Cubbie loves to play, but he also loves to sleep! On weekends when I have to get up early, I will get up and start getting ready while Cubbie is still in bed. Most times I have to physically pick him up to take him outside. He looks at me as if to say, “It’s too early. Let me sleep.”

Today, I woke up around 7 a.m. Cubbie woke up around 9 a.m. to go outside, and then he headed straight back for the bedroom and didn’t get up until almost noon (only because I made him take an outdoor break). Then, he came out to the couch where I was reading and curled up under my blanket and when to sleep again! He loves it when I have my days off. He gets to sleep in and just be very lazy.

Sometimes he sleeps in the most random positions. The funniest is on his back with his legs in the air. Most times his legs are bent, but every once in a while his legs are stiff straight in the air while he sleeps. I have no idea how he does it.

During the night, he’ll often go back and forth between on top of the sheets and underneath the covers. When he’s under the covers he’s always nestled up against me. In the middle of the night I’ll feel something pushing against me as if trying to shove me out of the way. It’s Cubbie stretching his legs!

I’m jealous how Cubbie can wake up and go right back to sleep. I wish I had that ability. Often times when I’m up, I’m up. I also admire how he can sleep anywhere. From the back of the couch, to my lap, to the car. It doesn’t take long to hear a low snore.

Maybe I shouldn’t let him sleep until noon, but he’s already so spoiled! Plus, I can tell he’s more relaxed when I don’t start getting ready for work. I’ll explain his “pouty” mood in another post when he sees me getting ready for work.

During most of the day I just relaxed and read a book while Cubbie slept. I figured why not be lazy, too? Sometimes we all need a lazy day.

Posted under Cubbie stories

I’ve only put two articles of clothing on Cubbie. One, was a green shirt with “Here Kitty Kitty” on it as a joke for my dad because he has two cats and Cubbie likes to make them play with him. He only wore it once before outgrowing it.

The other, is a Chicago Cubs dog baseball jersey. Yes, I am a huge Cubs fan. My grandma was a Cubs fan. When she babysat me we always watched the games on television together. She used to know Harry Caray and loved Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace. Not to bring the mood down, but we played “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at her funeral because she was such a fan.

When I got Cubbie, I didn’t have a name picked out. I wanted to meet him first and see what name fit him. He immediately reminded me of a little bear and with me being a Cubs fan, Cubbie just fit. Some people ask why I spell his name with an “ie” instead of a “y”. Well, the answer is selfish. I know the Chicago Cubby Bears are with a “y,” but my name has an “ie” in it so I decided to spell Cubbie’s name like mine.

Last summer my brothers and some friends and I took Cubbie to an I-Cubs game in Des Moines. It was a promotion called the “Dog Days of Summer.” It was very hot, but so much fun to see lots of dogs at the ballpark. I’m hoping to do something similar around here for my next fundraiser for area humane societies.

The best part about the day was how well-behaved all the dogs were. With at least a hundred dogs in one section of the ballpark, I was expecting something to happen. All the dogs got a long, and just relaxed while we watched the game. Cubbie sat on my lap most of the game, but when he got too hot he just sat under my seat for shade. The little kids loved being around all the dogs and went from dog to dog for licks.

The day wasn’t completely uneventful, though. As soon as we got to the park and got out of the car, Cubbie’s collar slipped off. He went running through the parking lot. I was terrified because of all the traffic! Luckily, Cubbie loves people and I shouted, “Grab that dog!” So the first person he went to was able to get him for me. Thankfully, the rest of game was relaxing and enjoyable!

My younger brother sat with his girlfriend and some friends in one section, and my youngest brother sat with me and one of my friends in the “dog” section. Before that day I don’t think my brother was a big fan of Cubbie. Cubbie likes to sneak into his room at my parent’s house because he leaves the most stuff on the floor! During the game, Cubbie jumped on Devin’s lap and sat there for quite awhile. Devin even watched Cubbie while I got water for everyone. Since then, Cubbie and Devin are much closer. I think Devin even looks forward to seeing Cubbie now.

If you have a chance to participate in dog events like this, I would definitely recommend it. It was a great social experience for Cubbie AND for people who have misconceptions about a bunch of dogs together in one place. Plus, we got lots of doggy goodies! We’ll definitely try to go back for another game, and hopefully I’ll have more information on one around Waterloo this summer.

Derek, Danielle, Devin & Cubbie

Posted under Cubbie stories

Does your dog like to bury bones or toys? Cubbie isn’t typically the burying type. However, once in a while he gets it in his mind he NEEDS to bury something.

When the weather is warmer, he likes to do this outside. A few times this past summer I’d be sitting on the lawn chair reading on a book, and Cubbie would be roaming around the yard trying to find some perfect spot to bury what little bit was left of his bone.

I didn’t want a bunch of holes in the yard, so I would try to keep him from digging as much as possible. Sometimes, though, he was just too quick. Bone in mouth, he was a machine digging, digging, digging.

After about an hour outside, we went back in the house. But Cubbie kept going back to the door whining. I let him back outside, he re-dug up his bone and ran back inside the house with a dirt covered bone. Great, more mess to clean up!

Tonight, Cubbie was in the burying mindset. I gave him a healthy, meaty type bone from Pedigree. He just eats it up. He got it down to about an inch left and started wandering around the house with the bone in his mouth.

First, I found him in the corner of the living room behind the couch trying to bury it. He was scratching at the carpet. Then, he went into the bedroom and started digging at the sheets. Next, he went onto the recliner and tried scratching at the arm of the chair. Then, he came to the couch and tried to get it in the corner of the seat cushion.

I made him stop when he tried to bury the bone in me! I had a blanket on my legs while sitting on the couch, and he was scratching at it trying to bury his leftover bone in my leg! It kind of tickled while he scratched, but it also hurt because he was trying very hard. After getting him to stop, he finally just laid down next to me and the bone. I have no idea why he felt the need to bury that bone so badly, but apparently no spot in the house was good enough.

Sometimes he puts bones in the very bottom of his toy bin for safe keeping, and every once in awhile I’ll find a bone in a random spot while I’m cleaning. I know he thinks he’s “protecting” his bone. I just find it funny how much work he’ll go through to find just the right spot to store it. Whenever I decide to move out, I’m almost worried what I’ll find and where!

Posted under Cubbie stories

As with most dogs, Cubbie loves to chew on bones. With his pancreatitis, I have to be very careful what Cubbie eats or he starts to throw up. I do my best to find the most natural and most safe bones for his sensitive tummy.

But, there’s a problem. I find the “better” stuff is also the most expensive. Cubbie goes through his bones so fast, I limit him to two or three a week. I want him to have stuff to chew on because he loves it, but I don’t want to go broke paying for his special treats!

Recently, I’ve found some beef bones for pets in the Hy-Vee meat department. Between what I get and what I pay, it adds up to 50 cents per piece! Cubbie loves these new beef bones, and they last longer than his old ones. I love it!

Parker

Cubbie has never been a possessive dog. He’s always willing to share his bones, food and toys with other dogs. I remember his first “girlfriend” who was extremely obsessive with a bone. Her name was Parker and Cubbie was about one year old when she was just a puppy. Parker’s mom was an intern at KWWL and we became fast friends. She helped watch Cubbie, and I helped watch Parker.

I’ll have much more on Cubbie and Parker another time, but with the subject of bones I remembered how little Parker would steal Cubbie’s bones and she refused to share. (These were bones before we found out about his pancreatitis. He doesn’t eat those anymore).

She would grab the bones from around the house and chew and chew. You could tell Cubbie wanted his bones back, but instead of getting mad he just watched her.

As soon as she would get distracted, Cubbie would swoop in and take his bone back, but he never tried to cause trouble. He just waited, very intently for the right opportunity. It was so cute how Cubbie would watch her. One time, we tried to take the bone from Parker and she got very mad. She growled and tried to bite. Emily (her mom) decided bones weren’t the best for Parker.

Cubbie never gets violent with a bone. I can pet him and touch while he has a bone, and most of the time he chews the bone right on my lap. Sometimes, he wants me to hold the bone while he chews. He’s funny. But, if you take a bone away before he’s done, he will follow you and follow the trail of the bone. He won’t stop sniffing or looking for it! He never quits.

One time, my dad was eating some ham and talking to me in the kitchen. I was trying to take pictures because it was the first time Cubbie got to play with his “cousins” Cooper and Duke. I think it was around Christmas 2007.

Cubbie is a small dog, but he has long legs and he can jump. I was snapping pictures, and my dad had the ham in his hand. The next thing we know, the ham is out of my dad’s hand.

Cubbie jumping for ham

In the left corner of this picture, you can see his legs dangling in the air. I’m not saying it’s appropriate for Cubbie to grab the meat like that, he should never grab food out of a person’s hand. But… I realize I’m biased… but I think he was confused because my dad was holding it out, as if to say, “Grab me!” Cubbie figured if Grandpa wasn’t going to eat it, he would!

Bottom line, Cubbie loves meat and bones.

Posted under Cubbie stories

I need to vent a little bit. Since the weather is finally warmer, Cubbie and I are going on more walks. We go on walks as often as possible, but as you all know, recently the weather was way too cold to be outside for any length of time.

The last two days we’ve gone on walks, and each day I come home a little frustrated. We try to walk on the sidewalks, but not all the streets around my neighborhood have sidewalks. Also, some of the sidewalks are more snow covered and more diffcult to traverse than the street.

When on the street, Cubbie and I always walk on the left side (into traffic) so we can see the cars coming closest to us. Whether a car is coming or not, I try to keep him as close to the side as possible. I want him to know that’s where he is supposed to walk, not out in the middle.

Each time we’ve been on a walk recently, cars have come extremely close to us, even though no car was in the other lane. Either people simply don’t pay attention, or just don’t have the courtesy or sense to move over. Yesterday, one car came so close to us I literally felt the breeze from the car and if I’d reached my hand out ever so slightly, I would have touched the car. I know the driver saw us, she looked at me as she drove past. Cubbie and I jumped up in a snow bank to get out of the way.

Today, I was out running errands. On my drive back to the house I saw a woman was out walking her dog. She was trying to stay close to the edge too, but this car in front of me didn’t even bother to move over a few feet. I, on the other hand, moved over to the other lane because no cars were coming. It’s what I would want drivers to do for me.

I just think it’s respectful to move over AND slow down for walkers, dogs or bikers. But I’m sure as any emergency crew could tell you, people for some reason don’t always follow this simple courtesy.

I’m done venting now!

Posted under Cubbie stories

Priscilla Blanchard with Animal Welfare Services in Waverly will be at PETCO in Waterloo Saturday, Jan. 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. She will have a kitten and maybe some puppies in need of a home.

Posted under Pet Events

I don’t have children, but many times I still feel and act like a mom. I admire parents because some days I am completely overwhelmed with Cubbie, and he is a lot less work than a child! Just like parenting, raising a dog can be very tough and very rewarding.

Before Cubbie, I wasn’t sure I wanted children, or maybe more accurately I didn’t think I could handle children! But Cubbie definitely brought out my “motherly” side.

Two days ago, I felt like a parent with a sick child. Cubbie appeared fine most of the day, then in the evening he started to slow down and was pretty sleepy. A little later, he started throwing up. I think he threw up four times. I ended up sitting on the bathroom floor with him for awhile. Once I knew he was okay, he curled up and slept and I spent the night cleaning. You can’t get mad because it’s not his fault he’s sick.

As with many parents, I often put Cubbie’s needs before my own. I wake up each morning when HE wants to wake up. He has a habit of wanting to go outside around 6:30 or 7 in the morning (even though I don’t have to get up until 8). I get up to let him out, only to have him run right back to bed as soon as he’s done and go back to sleep. I, unfortunately, can’t go back to sleep. Once I’m up, I’m up. Every once in awhile he wakes up around 3:00 in the morning! AHH!

I also make sure he has fresh food and water before I get myself anything. I regularly take him to the vet to monitor his pancreatitis, but I rarely will go to the doctor for myself. At night, I will be extremely uncomfortable, but refuse to move because Cubbie is sleeping and comfortable and I don’t want to disturb him. I don’t exercise for me, but I will gladly take Cubbie on a walk even when I’m exhausted because I know it’s what’s best for him. When all I want to do is sit on the couch after a day of working and being in the cold, I still try to play with Cubbie because that’s what he wants to do.

I love to shop for clothes and shoes, but I’ll not buy myself something so I can buy Cubbie some new stuffed toys even though I know the toys won’t last more than a day. I just bought him a red stuffed lobster yesterday. It lasted about 20 minutes.

All the pictures in my cell phone and about 90 percent of the pictures on my digital camera are of Cubbie. The pictures on my desk at work and the background on my computer at work are of Cubbie. If someone asks me to go out to eat or do something on a work night, I won’t go because I don’t want to leave Cubbie in the basement any longer than is necessary. I only go out of town on my days off if my parents can dog-sit. Most of my friends understand, and are used to coming to my house when we want to eat take out or watch a movie.

It’s my responsibility to take care of Cubbie, and I always try to do what’s best for him. I guess I learned it from my mom. I can’t remember a time growing up when she didn’t put the needs of us three kids before her own. I am nowhere near as self-less as my mom, but I’m starting to have a better understanding of what it means to be a good parent.

Posted under Cubbie stories

Every once in awhile Cubbie will be missing for a few minutes. Now, I know just where to find him: in the bathtub waiting for me to turn on the water.

I remember the first time he went “missing.” I was sitting on the couch, reading a book and wondering where Cubbie went? I don’t like to leave him unattended because who knows what he’ll get into! So, I started walking around the house, calling his name. After about five minutes and knowing he couldn’t have gone far, I heard a noise in the bathroom.

I pulled back the shower curtain (which is almost always shut), and there he was just standing in the tub looking at the faucet. I turned it on and he began drinking. Now, when he wants some water, he just jumps in the tub and waits. Most times I hear him jump in there, but if I don’t hear him and he’s missing for a few minutes, I know just where to look.

He’s so funny because he always has fresh water in his dish, so he doesn’t NEED bathtub water. I think it’s just something different, or maybe that water just tastes better to him.

Cubbie is two and a half now, and is good about only chewing on his toys, but more than a year ago he would chew on anything and everything he could his teeth into! When he learned how to jump in the tub, he also discovered the plug to the bathtub (yes, my tub is that old it requires a plug). He began chewing on the plug, and I would take it away from him.

One night, Cubbie jumped down from the bed while I was sleeping and must have grabbed the plug from the tub. He brought it to bed and chewed it about half-way up before falling asleep. How do I know all this you might ask? Well, when I woke up the next morning, my face felt funny. I walked into the bathroom and got a big show. Stuck to my cheek was a half-chewed bathtub plug.

Cubbie likes to chew on things until he falls asleep, and he also likes to sleep with his head on the pillow. I assume he was chewing on the plug by my pillow, he fell asleep, and I rolled over, thus getting the plug stuck my face. Thanks to Cubbie’s overnight adventure, I had a plug mark on my face for a good 30 to 40 minutes in the morning.

Now, the plug always stays out of Cubbie’s reach!

Posted under Cubbie stories

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if Cubbie likes snow or not. I’ve seen dogs run and play in the snow. Cubbie, not so much. I think the main problem now is the snow is deeper than he is tall.

A little while ago the snow was almost frozen and you could walk on the top of it. Cubbie preferred that, but one day he was walking along on top of the snow and suddenly fell through. He looked up at me with this shocked look on his face saying, “What just happened?” He was so cute just stuck there in the snow not really knowing what to do!

He does enjoy running through the light and fluffy snow, but only when it’s not too cold. Sometimes he looks like Santa Claus because he’ll come in from outside with a white beard!

This is the first winter I’ve had a snow blower. My dad got a new one this year, and he gave me his 20-year-old one. Don’t get me wrong, I am VERY grateful to have the snow blower this year, it’s fantastic! However, it’s old and noisy and a little scary to operate. I’m still getting the hang of it. I have to hold levers down to make it move and to blow the snow.

Cubbie has no idea what to think of the snow blower. I tried leaving him inside the house the first time I used it, but because of his obsession with being near me, my blinds were shredded and the plastic I put on the window to keep the wind out had to be “repaired” with a plastic sack. It’s sad, I know. So I leave Cubbie outside while I snow blow.

He always stays out of the way, but it’s funny when I’m first trying to clear a path, and there’s really nowhere for him to go except into the snow (which he refuses to do). Instead, he just barks at the snow blower as he backs up. He will NOT take his eyes off the “dreaded, noisy machine.” When I turn around he follows right in line. It’s the snow blower, me and Cubbie tagging right along. I guess he feels better with me in between him and the snow blower.

There’s a lever on my snow blower you have to move to change where the snow lands. I’m still getting the hang of it, and I often forget to move it at first. Cubbie was staying out of the way, minding his own business when I turned the snow blower around and forgot to move the chute. He got nailed with a pile of snow. I could hardly see him. Then he shook it all off, looked at me to say, “Why would you do that Mom?” Then he ran for the door to be let inside.

I felt bad, but it was hilarious! Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt because I know sometimes a rock or something could shoot out, but this was all just light, fluffy snow. He was cold, but fine. He was mad, but he got over it as soon as we curled up on the couch.

Happy shoveling or snow blowing!

Posted under Cubbie stories

Here is a press release we received at the station.

CAMP BOW WOW HELPS ANIMALS IN NEED

“Camp Bow Wow in Cedar Rapids is the area’s Premier Doggy Day and Overnight Camp. Camp Bow Wow-Cedar Rapids is pleased to partner with the Wehrenberg Theatre, the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter and the Cedar Valley Humane Society in helping animals in need.

Come see the movie, Hotel for Dogs and visit the Camp Bow Wow-Cedar Rapids table and meet our mascot Scout.

* January 16, 2009 from 3:00-7:00 p.m at the Wehrenberg Theatres!
See the movie, and help out our local dogs!

* Bring a donation to the movie for the benefit of the animals at
the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter and Cedar Valley Humane Society

* See the shelters Wish List on our home page at:
www.campbowwow.com/cedarrapids

* FREE Day of daycamp at Camp Bow Wow-Cedar Rapids with donation
received *first time campers only, dog must meet entrance requirements

* Sign up for a chance to win some great prizes for you and your
pup!

Shawn Mercer Camp Bow Wow Cedar Rapids Co-Owner adds, “After the Floods of 2008 the eastern Iowa Corridor was devastated by a huge increase of homeless pets in need of a forever home. These pets were either abandoned or had to be given up by their people in the wake of the floods. This collaborative effort with Camp Bow Wow, the animal shelters, Wehrenberg Theatre and the generous animal lovers of the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area, is an opportunity to give something back to the pets that suffered from the floods. I cannot think of a more appropriate event to help our homeless dogs, then at the premier of a fantastic motion picture; Hotel for Dogs ‘Where No Stray Gets Turned
Away’!”

Posted under Pet Events