My Best Christmas Ever!

Hi Friends!

Here I am on Christmas Day with my Auntie Mary and Uncle Dennis. They brought me a nice gift, all wrapped up in special holiday dog paper! At first I didn't want to rip the paper because it was so pretty. But it also smelled really good!

My Auntie Mary helped me get the box open and I got to reach right inside and pull out my own cookie! That was so much fun!
This is Bud with one of his Christmas presents he got from Gina. We all got lots of bones -- Nylabones, red squeaky Christmas bones, rawhide bones and Meatybones! We love bones.

That's Sadie helping herself to a Meaty Bone. Auntie Mary calls is 'free feeding.' We like free feeding, in fact, Bud likes it so much Mom caught him 'free feeding' out of the Meaty Bone box under the tree Sunday afternoon! Mom wasn't very happy so I guess I'm not going to try that one.

This is my dog cousin, Lola. She lives in Texas (Southern dog like me!). She's wearing the gift we sent her -- a really cool biker jacket that says "Bad to the Bone" on the back. It's perfect for her because her parents are in the Air Force, stationed at Dyess AFB. Her mom, Crystal, is a Captain (that's her there) and flies a B-1 (get it: B-one...bone) bomber and her dad is a Major and a navigator and weapons systems officer on the B-1. "Bad to the Bone" is kinda like a slogan for the B-1 because its nickname is "the bone." Auntie Mary told me Lola's going to wear her jacket when she visits the squadron with her mom and dad. I'm sure she will be a hit!! Oooh...uh-oh, maybe that wasn't the best choice of words!!! Ya'll know what I mean!

Well, what's Christmas without the gift you just can't wait to return! I know Mom meant well by getting me this camouflage hoodie, but really!! I know I feel and look like a stuffed camouflage sausage in this thing. Can't you just see how happy I am with it!?! She said it was extra large. I'm all for world trade but those Chinese just don't understand American sizes. Hoods are not my thing either! I hope this fits Sadie because it sure as heck ain't goin' back on this body, I don't care how cold it gets up here! All in all, it was a great Christmas -- my best ever!! Hope ya'll had a great Christmas, too! Rocky

Rockin' Santa

Well, here I am with that special person I told you I met. Now, I know this isn't the real Santa Claus, this is just one of his helpers and he was raising money for the Franklin NH Animal Shelter. He's a real cool Santa, can ya tell by the shades? Also, this was at the Tractor Supply Store, my Dad's favorite store. It's almost as good as Petco! Get a load of that horse behind me, ain't no reindeer here! If I look scared, it's not because I'm a sissy and afraid of Santa like some pups. No, I was a little concerned because the guy's got a grip on my neck like he was going to strangle me or something. I kept looking at my mom for help and all she'd say was: put you ears up, put your ears up! Lot of help she was! It was fun just the same and I got to get a munchkin at Dunkin' Donuts afterwards -- that was the best part! Merry Christmas to ya'll and to ya'll a good night! Rocky

Special Christmas Greeting!

Merry Christmas Friends!

Well, I made it! Here I am about ready to enter the NH Veteran's Home in Tilton, NH, on my first visit as a Certified Therapy Dog. I don't mean to brag, but don't I look proud and ready?? This was Monday, Dec. 15th, 1 day shy of 10 months since I met my new mom and my life changed forever. Isn't my coat sharp? It has a K9 Good Citizen patch and a Therapy Dog International patch sewn on it, and my name is embroidered on the other side. Very cool! I just loved meeting all the veterans and they loved me. I heard a lot of stories about dogs they used to have. I spent some time laying down next to men sitting in wheelchairs while they petted me, greeted others as they wheeled themselves down the hall, and I even went into private rooms and visited those who couldn't get out of bed. I also got lots of pats and attention from the nurses and other staff. It was so much fun! I can't wait to go again!

It has been a very busy week -- first my TD visit, then up went the Christmas tree! Now, just so you don't think I'm a sticking my tongue out at you, I want you to know this is how dogs blow kisses to everyone! How else would I send kisses your way? Afterall, dogs don't pucker up, right? So this is a Christmas kiss to all my friends!

Then the snow started arriving --

I'm so excited, we are definitely going to have a white Christmas and I'm loving all this snow! I've never seen so much snow -- it's like it hasn't stopped since Friday and this is Sunday! Mom says we're getting another foot today, of snow that is! At this rate, all you'll see of me is the tips of my ears!

It's getting sooo deep, I can hardly do you know what! Now I know why Sadie & Bud just do it in the driveway!! Very disgusting but it sure is easier than this! I guess when in New England, do as the New Englanders do. Can't believe my dad took my picture!


Check this next one out -- I'm practicing for the World Championship Sled Dog Races! Mom says they are held right here in the Lakes Region in February! I think I could make an awesome lead dog! Look at that form, will ya! (Click on photo to zoom in.)






Well, I also met a special person this week but you'll have to check back in another day or so to find out more about that! In the meantime, I'm going to hunker down next to the fire and dream about all those goodies I hope to get for Christmas! Hope ya'll have a great week and a very Merry Christmas! Don't forget to check back soon for a picture of me and my special friend! Love ya'll -- Rocky

Ice Storm of 08

Howdy Friends!

Well, this sure isn't a Christmas tree we're rocking around. Nope, this is just one of a few trees that came down Friday night in my yard during that ice storm.

We used to have a nice little shade tree growing inside our kennel and, well, as you can see, it's gone now, too, along with a real nice apple tree that got clobbered by another tree,

Good thing Dad's got a chainsaw! We also lost power for about 12 hours but Dad has a nice generator that kicks on as soon as the power goes out, so I was down right cozy the whole time. Well, except for when nature called -- it was very wet and slippery making those little trips outside. It's times like that when I envy the cats!

Sorry, I've been "off line" for a while. Mom's been really busy at her job and also selling children's books at holiday fairs and home shows.

The shopping season is winding down now, so she'll be around more to help me stay connected with ya'll. In fact, Mom took tomorrow off as it is a special day for me -- one I've been preparing for since March. I don't want to say too much, except keep an eye on the blog for pictures of my next big adventure!! Hope ya'll take time to enjoy the Christmas season with your family and friends. I sure am -- especially when I think of how lonely I was this time last year all alone in the woods of North Carolina. Boy, what a difference a year can make! Ya'll stay warm now, and God Bless! Rocky

So Thankful!

I have so much to be thankful for!

First, is my Foster Dad, Bob Armstrong in Mooresville, NC. Look at how scared I looked that day I had to leave. I didn't want to leave him and I know he hated to see me go. Little did I know that I had nothing to be afraid of because Foster Bob had found me a wonderful home! And if I hadn't left, he might not have found Baron, my foster brother. That's him above, isn't he handsome? (I could use some of that long hair up here in NH!) I've never met him but I feel like I know him already. We've got lots in common -- we were both lost, we both had heartworm and we both had Foster Bob to nurse us back to health! Baron is over his heartworm treatments and is now starting search and rescue training. How cool is that? Heck, if I ever get lost again, Foster Bob could bring Baron up to help find me! Now, don't worry, I'm not planning on getting lost again!

Look at me know -- happy and healthy! That reminds me of another thing I'm thankful for. My x-rays came back fine -- Dr. North says she doesn't think I have an ACL injury and my hips are in fine shape, too! She thinks it was a muscle injury. She's sending the x-rays off for a second look by a specialist just to make sure. She's so nice! I got kind of upset when Dad left me behind there last Friday for my appointment, but all the nice people there made me feel right at home and took great care of me! Thanks so much to Dr. North and her staff at Meadow Pond Animal Hospital, they are the greatest!

I could go on and on, I have so many things to be thankful for this year, but ever since last week, all I've been able to think about is turkey! Why last week? Well, take a look. Mom counted 29 turkeys right in our back yard. I watched them from the window with my cat brother Eddie. There were so many Mom couldn't fit them all in the pictures that she took from the window. There were turkeys everywhere!

Hopefully, I'll get a little taste of turkey this week, until then I'll just dream about them and be thankful that I'm no longer in the woods trying to catch one to survive! Hope ya'll have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember to count your blessings! Rocky

BRRRRRR! It's Getting Cold Up Here!

Howdy Friends! Okay, okay, it's not Alaska, but it sure feels like it could be! My mom might be used to this cold, white stuff, but ya gotta remember, I'm a Southern Boy. Heck, I don't even know what a winter coat is, yet alone grow one! Here we are at Cannon Mt. Ski Area in NH's White Mountains -- and they are getting white! It was 30 degrees and spitting snow! I'm still not doing much walking, so we took off for a ride on Veteran's Day. I love riding!

Check out those slopes! Dad got new skiis this year -- I sure hope he knows what he's doing and doesn't hurt his ACL or we'll both be laid up!Get a load of those snow tires! I didn't even dare pee on them for fear they'd attack me! They must have some mean driving conditions up here on Mt. Washington -- never saw anything like that in NC.

Now this is the kind of bridge I like -- covered and cozy! The wind can blow and the snow can fall, but I'm nice and dry walking along this highly photographed covered bridge in Jackson, NH. Sure hope you liked my little Veteran's Day travel log as much as I enjoyed it...well, except that cold white stuff! Hope ya'll have a great week -- I'm headed off tomorrow for a second opinion on my leg and probably x-rays on Thursday or Friday. Mom is checking into a leg brace that might help stabilize my knee so it will heal faster and avoid surgery. Wish me luck and I'll keep ya'll posted. Rocky

Recuperating

Now don't get worried I'm not sick, I'm just taking it easy and resting my leg. You see, last week, there was a little scuffle between me and Bud. Nothing serious, just Bud exerting his status as the pack leader. Since he's kinda old, I go easy on him but I don't necessarily back down when he starts something and this time I guess I twisted my bad leg. Mom was worried I might need to have surgery, so Dad took me to see Dr. MacDonald who said I must have re-injured my old ACL injury. He said if it was torn it all the way, I wouldn't be using my leg but I'm using it fine. It only hurt when I tried to jump up on something or run up the stairs, and it made me cry a couple of times. Doc M. gave me a pain killer, but I only needed it one time. Doc said I just needed to go easy for a few days and take my pain killer if I needed it, so that's what I've been doing. It's been kind of fun because Dad's been lifting me up into the car or truck so I can still go places. But we haven't been walking much and I miss that a lot. I've also had time to be thinking a lot about my old life in North Carolina. I sure hope my friends are all doing okay. Well, another few days of R & R and I should be good as new. In the meantime, as I lay around watching TV all day, I'm getting tired of all these political ads. So I just hope everyone goes out and votes so we can get this here election stuff behind us! Hope ya'll have a great week -- Rocky

Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat! Okay, this is as scarey as it's going to get for me!

No, this is not Minnie Pearl, this is Sadie in her Halloween Cowgirl hat!

Bud, the show-off -- thinks he looks pretty dapper.

Okay, so my costume's not very scarey and my hat's not on nice and straight like Bud & Sadie, what can I say! You're lucky you saw me in one at all -- costumes are not my thing and, if you ask me, German shepherds were given big ears so they'd never have to wear hats! But my mom is very persistent and you should have seen how many times I stomped on my Dad's cowboy hat before she finally got this photo with it on me. She tried to get me to wear her cowboy boots, but I put my paw down on that one! I'm usually a pretty cooperative guy, but I can be very uncooperative when I want to, too! There's one thing I am looking forward to wearing, though, and that's my red Therapy Dog coat -- now that I will proudly wear! I got to try it on but it was a little too big, so back it went for some alterations. Not only do I look sharp in it, it's going to help keep me warm. I'm not used to all this cold weather, ya know. I can't wait for ya'll to see me in it! It's even going to have my name embroidered on it. How cool is that!?! Well, hope ya'll have a great week and get lots of goodies for Halloween. Rocky

Fall Fun in NH!

Howdy Friends!

Have ya missed me? Sorry I'm a little behind in posting my latest happenings, Mom's been busy with book shows, exercise classes, and working, but we've been making the most of our weekends. So let's do some catching up!

First, I went to the NH Humane Society Dogtoberfest -- I met some new friends there while Mom & Dad saw some old friends:

These are the Alden's -- Mrs. Alden is the widow of Sheriff Don Alden who Mom & Dad worked for when they first met at the Belknap County Sheriff's Department. The man in blue is Frank -- he worked at the Jail back then. By the sounds of it, those were the good old days. I especially liked hearing about Dad's K-9 Patrol Dog, Pal, who was known to chew up a cruiser now and then!

Then we were off to Hackleboro Apple Orchard in Canterbury. I'm not much for apples, but I did get a nice dog treat from a lady there.

Then it was back home to just enjoy the awesome colors of fall in NH. I sure wish my friends in NC could see how pretty it gets up here!

I'm on the far left here with Bud in the middle and Sadie on the right.

And there's me and Dad walking down into my yard from the woods. I just love walking in the woods with my Dad. It reminds me of my walks with Foster Bob back in NC -- male bonding time, if ya know what I mean.

Here's Bud and me -- Sadie hates to sit for a picture, so she took off.

I finally couldn't resist just laying down and relaxing on this great sunny Saturday. After all the excitement, I was just dog-tired!

And here's a shot of Mt. Washington

and then our driveway, as I'm headed out for a walk.

Hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of my world as much as I enjoyed sharing it. I think I must be the luckiest dog in the world! Stay tuned for the latest on my therapy dog work -- I got my official ID card last week, so you will soon be reading about my important work ahead. And remember, like my Mom's license plate says: hugak9! Rocky

Mug Shot!

Howdy Friends!

My mom needed to take my picture for my Therapy Dog ID Card. I really don't like to sit for pictures -- don't know many dogs that do. She needed a face shot, so this was the best I could give her. Can you see me smiling? She nearly blinded me with that flash! And, no, I don't have a white mustache like it appears. Why, it makes me look like I'm in one of those "got milk" ads! Must have been that darn flash!

I can't wait to get my ID tag, then there'll be nothing stopping me from carrying out my mission in life. In the meantime, I'm practicing with my grammy-- check this out. She's 87 and blind, and lives with us. I always make sure I am very gentle with her and she loves me in return. I just know I'm going to love being a Therapy Dog!! Ya'll have a great week now! Rocky

BYD & Me!

Howdy Friends!

I just love the 3rd Sunday because that means all the teenagers from church come over to see me. Well, they don't actually come to see me. You see, for those of you who don't know, my dad is the Bishop of the Laconia Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and every 3rd Sunday night he holds a Bishop's Youth Discussion (BYD for short) in our home. I sneak in and listen, and soak up all the pats and hugs I can get. As you can see, I'm getting quite a bit of attention here! And this is just half the group! Can you tell I just love these kids? They're the greatest! Hope ya'll have a great week. Rocky

You Won't Believe This One!

Howdy Folks!
This is me last weekend trying to catch up with my dad who was in the paddle boat over at the Iacopucci Resort. The water was nice but it would have been more fun if someone had actually been in the water with me. It's probably my last swim for the season -- we may get a frost tonight! It sure cools off fast up here in NH! I'm sure swimming days are no where near over in NC.

I want to thank all of you who leave me comments and I can't wait to meet ya'll. Now I know some of you have said my blog has brought a tear or two to your eyes. Well, get the whole box of tissues out for this one. My story can't even compare to this one here that my dad shared with me. It shows you just how amazing dogs can be if they are just given a chance. Click on this here link, and if you don't have a tissue handy, it's not because I didn't warn ya. Rocky
http://www.faiththedog.net/video.asp

It's Nascar Time!

Yup, that's me at the Sylvania 300 right here in NH! I know, I know -- I look a little small next to that sign, and that's not even the big sign at the main entrance. But I wanted you to see these nice new signs. Mom says this Mr. Smith guy has really spiffed up this place since taking it over. I never saw it before but it sure looks pretty now! I'm not surprised, after all, now ya'll know I come from Nascar country, right? That's right, Mooresville, NC -- Earnhardt country to be exact. You can't get any closer to Nascar than that! And when it comes to racing, they know how to do things right down there. So this is a big howdy to all my fellow NC Nascar fans!

When my mom started telling me about all the big rigs pulling into town from Conover, Concord, and all those places, man, I just couldn't stay away. I had to at least make an appearance, so my mom and dad took me down so I could show-off my Nascar pride. I know it's hard to see it, but I'm wearing a real nice bandanna -- white with a big orange #88 on it for Dale Jr. Now, tomorrow's Sunday, so I won't be at the race, but I'll be able to hear it from my yard and I'll be wearing my bandanna showing my support for Jr.

Maybe it was the bandanna, I'm not sure, but everyone who saw me was saying how nice-looking I was. These guys here even let me join in on their tailgate party! How cool is that? Check 'em out -- my new friends from Nova Scotia -- Nascar fans and dog lovers, too -- doesn't get much better than that!

Vendors were inviting me into their tents and everything! Then I saw this here #3 blanket that I really, really, really wanted for my bed. But my mom said Buddy and Sadie would be way too jealous if I came home with a new bed, so I had to settle for just a picture of me in front of it. It's pretty, eh? (Picked up the "eh" from partying with my Canadian friends.) I just know I'm gonna to be dreamin' about this blanket, why I'd probably feel like I as right back in Mooresville, if I had this for a bed. Well, maybe next year...or maybe I'll ask Santa Claus!

Hope ya'll had as much fun today as I did! Oh, and don't forget to root for Jr. tomorrow! Rocky