I Wear a 10 Gallon Hat!

Howdy Friends! --We're back in action, just in time for Halloween!Here we are dressed as cowgirls to go visit the Veteran's Home on Halloween afternoon. What do you think of my braids?? I'm Annie Oakley! You knew that, right?

This is Steffi -- she wanted to pay tribute to the veteran's with a bit of a military flair for her costume -- she's Combat Cutie!

This is earlier in the day -- Look! No cast! Mom is showing off her first day with both feet in sneakers -- first time in 6 weeks!

Steffie -- being a little ham! She has the longest tongue!

Steffie loves running in the leaves! Sure hope she doesn't bite that tongue!

She just never stops running!!

I'm so happy my mom can walk on her foot again! Can you tell? This means I can get back to work!! Yippee! Hope you all had a great Halloween and got lots of yummy treats. I had a great day doing what I do best -- making people smile!

Happy Birthday, Steffi!

Howdy Folks! You only turn one once, so I'm letting Steffi get all the attention in this post. (Actually not much else to report with Mom still being out of commission -- boring!) Sunday was Steffi's first birthday and Mom has a tradition around here: You must wear the Clifford, the Red Dog, birthday hat on your birthday. (Come to think of it, I think I escaped it last year -- I never told anyone when my birthday was!) As you can see, though, Steffi is a fashion-hound, loves to be the center of attention, and is looking very proud and, should I say, chic? in the birthday hat.

As usual, though, she couldn't wait to get back to chewing on a toy. She loves toys! Especially squeaky ones. I hardly have eardrums left after the one she found Sunday night! She's turning out to be a pretty good littl' sis. We play hard and run fast! She's a bit scared of the coyotes, though, when she hears them off in the woods at night. During the day, she thinks she's supposed to catch every falling leaf before it hits the ground! Anything to burn up energy! I sure wish I had her metabolism then I'd be able to eat treats all day long and Dr. Keenan would never be able to tell! Take care ya'll -- Rocky...and Steffi

We're Down But Not Out!

Howdy Folks ~
Well, as you can see, the therapy dog team is out of commission at the moment, and let me tell ya, it's no fun when your partner gets hurt. Remember my last post said we had a little mishap?? Well, this is what happens to two-legged folks who don't use a flashlight when they go walking down a dark, abandoned road at night. The pot holes creep up when you are least expecting them! Yup, it's broken -- the foot, that is. Could have been a lot worse. Mom goes back to the doctor tomorrow to check on the progress -- 3 weeks down, 3 to go. In the meantime, Dad and I have been doing all the chores. Dad hates cleaning the cat boxes the most. Now, ironically that would be my favorite chore but try as I might, he won't let me help! Stay tuned, we'll be back in business soon -- just like the song says: you can't keep a good therapy dog team down for long! Rocky

Rocky Greets the Troops!

Howdy Friends!

Wow, what I day I had on Monday!! It all started with me meeting a group of former POWs at the Manchester NH VA and they invited me to join them as they welcomed some troops home from the war! Here I am at the former Pease AFB in Portsmouth, NH, meeting the Colonel (left)and his Executive Officer (right) -- yup, the top guns! -- as a plane full of troops returned from overseas! This is their first touchdown on US soil on their way home, (via Iceland). While the plane is being refueled and they swap crews, the troops stretch their legs, call home, and get a bite to eat. The Pease Greeters (http://www.peasegreeters.org/about.html ) make sure they get a New Hampshire welcome that they won't soon forget. It's one I won't forget either! Do I look happy or what!?! It was so much fun, I think I'm going to be a regular at these things!

There was so much excitement and so many people! Sure was different than visiting the veterans at the Veteran's Home, but just like the veterans there, these guys told me all about their dogs they had waiting for them at home. Very cool!

This lady soldier was very nice. There were quite a few women in the group!
This photo is especially for Bob Armstrong

and Forever Home Canine Rescue:

"From the floor of Petco to the floor of the Heroes' Walk."

I'm just taking a little break during a special ceremony honoring these men and women.

Look closely and you can see the troops coming down the walk. They all looked rather stunned by all the hoopla! Music was playing and everyone was applauding and shaking their hands, including me!
This is the hall as we awaited their arrival. There were a few other dogs there as you can see on the left (look closely), but no other German shepherds and I did overhear someone say, when I walked by: "now that's a real dog!" I felt very proud in my bright red jacket. I now have a "Pease Greeter" button on my jacket to go with my patches!

Here I am with my new friends -- that's Bob the left who I met at the POW meeting and he invited us down and gave us all the info we needed to get there. The man on the right is Ed Johnson, the man who started the "Pease Greeters" group in 2005. This group meets both departing groups as well as those returning -- be sure to check out their website for lots more info. (http://www.peasegreeters.org/about.html)

This is the hallway the troops all walk down. It is lined with photos of all the groups that have been greeted there since 2005. One of the former POWs told us he had met something like 274 flights! It was a great time and I can't wait to go again! We did have our own little mishap that evening but that's a story for another day. Until then, keep our troops in your prayers -- Rocky

A Week in a Therapy Dog's Life

Howdy Friends!

Well, ya know that little lump I needed to have removed from my cheek -- it got taken out, only to get a larger lump!

I know it looks like a wad of chew, or maybe an acorn for my food storage, but Dr. North checked it and said it was blood pooling there and would go away. She was right! It's going away, sure hope it's gone by Monday -- I have a big "speaking" engagement at the Veteran's Administration before a group of former POW's about my therapy dog work! Well, I didn't let it stop me from.....

Eating my most favorite unhealthy snack: Dunkin Donuts Munchkins, plain of course....or

Or eating my most favorite heathy snack: the last of this season's blackberries, with my dad.

Guess, who had to get in on the act? Hmm, I guess that's what little sisters do...copy their big brothers!

And most of all, I didn't let it stop me from doing what I do best! Therapy dog work! Here I am visiting at the NH Veteran's Home!

Yup, that's me with my mom, my grammy, and my grammy's nurse, Nancy. Nancy's from the South, just like me -- I just love hearing her accent, reminds me of my friends back in NC!

I just love being a Therapy Dog, does it show??

Rocky

Catch-Up Time!

Howdy Friends!
Well, I'm back on line. Mom has been sidetracked a little the last couple of months. You see, my grammy who used to live with us had to move into the NH Veteran's Home. It made us all very sad, especially my grammy and my mom. But we're all doing better and I still get to see her every week when I go over to the Veteran's Home to do my therapy dog visits. In fact, I love going in to see her and I'm getting to know all her "neighbors", too!

Me & my Grammy Dee at home doing a Therapy Dog demo.

Well, would you like to see what else I've been up do? Okay, here goes!

I got to meet my double-cousin, Toby. I call him my double-cousin because first he belonged to my Aunt Mary and Uncle Dennis, then my Aunt Beth and Uncle Peter adopted him, so he's my cousin twice -- a double cousin! Me and the Painting Crew -- it was a really wet June to try to get a house painted so I saw a lot of these guys -- got to know them really well. I miss them. They did a great job!

Then no sooner did the painters leave and the tree crew showed up. We had lots of ice damage and some dead and rotting trees that had to come down. It was very noisy when these guys were here but they did a good job, even if they did have to take down one of Mom's favorite trees!

It looked good on the outside but it was rotting on the inside, so down she came!

And not even a leaf in the pool! Hey, those guys know their business!

This is great -- now I can chase Steffi even better with no tree in the way!!

And I love it when I catch her -- she thinks she's such hot stuff!

Sometimes I long for the days when I didn't have to share. Once Steffi got over her car sickness, she just took right over like she owned the rig!

Ditto Dogs -- that's what Mom calls us when we copy each other.

Now, don't get worried, nothing serious going on -- I just wanted ya'll to meet my vet, Dr. North. Well, she's one of my vets. Dr. Keenan is the other. And the pretty lady on the left is a vet-to-be. Can ya see why I don't mind going to the vet? I get the royal treatment from these ladies -- and Jeremy, too, at Meadow Pond Animal Hospital. I'm going back in next week to get my teeth cleaned up and a little lump taken out of my cheek. Again, nothing serious -- I had it biopsied and it's not cancer. It shrinks when I take antibiotics but doesn't disappear, so the ladies said we better take it out. Maybe I'll opt for a little lypo around the middle while I'm at it. The diet doesn't seem to be working. Hey, speaking of diet, look at my newest favorite treat!

Dad taught me how to pick blackberries and boy do I love them! See Dr. Keenan, I do try to eat healthy snacks! See that black one I'm going after!

Hey, there's some big black, juicy ones in here! I better get them before Gina does!

And now for a little down time...

Ahh, peace and quiet! Nothing better than a few zzz's by the pool on a hot summer day. I'm actually not a pool dog -- too much chlorine, I prefer the brook down in the woods behind our house where Dad takes Steffi & me. Well, that's how my summer is going. How about yours?? Rocky

Happy Together

Howdy Friends!

Life is good. Steffi and I are becoming fast friends. Just look at us here, snoozing on a warm Saturday afternoon.

Me and Steffi napping in the gazebo.

It hasn't been all play and no work, though. I've been visiting the NH Veteran's Home on Sunday afternoons. The past two weeks I made some new friends in the dementia units. Those people just love me and I love them.

Today I went to my dad's office in Massachusetts. Well, I didn't actually go inside but I did go for the ride and that's really all I care about. I love to ride -- nothing better than feeling that wind against your face. Look here, can ya tell how happy I am?

Mom and Dad don't let me ride like this very much, just when we're going slow on our dirt road. Mom says I'll get a bug in my eye. Heck, I say it's worth the risk.

They say it's June, but ya know, I'm a North Carolina dog and if this weather is June, then I'll eat my collar. Where are the hot, sunny days that I love? My idea of summer is soaking up some rays in the driveway or on the deck.
Speaking of the deck, I've found some new friends this week right here at home. Dad's having the house and everything painted and I love hanging out with those painters. Mom says it's because I'm a man's dog. It's true, something about a man and a pick-up truck that I just love! Hey, see that pool cover there? Well I'm not used to some of these things and when Dad let me out of the gazebo, I thought I could walk right across that green thing -- a shortcut, ya know. What a surprise that was when all of sudden my front legs sunk about a foot -- where the heck did all that water come from? Dad was cool, though -- didn't get upset or scare me and I just stepped back onto firmer ground. Too bad Mom wasn't there with the camera. Well, ya'all have a great week now and send some warm weather this way! Rocky

Happy News -- Meet Steffi!

Howdy Friends!
Check out our newest member of the family!

This is my new sister, Steffi. She'll be 8 months old on June 6th. Isn't she pretty?

She sure looks pretty to me! As you can see, she's almost as big as me, too! We've been having a lot of fun getting to know each other.

We've been playing in the yard. Sometimes we play rough and Mom hollars at me because Steffi gets scared. It's only dog play though. I would never hurt her, remember I'm a therapy dog.

Steffi hails from Wisconsin and comes to us via Gretchanya Kennels (thanks, Becky!) in Webster, NH (http://www.gretchanya.com/). She started out at Kenlyn Kennels in Wisconsin (http://www.kenlynkennels.com/) and she was going to be a show dog but she's missing a tooth, so Mom says she's now going to be a "show-off" instead. She has lots of champions in her family tree. In fact, her grandaddy, Dallas, is quite well-known in the German Shepherd world. Here's a photo of him at Westminster. He was on the Purina ProPlan advertisements and is the top producer in German Shepherd breed history! Just Google his name and see all the hits you get!
I've been teaching Steffi how to relax in the house. (That's been a challenge!)
I've also been helping Dad teach her how to heel. She's a very fast learner!
Here's Mom taking advantage of one of the few times she be able to hold her "baby." Good thing Mom's been going to strength training! That's 50 lbs of puppy!

Dad wasn't about to let Mom out do us! 95 lbs. of dog! Yes, Dr. Keenan, there will be less of me the next time you see me.

Steffi loves the cats almost more than Sadie did! I've tried to warn her not to get too close but I guess she's just going to have to learn the hard way.

So, as you can see...

Mom's got a smile on her face again.

Dad's happy 'cuz Mom's not crying all the time.
And I'm lonely no more!
Hope you enjoyed meeting my new sister! Oh, wait, hold on, Steffi wants to say hi!

Stay tuned for more fun times ahead.

Rocky and Steffi