Happy Birthday to Me!

So I guess M-guy and M-gal said that I just had my Estimated Birthday on Tuesday! They said it was estimated because they don't really know when I was born. I could tell them, but I don't like to think about those days, so I'm gonna start fresh and have my Estimated Birthday be my Real Birthday from now on.

M-guy seemed a little preoccupied and busy with other stuff, but that's okay because he gave me extra treats and told me he'd make it up to me this weekend with a fun late birthday outing. Also, since it was my birthday and he couldn't take me anywhere special, he let me sleep in bed with him and M-gal! That rocked!! M-guy kept waking up sometimes because he didn't have sheets covering him the whole way. For some reason he wasn't able to move them, so since I was already up there on the sheets next to him, I made sure to curl up real close to him and not move to try and keep him warm, since the sheets obviously weren't doing the trick. If he were smart, he would totally keep me up in bed to do this more often. M-gal made me special home baked doggie treats shaped like bones too! M-guy slipped me an extra one while the other dogs weren't looking. Mmmmmm......yum..............

H

I Passed Again!

So a little while ago, M-Guy and M-Gal took me out one night. We came to a place called a nursing home and he told me that I had to be a good boy so I could pass my Therapy Dog test. What's with all these tests that I have to pass? Isn't it obvious by now that I'm a good boy? Sheeeesh! I guess all dogs have to pass this one though if they want to go visit people in nursing homes and hospitals. That sounds like it would lead to some fun adventures and more places for me to check out, so I guess I'm down with that.

It was a lot like that Doggie Good Something-or-other test, or whatever it was called. M-Guy and these other folks threw me some curve balls on this one though. There were treats I had to walk past without eating, a bunch of ladies yelling, screaming and acting crazy, and the kitchen was at the end of the hall with people pushing carts in and out banging pots and pans together. To top it off, one time we had to walk the other way down the hall while the crazy ladies ran past us, all rowdy like, with a corgi riding in a chair with wheels! The only thing I want to know is how did the corgi get that gig? I want that job next time! It looked a lot more fun than having to walk nicely next to M-Guy through the whole thing.

Anyway, I passed another test again, so I can become a Therapy Dog now. Everybody there kept saying how good I was, and how handsome I am. DUH! What else did they expect from the Handsome Hector? That place was pretty fun, so hopefully I get to go back soon to visit the folks staying there. Hey M-Guy! I didn't help you and M-Gal out around the house that much before this test like I did last time, but don't worry.....I made up for it. I cleared off M-Gal's night stand, and cleaned the kitchen counters for ya. No need to thank me! Just an FYI.

H - Oh...and by the way, I made the Rochester paper because of it, too! Check it out.

Minnesota Guy Meets Hector - Video

Video footage of M-Guy coming out to meet me for the first time.

They Took Away My Tree!!

Hey everyone...The Inspector here! I've just been trying not to freeze my tail off here in Minnesota. I need to figure out how to get M-guy and M-gal to move. It's so cold here a few weeks ago they even brought a tree inside to keep alive. It was even one of those trees that live through the winter for crying out loud. When they brought it inside, M-guy was watching me closely like I was going to do something to the tree....not sure what that would be though. Sniffing it made me want to pee, so I unfortunately had to take a break and head outside to color some of the snow. M-guy told me I was a very good boy. Not sure why the big fuss since I always go outside to go pee. Anyway, I got to go back in after that and investigate the tree some more to figure out what they didn't want me to do to it. The green pointy things smelled good, so I took a little taste. That must have been what he didn't want me to do because he opened my mouth, reached down my throat and pulled out all the skinny green things I snagged off the tree. They tasted so good though, I just couldn't help myself from trying again and again and again. They caught me most of the time unfortunately, but I was able to sneak some green goods off the tree here and there.

Then it happened - they went and took the tree away! If I would have known they were going to take it away because I kept eating it, I would have been more discreet. I figured I was golden until it warmed up at least. Don't they know that tree is not going to survive out there?!? I guess I'll have to settle for all these bones and new toys laying around that we got in these big socks that are hanging in the house for Christmas. Oh wait....I saw Santa this year and we hit it off.....maybe he'll get me another tree I can eat.

H

Sliding Glass Doors.....Friend or Foe?

Hmmm.....ya, not much thinking needed on this one. DEFINITE FOE!!! I mean seriously......what kind of crazy person thought this one up?!? Saturday we're over at M-Guy's friends' house and I get to play with their female Pit and big male Rottie. It was a pretty sweet set up. There was a big opening in the family room to lead out onto the deck, which then went down to the yard with stairs you barely had to use if you didn't want to. Of course I chose not to. We got to play chase a bunch of times and could bring toys and stuff in and out of the house. I got the other two dogs riled up and into a good wrestling match, and of course being the good dog that I am thought we should take this rough housing outside to appease the humans. I spring free from the other two to have them chase me outside when WHAM!!! This invisible force later described as the "sliding glass door" was put in place so the humans could turn on the "air conditioning". This sliding glass door thing is just wrong. I'm all for running into things, walls included, but there's a technique to it. Full speed, face first because you can't see it coming is not it. The only thing I haven't figure out is who is more insane - the person who invented this messed up object or the people crazy enough to buy them and put them in their houses.
H

Walls.......hmmmm.......

Okay, so for the most part they are good things. I can usually bounce off them to help me get to where I want to go. The best thing about walls is that it's so much easier to just let them stop you, instead of having to expend all that energy to stop yourself. When you run at them, they don't move and stop you dead in your tracks. It's awesome! Much more stable of a stopping device than M-Guy's legs.
The one downside is that I think they are built similar to the stairs in some way. Much like how the stairs are not stationary, the end of the walls called "corners" are not so stationary either. It seems to happen most when I turn around, but the corners randomly shoot out and extend themselves to make openings smaller than the first time I passed by. Not a huge deal until you turn around right as they shoot out into your face. Man does that sting. So my lesson for today when it comes to walls - Aim for the center!

H

Me too!! Me Too!!

I couldn't let my friends out in Cali have all the fun, so I made sure M-Guy knew I was ready for that Good Canine Something-Or-Other test by helping M-Gal around the house while he was in Colorado with Wallace and Ajax. I made sure that she knew where one of her socks was by going and snatching it out of the laundry basket. Then I made sure her sandals looked extra clean with a Hector Special Spit Shine. The rug going into the laundry room really needed a beating to get the dust out of there as well. Then I cleaned one of the windows, but that was a little tricky because I had to get up on the desk to reach it. M-Gal kept stopping me from doing all these things like I wouldn't do a good enough job. She had dumped brand new toys all over the place that she wanted me to play with, but I didn't want to play. I had to prove I could be a Good Doggie Citizen thing like all my buddies back in Cali. I was able to do one thing before she stopped me though. The big plant in the corner really needed watering, so I was able to get it free from its pot and bring it to her to make sure she was aware of the necessary attention that the plant needed. After that I got dinner in my crate for a hard day of house chores, and she called M-Guy to tell him all the things I did to help her around the house. M-Guy must have been pretty impressed, because he got back from Colorado and finally took me to take that test. He said I was a very good boy, and that I passed!! Well duh, I'm sure once they heard about all the stuff I did around the house to help M-Gal out, the rest were just details. I got a big rawhide when I got home. It was good. Hey M-Guy.......you haven't unpacked your suitcase from Colorado yet. Let me help you with that...........

H