by too much exposure to the spray. As you know, pugs have the bug-eyed syndrome, coupled with zero snout, so they always get more in their eyes than breeds with noses.

Thoughts?

Launching attack

2009-08-04T13:51:00.002-04:00

OK here's the plan. As soon as I can get myself to a Target, I am launching the "wood chip eating WILL END" attack. Here is my (not so secret) weapon:

At the moment I can't remember who gave me the idea, I think it was someone at the dog park. But, I'm really hoping that it's going to work. I plan to actually buy 3 or 4 of them, and I have enlisted the help of a number of people at the dog park. We will position ourselves strategically around the park, each armed with a spray bottle. Whenever Parker the Devil Pug tries to eat a wood chip, SPRAY SPRAY!

If this doesn't work, I'm open to other ideas. He did slightly better tonight, only because I bribed him with treats and there were a zillion other dogs around. But towards the end I had to give up because he wouldn't stop eating and/or obsessively staring at and jumping on a woman who had treats for her lab.

Oh, Parky.

And I thought it was bad before...

2009-08-01T10:02:00.002-04:00

Today is a first. Parker and I went to a different dog park this morning, which was awesome. It's basically a HUGE field that's been turned into a doggie heaven. We were having a lovely time (except for him jumping up on everyone)...until I lost track of him for a second. The next time I looked over, he was lifting his leg ON A WOMAN who was crouched down holding her dog. I'm pretty sure that I shrieked and launched myself in their direction. Thank god she was a good sport about it. Although her friend told me that "it's probably a sign of dominance and now you should remind him of his place." Thanks. I'll get right on that, once I figure out what his place is.

Anyway, he ran like a madman and hopefully will pass out shortly. Last night Bob and his parents came over for dinner/playtime -- and Parker and the Bobster played for hours on end. It was really, really awesome. It made me want another pug for a second. And then that second passed.

Destructo-dog

2009-07-31T12:35:00.003-04:00

Lets assume for a moment that dogs can talk. My canine question of the day is: "how would you open a zipper?"

Really though, I would love to know the answer. I put Parker in his pen this morning while I showered. While in there, I had a nagging suspicion that he was up to something, but I chalked it up to the sound of the garbage truck outside. Oh was I wrong. When I walked into the living room, he looked up at me with something beige in his mouth. My immediate thought: "it couldn't be...oh shit, it is." Styrofoam.

My little son had managed to open the zipper under his bed and start pulling out the styrofoam cushion with his puggy teeth. It was really unclear how much of it he actually ate, and how much he just pulled out. Lets just say that a good 1/3 of the styrofoam is no longer attached.

This raises a number of questions:
1) HOW DID HE OPEN THE ZIPPER?
2) How could styrofoam possibly taste good?
3) Why is he so pissed off at me?
4) Why do all of the good quality beds have to cost over $100? (The one that he just destroyed was around $30 from Petco. I don't recommend them anymore.)
5) Does styrofoam expand in a dog's stomach? (I asked Nik this question while I was still standing in my towel giving Parker a death stare. She told me that he wasn't going to die just because his eyes were getting droopy. That in fact, he was probably just tired from his hard earned snack.)
6) When will our dog stop being descructo-pug?

Pay some attention to me, please.

2009-07-30T10:21:00.005-04:00

Unfortunately, Nikki and I have had various things going on the past few evenings, and Parker isn't too happy about it. He's feeling ignored and perhaps slightly pissed off. Both Tuesday and Wednesday, I came home to feed him and take him for a walk, and then I had to put him back in his pen. One night he actually hid from me under the coffee table (that was fun), to avoid being left again. It broke my heart a little bit, until I realized that I was running late and became annoyed.

Both nights, we returned and found his pen in COMPLETE disarray. It looked like a tornado hit the 3' x 3' square of the living room that is his space. He had flipped over his bed, pulled the towel off of the top of the crate, spilled his water, pulled all the blankets out of the inside of the crate, and shifted the shape of his pen from a square into lightning bolt. I wish I had a picture of this, but don't worry I'm sure that I'll have more opportunities to capture it on camera.

So that's clearly how Parker deals with being pissed off at us. I interpret pen destruction to mean "F you, moms. now clean this up and i'll go grab one of your socks and hide under the bed."

This morning, I tried to spend a little extra time playing with him before getting ready for work. We played fetch with his donut:

...which I adore because half the time you can't see his face, just a giant red blob coming towards you. He's been really into keep away lately. He gets bored with fetch after 3 or so minutes and gets into his "come and get me sucka" pose. Great fun for all involved.

When he (begrudgingly) went into his pen this morning, I promised him some quality time tonight.

Woodchip war take two...

2009-07-27T18:41:00.002-04:00

We just returned from a failed attempt to the dog park...due to WOODCHIP CONSUMPTION. We had a moment of hope when we arrived. Parker took off after one of the local puggles, only to stop after about 2 minutes and snack on some chips. It only went downhill from there.

Once we decided to leave (after only being there for 6 minutes tops), Nik made a very swift move across the park to stop him from eating a big one. Never knew her to be a sprinter but I swear she looked like an elk. It was impressive.

And now here we are back at home in the A/C. Parker sitting on the couch next to me chewing on one of his toys, his stinky breath wafting in my direction.

Saturday morning

2009-07-26T08:20:00.002-04:00

Doesn't he look like such an angel. Unfortunately he wasn't one at 6:10 am, 7:00 am, or 7:40 am...when we enjoyed his barking until Nik finally got up. He's lucky he's so cute.

Waiter?

2009-07-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

Possibly the best shot ever of Bob and Parker.

Sneaky bastard

2009-07-24T09:30:00.003-04:00

Nikki picks me up from work last night and here is the conversation in the car.

N: "So, um, earlier when I was at home with Parker...I was putting clothes away and then I came back into the living room and he was chewing on something."

K: "Something like what?"

N: "Well, you know your Sony iPod dock?"

K: "Oh, shit."

N: "Yeah, I'm not sure the remote works anymore. He put two BIG chew marks right through the top."

K: "Jesus. I hope you yelled at him, like, BADLY."

N: "Oh yeah, he wouldn't come near me for 15 minutes."

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

I came home and tested it out. No surprise, it doesn't work. Then I had some choice words for Parker. (I'll refrain from quoting them here.)

In other news, Parker is having a great day post remote chomping. He's on a playdate with his most favorite companion, Bob. It's been about a month since these two have hung out, and apparently when Nik dropped him off this morning, he was beside himself with excitement. Here's the happy couple now...

Howie, I heart you.

2009-07-22T10:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/specials/pets/pets_on_summer_vacation_09?pg=48

Amazingly perfect

2009-07-22T09:20:00.001-04:00

"Owning a dog is slightly less expensive than being addicted to crack." - Jen Lancaster

WOODCHIP WAR

2009-07-20T18:16:00.005-04:00

Monday @ 7:00 am: Parker and I went on a lovely stroll and ended up stopping at the dog park. There weren't any puppies there but someone is nosy (who knew his name would end up being so appropriate), and wanted to do some sniffing. I warily opened the door and assumed my YOU WILL NOT EAT WOOD CHIPS position. To my pleasant surprise, Parker did not go for the chips. He just walked around the entire perimeter, sniffing as he went. He never does that when other dogs are there, but when he's running the show, he apparently likes to survey the entire area and see what he's been missing. It was so nice to actually feel relaxed while at the park.

Fast forward thru me going to work...Parker taking a nap...going to playgroup with the dog walkers and his buddies...followed by a series of naps....

5:45 pm: I came home from work, fed the monster and set out for our walk over to the park. I was feeling positive coming off of our experience there less then twelve hours earlier. There were probably 3 or 4 dogs there, including one who was really excited to play! So, what does Parker do? He walks in there, pees, and then goes to work EATING WOODCHIPS. Oh man was I pissed. So, as our trainer Melissa instructed, I put his leash back on so that I could correct him when he tried to go for it. He literally does not care how many times I give him a verbal correction and/or a firm tug and "NO." Could not care LESS in fact. It is so, so frustrating. I even held onto the leash and walked around with him, and he would STILL go for the chips. There were moments when someone threw a ball for their dog, and Parker would get excited so I'd let him run after them. He would go about halfway....bend down...and start eating again. I. ALMOST. LOST. MY. MIND. We left and went home.

Me = defeated
Parker = stomach full of wood chips, face showing no remorse

Broke due to pug

2009-07-18T12:15:00.001-04:00

Parky and I are on our own again for a few days as Nik went on a little mini vacation. Attempting to be a super responsible single mother, we headed over to the vet this morning to get his Revolution, because he is overdue. (Making me not such a responsible parent.) The woman at the desk noticed that he is almost one year (how the hell did he get so old so quickly?), and said that it would make sense for him to get his heartworm test. Once I recovered from the idea of them having to take blood and me not being back there to comfort him, I started to realize that this probably wasn't going to be an inexpensive visit.

$176 later, his test was clear, we have 6 months of Revolution, his nails have been clipped, he has more C.E.T. chews for his nasty breath, and I am broke.

Poor Wally

2009-07-17T12:42:00.002-04:00

After posting this morning, I checked in on Walter's blog, to see how the little man is feeling today. I am so ashamed for complaining about having to wake up at 6 am to walk Parky. I have nothing to complain about. My guy is happy and healthy and poor Wally is struggling just to sleep or go to the bathroom outside.

A little perspective goes a long way. It's frightening to think about how quickly life can change. Literally at a moment's notice.

Sending truck loads of good wishes to Wally. (So does Parky.)

Too early

2009-07-17T09:56:00.002-04:00

I go to bed last night completely exhausted. Even managed to talk Nikki into walking him (since I usually do the nighttime shift). At the time, it didn't sound like a bad idea to trade for the morning walk.

So everything was grand until someone started barking at 6 am....and guess who had to get up?! I'm totally not bitter.

In news that's completely unrelated to Parker, saw The Hangover last night and it's hysterical. Go. See. It. Now.

Morning time with yurtle the turtle

2009-07-14T20:23:00.002-04:00

:(

2009-07-14T15:25:00.003-04:00

Sending every positive thought/wish that I have to Walter and his mom Heather. I can't imagine what Heather is going through right now. Parker and I are wishing for Walter's speedy recovery.

Just the thought of that happening to Parker makes me want to cry.

Sunday at the park...

2009-07-12T21:18:00.003-04:00

FINALLY a nice weekend in Boson, so we decided to venture to the dog park in the South End w/Parky pants. He was quite thrilled (see above). We've made a habit of taking a trip to Polka Dog right after we leave the park, which is about two blocks away. Smarty pants hauls over there (he's no fool) so that he can stick his nose in every single bucket of bones, chews, you name it. It's literally a candy store for pups.

He had a pretty good weekend I must say. We had friends over last night for a BBQ so he got a whole lotta lovin. In fact, there were ladies fighting for his attention! OK that's my brief update. Now back to searching for a new harness since he's balding under his front legs from his current puppia...

Mama's boy

2009-07-07T09:25:00.004-04:00

As many of you who have dogs probably know, their alliegence (read: obsession) to particular parents is known to vary from week to week. This week, he has been glued to my girlfriend Nikki's hip. Seriously. Glued. He follows her from room to room. If she's getting ready in the bathroom mirror, he either sits on the bathroom rug looking up at her (above photo!) or will bring a toy and lie down on the runner in the hallway just outside of the bathroom...so that he has a good view of her and anything else that may be happening in the apartment. Because, there's no telling when a sock might fly through the air that he'll be interested in, or better yet, I may rise from the couch and walk over to the refrigerator. In this case, it's imperative that he position himself appropriately in case I clumsily drop a spare crumb.

The kicker is that Nikki left this morning for a work retreat. Uh-oh for Parky. What will he do without his most favorite mom? I will likely introduce distractions...and perhaps bribery. Can you say dog store tonight? I can.

WTF

2009-07-06T14:18:00.001-04:00

There is something really wrong and weird about this.

Bad blogger...

2009-06-30T11:28:00.003-04:00

Wow, I've been pretty delinquent lately w/my blog posts. My apologies! There's a lot of ground to cover but I'll start with our fantastic training session a few weeks ago with Melissa (check out her blog). I shouldn't really say "Parker's session" because lets be honest, dog training is almost more about the people then the dog.

We learned a lot about Parker's behaviors, specifically how to handle his jumping up, eating grass, mulch, wood chips, etc....destroying things while I'm in the shower, and beyond. Probably one of the most helpful things that Melissa told us is that Parker is a smart little man, and we need to keep him busy. To quote her: "He's one of the smartest pugs I've ever met, and with all intelligent dogs, they can get bored and destructive if left to their own devices! Keep his brain going, and he'll be wonder-dog!"

One of the games that Melissa showed us, is "find it." It's basically hide and go seek with treats...and also makes him work on his sit/stay. He LOVES it. You can see the little wheels turning in his head, and his nose going crazy as he searches the house for the yummy goodness. The cutest part is that once we're done playing, he goes back to each one of the spots where I hid the treats to see if there's any remnants. Smarty pants.

Anyways, I highly recommend Melissa if you're in need of a dog trainer. Plus, having her come to the house was definitely the way to go. It was really helpful for her to see us and Parker in our environment. Plus, it was hysterical to see Parker sitting on the couch (aka his couch) next to her giving her this look like "who the hell are you and what's up with all of these weird boundaries?"...and then not even a minute later, he was doing exactly what she wanted. Genius I tell you, genius.

In other news, Nik and I went away this past weekend and Parker stayed with Sarah, grandma and grandpa (they HATE when I call them that, but I can't help it!). As you can see from the following photos, he had a very relaxing weekend.

Happy as a clam on grandpa's shoulder:

At this point, he probably gets excited when we go away because he usually gets to go stay with the dog walkers for a few days (which in his mind is "parker's playhouse"), and then over to my parents'. Talk about a spoiled boy.

Back to school

2009-06-17T09:54:00.002-04:00

He had a break, but it's time to go back to school. It's been quite a while since the Parkster graduated from puppy kindergarten, and he needs some brushing up on his behavior (here i would like to reference nearly all of my previous posts as supporting evidence).

So, tonight we have a home visit with his doggie trainer. In my head, she's going to come in, teach me how to be cesar millan...and we'll be good to go. "Calm and assertive" - me in a nutshell.

Favorite day of the week

2009-06-12T09:43:00.002-04:00

Though it's a dreary, rainy friday in Boston, it's still Parker's favorite day of the week because it's Bob day! Wahoo. It's kind of mine too because I love getting photos of them while I'm sitting at work.

Mornings

2009-06-10T09:16:00.002-04:00

Between 7:00 - 8:20 am, Parker and I are at war. Typically my girlfriend gets up in the morning, walks him and then gets in the shower. While she is in the shower, he acts like an angel. Zero problems. Then it's my turn. She leaves for work and I'm in charge. Lately, I haven't been putting him in the pen when I'm in the shower...I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt...c'mon he's 10 months, he should be able to handle a miniscule amount of responsibility. We're talking 10 minutes here.

Some days he goes for the toilet paper roll. Some days he takes a pillow off of the couch in the living room, drags it onto the floor and chew on a corner. Some days he goes into the spare bedroom, jumps up on the bed (NOT ALLOWED) and rolls around in the clean laundry...if he's lucky, he finds a dryer sheet and chews on that for a few. This morning, he left me a nice big poop right in the middle of the kitchen floor.

As I yelled at him for offense #1, he ran into the study and grabbed my girlfriend's dirty softball sock out of the laundry pile...and ran around the house with it. Exhibit a:

As long as I didn't have to clean up anymore sh*t, he could have spent the rest of the day in the laundry pile for all I cared.

Until tomorrow am...

Hot.

2009-06-04T14:16:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the beginning of summer for a pug.

Cute pug puppy-ness

2009-06-03T15:06:00.003-04:00

see more dog and puppy pictures

growing up i admit that i was a pug hater. even in college, i thought they were hideous dogs. obviously now, i am a total convert. i want to squeeze all of them -- especially the pug puppies. it makes me think about parker when we first brought him home. one of my girlfriend's co-workers used to call him GORDITO!! (spanish for 'little fatty')....because he had the cutest buddha belly, which was totally disproportionate to the rest of his mini doggie body.

even though the picture above is a fawn, it reminds me of parky when he was a tiny little dude. he used to get so excited about eating that his back paws would come off of the ground and he would practically face plant into his bowl of kibble. those were the days.

Cheap thrills

2009-06-01T09:57:00.002-04:00

Mmmmmm...ice.
parker pants has taken to playing with/licking/chewing on ice cubes this summer. FINALLY something that's cheap and easy.

Such a charmer

2009-05-29T15:48:00.002-04:00

Parker had another exciting playdate w/his BFF. Most notably, however, he made at least one child cry by at the park. Granted, he was just excited and probably wanted to salivate all over the boy's face, but when you're under 3 feet tall and a dog jumps up and puts his paws on your chest and is eye height w/you...i'm sure it's slightly nervewrecking. But that's my boy, making friends everywhere he goes. Such a charmer.

I'm that person

2009-05-28T14:26:00.002-04:00

Another pic from their playdate last week. Parker is gearing up for another adventure tomorrow....and i am gearing up to lock him in a closet if he doesn't start behaving sometime in the next 24 hours. for years i've always looked at dogs that jump up on people and thought 'thank god when i have one, he/she won't be an ahole like that. i will teach him/her to be perfect. i will have the most perfectly behaved dog. phew. great.' and low and behold, my dog is currently the one getting everyone's pants covered in dirt.

BFFs

2009-05-26T16:25:00.007-04:00

In this the inaugural post to The Wondrous Life of Parker the Pug le blog, I thought I would share my most favorite recent photo of Parker...frolicking in Larz Anderson with his buddie Bob. Parker is bringing up the rear -- in case you were wondering. This was taken shortly before Parker went for his first swim, ever. And yes, I missed this entire experience. Parker was on a play date with Bob and his dad.