Ladies and Gentlemen, Your New American Idol.....

Off Limits!!!

We're going to Hollywood!

My best friend in the world has 4 legs and fur covers his entire body. He goes by the name of Bogie, from a long line of Bogies, but he has proven to be number one in every possible way. His personality and emotions shine through in every incidence. He's understanding and embarrassed when he makes a faupaux. Bogie is having a birthday in about 10 days, he'll be 10 years old and for a Great Dane, that just great longevity. He's been the ideal companion and as he gets older, I just let him have whatever it is that he wants. Our living room has always been "off limits" to Bogie and the other morning I awakened to find him just sprawled out across the white carpets stretching after his nights sleep. I smiled and thought, that's the least I can give him, a leisurely morning in his "off limits" living room that no one goes into anyway.

The thing that makes me think of him right now is, I was lying on the sofa watching American Idol, as bad as the first ones of the season are, and Bogie walked from his own sofa, he has his own, and came over to me and looked at my feet and said something in Great Danish, that sounded like, "move your feet"! I was shocked to say the least. Then he nudged my feet over and began to slowly climb up onto my sofa as I laughed like a hyena at feeding time.. That's what I call, "Pushing it"! This boy is currently so spoiled that he thinks he can get away with anything. And he can!

As he gets older, he has trouble navigating the stairs to our bedroom. Last night, after a failed attempt and falling down and rolling over, he was reluctant to try it again. I coaxed him and told him there were cookies up there waiting for him. He finally got his running start and launched himself successfully up the 17 stairs, where there were no cookies. That required an addition trip to the kitchen for me, as Bogie waited anxiously.

Zoie, on the other hand is a finicky eater. I'll give her a cookie and she lets it sit in front of her for hours, just taunting poor Bogie. He comes to me whining that she's not going to eat it, why can't he just have it?

After the Dynamic Duo go out for the last time at night, when they come back in, I give them each a cookie. Bogie wolfs his down and Zoie takes hers to the crate to guard and taunt poor Bogie. That's when Bogie gets creative. It bedtime and I've already turned out the lights and ascended the stairs. The Dynamic Duo are having a standoff. From upstairs, I can watch as Bogie stretches and makes Zoie think he's going off to bed. He starts to go up the stairs and waits about half way up. As soon as Zoie takes his lead and comes out of the crate, Bogie doubles back and gets that cookie as Zoie growls from the stairs looking back. When these two take their leave for that big kennel up in the sky, I'm sure going to miss them.

Bogie is becoming a little incontinent lately. I called the lady that I know from the Great Dane rescue that has become a friend over the years.. Linda tells me that she's got an 18 month old male that's available, as well as a 12 month old female fawn, but the "Lovely Jules" and I both agree that these are our last dogs....

Speaking of the "Lovely Jules", I ventured over to her house late last night. She was suffering from the 3rd day of a migraine headache and was badly in need of a shoulder and neck massage. When I arrived, Pawpaw was nowhere to be found, but we could hear him barking announcing my arrival. I found him hiding in Julie's walk-in closet, where the door had closed behind him. It appears that he's afraid of the wind and was hiding from it. We were going to throw him a coming out party celebrating his "coming out"...

Jules got a massage and quickly fell asleep as Pawpaw snored his night away and I got a lonely midnight ride down the 101, to the waiting Dynamic Duo.... A couple of cookie starved pups!