Westie - A day in the life of a West Highland Terrier dog

Limp rawhide

2006-09-24T23:28:00.000-04:00

Last Christmas Zachary received a candy can which was made out of rawhide. He loved that thing, even after it became very limp He would chew on it and carry it around. Well yesterday I found something close to the old candy cane. I gave it to Zach and he has been chewing on it ever since.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Relaxed Westie

2006-09-21T23:08:00.000-04:00

Zachary is spending more and more time laying on his back sleeping as he gets older. He even fell asleep outside in the yard today. I woke him up when he heard the door as I went inside to get the camera. He is becoming a laid back Westie.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

New fountain on block

2006-09-20T11:47:00.000-04:00

It is very curious to me why Zachary has taken to a new fountain on the block. I am not sure whether it is because he hears the water or something else has caught his attention. He has seen several fountains, so it is not that he has never seen one before. I am sure there is a reason, but I have no clue.

"Happiness is being loved by one year old Westie puppy"

Brought me home

2006-09-19T23:48:00.000-04:00

Tonight we had fast moving storms come through our area, they came up very fast. I tried to get Zach to go potty before the storms arrived, but he heard the thunder and I saw the lighnting. Zach did an about face and pulled me home. Most of the night was on and off rain. I was happy to see the much need rain.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Lovebug City

2006-09-18T20:49:00.000-04:00

The lovebugs are out in force and everywhere. These pesky little guys drive most everyone crazy including Zachary. Actually Zach cannot figure out what to do with them, so he chases them. He runs and bites towards them and tries to cathch them in his mouth. I think has caught one or two, poor little lovebugs. We will all be glad when the mate and die...

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Nose to nose with cat

2006-09-16T22:26:00.000-04:00

Zachary surprised everyone tonight when our neighbors cat walked right up to him. Instead of running or barking he went nose to nose with her. Lucie rolled over and started playing with Zach. When it was time to leave he started barking and pulling towards Lucie. It is so strange to us since it is just the opposite of what our former Westie would have done.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Treed a squirrel again

2006-09-15T22:38:00.000-04:00

I am not sure who was more frustrated Zachary or Mr. Squirrel. Zach treed a squirrel and would not let him down out the the tree. The poor little guy would get close to the fence that was within jump range for the squirrel and Zach would pounce on the fence. Then up the tree it would go for safety. After an hour, I went up and distracted Zach long enough for the squirrel to make his get-away. Zach ran along the bottom of the fence while the squirrel ran on top. When Zach finally came in he he drank water and plopped on the cool floor.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Jumping Vertical

2006-09-13T22:53:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think Zachary is part cat, yes I said cat. He can be playing out in the yard or walking around the block when somthing spooks him. When this happens he jumps vertical about 2 feet and then shakes his head after landing. It is as if he has no idea what just happened. I have noticed that this sometimes follows him chasing a lizard. Maybe the lizard gets tired of him chasing them and the lizard tries to bite Zach. I have seen him do this numerous times and still laugh when I see him jump.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Hint of cooler days

2006-09-12T22:18:00.000-04:00

With breezes blowing most of the day, the weather had a hint of cooler days. Zachary was more fiesty today and wanted to spend a lot of time outdoors. We look forward to the cooler weather and spending more time outdoors.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Remembering 9/11/01

2006-09-11T23:13:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that 5 years have past. That tragic day so many lives were lost and so many others lives were changed when their loved ones did not come home. So many people risked their lives so that others may live. Our country did unite that day and we will not forget.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Walking 2 miles a day

2006-09-10T22:34:00.000-04:00

Today I added up all the walking Zachary and I do each day. I was surprised to see it add up to 2 miles a day. We walk several times a day 2 laps each time. I would not have added it up until a neighbor asked how may miles we walked. It does not feel that long when it is done a little at a time.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Road trip

2006-09-09T22:08:00.000-04:00

This morning I took Zach with me to return a table. Zachary loves to go bye bye and rides well in the car and motorhome. When we got there he went inside with me and got loads of attention. It is a store connected to motorhome service bays. People are not able to leave pets in their motorhomes, so they can go into the store or waiting room. There was no other puppies there during our visit.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Limbs down

2006-09-07T15:37:00.000-04:00

Last night we had a bad thunder and lightning storm that last over 2 hours. The lightning came so close I even unplugged the computer. During the storm, Zachary was not happy and could not find calm place. He was laying on my lap or leaning against me most of the time. We tip-toed around many limbs that had blown down this morning on our walk.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

White trash bag

2006-09-06T23:48:00.000-04:00

While putting the trash together kitchen trash bag fell over. I thought Zachary was going to tear it up. He high-pitched barked at the white trash bag on it's side. He thought sure he had to protect me from the killer plastic bag. I had to laugh out loud, I could not help to see the humor.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Steve Irwin

2006-09-05T23:31:00.000-04:00

It is a sad time around our house because of Steve Irwin's sudden death. We loved to watch Steve and never knew what he was going to do next. We would get a kick out of watching Zachary watch the TV during his show. He would sit or lay and watch and move his ears and tip his head side to side.
The exceptional life Steve led is a testament to his respect for all creatures great and small.
Godspeed Steve...

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Red-Shouldered Hawk

2006-09-04T22:06:00.000-04:00

Another find by Zachary while out walking. This Red-Shouldered Hawk flew by and landed on a light pole.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Wild turkey

2006-09-03T22:51:00.000-04:00

As we were getting ready to get in the car to go bye-bye Zachary saw something that caught his eye. It was a wild turkey that was pacing on the outside of a neighbors fence trying to figure out how to get inside. Then all of a sudden he took flight and was gone. This the first time we have seen a wild turkey in this area.
Zach went on a field trip to see two of his adopted aunts and spend the day with them. He met lots of dogs at the RV park where they are staying. He came home tired after playing hard.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Chin's fenced yard

2006-09-02T22:00:00.000-04:00

Early this morning Chin came out to greet Zachary on his morning walk. We went in Chin's fenced yard and I visited with his owner while Zach played with Chin. After had tongues that were hanging out we went home and Chin went inside. Zach came home drank lots of water and ate breakfast after working up an appetite.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Itch getting better

2006-09-01T22:26:00.000-04:00

The pills that the doctor gave us have slowed down Zach's itch. He loves his new food and eats it fast when the dish is put down. It bigger and crunches much more than his old food.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Itch problem

2006-08-31T23:23:00.000-04:00

Zachary been itching over a week now and making himself raw. Places on his feet have no hair. He has been taking Hydroxyzine for awhile now for his itching, but it has gotten worse. Took Zach to the Vet for suggestions. Doc Paul said he has allergies either to food or environment. I questioned why now, said sometimes it starts when they become one. We are trying him on a Hypo-allergenic food and no dog treats unless specially made. If this done not work Zach will have to go thru allergy testing. We are keeping our paws crossed the new food works.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Tropical storm

2006-08-30T23:04:00.000-04:00

With the Tropical storm Earnesta going over us we have had rain on and off. Some of it has been light, but we have gotten so heavy down-pours too. Zach is not crazy about going out in the rain, so today was a challenge getting the boy to go out to potty. We are thankful we have been spared from this storm going into a hurricane status.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

White frogs

2006-08-29T22:20:00.000-04:00

Awhile back I mentioned a white frog that Zachary and I had seen in the backyard. At that time I was not able to get a picture. I did not miss him this time. One is a White frog and one a Grey frog.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Zachary has lips

2006-08-28T22:01:00.000-04:00

Zachary had just eaten and had jumped on the couch. He started licking his lips more than normal. I started laughing and I picked up the camera. Here is the results.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Current Zach picture

2006-08-27T22:42:00.000-04:00

It has been awhile since I have posted a picture of Zachary. After playing, the little guy slowed down for a moment and crashed.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year Westie puppy"

The leaner

2006-08-26T22:41:00.000-04:00

It is amazing just how many characteristics that Zachary has, that are similar to our former Westie. One of he biggest ones is staying close and wanting to be on top of or lean against me. He wants no room in between us whether in a chair or on the couch. There can be lots of room on the couch, but he wants to be glued to one of us. I guess this must make him feel safe.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

House Alarm sounded

2006-08-25T21:30:00.000-04:00

I knew it was only a matter of time that one day I would set off the house alarm with Zachary inside. Instant on is the way I set the house alarm the way I always do when we sleep. That means if any door or window is broken the alarm go off the out any warning delay time. Well when Zach and I stumbled out of bed and he had to go potty real bad, I forgot to turn off the house alarm. Yes you guessed it the alarm went off. I tried to cancel but no luck, even after 3 tries. So I grabbed the phone and we went outside to wait for the alarm company to call us. After about 2 minutes I called them to cancel the alarm so I would not have police showing up to make matters worse. After I had them cancel the police I asked them if they could remotely turn off my alarm. They trasnfered me to their tech help. After getting hung up on several times, I went back inside since alarm went off. Bad mistake, alarm had re-armed an sounded again. Back to the phone outside to call the techs again. Finally I got some semi useful info and headed back inside. After much screwing around with system I was able to silence the alarm.
Poor Zachary's ears hurt I know, but he never barked. I think he was scared to death and just stayed close.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Weaving while walking

2006-08-24T14:52:00.000-04:00

Today Zachary and I followed 2 large dogs around the block. Zachary wanted to catch up to them so bad he was pulling with all his might. At the same time he was smelling their smells, so he started to track them. So instead of walking in a normal pattern, he was weaving while smelling and pulling the whole block.
Needless to say he was pooped when we came home.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Played with a neighbor dog

2006-08-21T22:10:00.000-04:00

Tonight as we were walking around our neighbor's dog got out. Zachary and this honey colored ball of fur went nose to nose with both their tails wagging. Next came a little boy hot on his trail. It did not take long to round him up since he was sticking to Zach like glue. Fur ball is a escape artist and has been in my yard many times, so I know him well. He likes Zachary a little better than our former Westie. Those two did not get along at all, fur ball was way too aggressive back then. Thank goodness he has mellowed out with age.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Variety Snap box

2006-08-20T22:17:00.000-04:00

Zachary loves Purina Alpo Variety Snap treats. Tonight I gave have a treat with a challenge. I put a Variety Snap inside an empty Variety Snap box. Well he had a blast, there is shedded box everywhere and no treat left. It did not take Zach long to figure out how to get the treat. Now he is just shredding the rest of the box.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Visited the firefighter

2006-08-19T21:42:00.000-04:00

Today Zachary and I visited the firefighter neighbor that visited us yesterday. He wanted us to see what they had done in their backyard. Zachary was in heaven watching all the wildlife and smelling all the smells. They made a backyard sanctuary with bricks and plants. We walked thru pathways of plants and walked past many squirrels. Zach and I hung-out on the screened porch watching a listening to the sounds.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Visit from a firefighter

2006-08-18T23:19:00.000-04:00

Today our neighbors thought that our house was on fire. We have had mosquito's that have be out in force that have become a pain. So we decided to fog the outside of the house. Zachary was put inside until 1/2 hour after we are done so the chemical is long gone. It was getting close to dark when we finished and our neighbor on the far ended of the street saw what looked like smoke. One of our closer neighbors noticed the smoke growing and started running. It was not until they came to the end on the yard when the smelled a chemical smell instead of a electrical or wood or BBQ. Well Zachary had lots of company at this point when the neighbors came to check on us, it is nice to have caring neighbors. We are glad they checked it out first before calling 911. If so Zachary would have had even more company.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Protector Zach

2006-08-17T11:22:00.000-04:00

Zachary is becoming more observant of things around him besides lizards on our walks. When we were our walking yesterday a lady was cleaning out her car on the otherside of the street. Also in a house ahead of us, you could heard dogs barking. Without warning, Zachary pulled sideways and barked out an alarm. I was surprised more than anything else, from our little non-observant puppy. I looked towards where he was barking and pulling. The lady that was cleaning out her car was shaking out a large towel. She was as confused as myself as to why the reaction from Zachary. I guess Zach is growing up and now feels he needs to be a protector.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Mary had a little lamb

2006-08-15T15:30:00.000-04:00

Mary had a little lamb has been shredded by the baby boy. Mary had a little lamb was a squeaker toy that was passed on to Zachary from our former Westie. It was a cool toy that was in two parts. The first part was Mary and attached by an elastic cord a lamb. It amazed me that our former Westie never pull the lamb off. I went to check on Zachary when he was a little too quiet and found Mary had a little lamb in many pieces with stuffing everywhere. Zachary lay there pleased with the squeaker in his mouth. He squeaked it most of last night.

"Happiness is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Heavy thunderstorms

2006-08-13T23:06:00.000-04:00

We had been without rain for so long that the thought of rain made us giddy. They weather dude had forcasted rain but they are usually wrong. Well the rain beat us home from church and the skies opened up. It poured and poured, then came the thunder and lightning. Some areas were told about storm weather warnings on the TV for hail and some did get moth ball sized hail. The rain lasted on and off for about 2 hours. Zachary was not a happy camper and stayed close. We on the other hand were excited to have rain falling on our not so green grass.

"Happines is being loved by a one year old Westie puppy"

Barking at children

2006-08-12T22:11:00.000-04:00

Tonight Zachary started barking and would not stop barking at children. Lisa has come to the door with her little girls and Zach started barking a would not stop. We even tried taking him outside to see if that would make a difference. He did stop, but only for a short time. When he was little we exposed him to some childern, but I guess that no longer matters.

"Happiness in being loved by a Westie puppy"

Happy Birthday Zach

2006-08-11T22:20:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that a year has flown by in Zachary's life. Today he turned the Big One-O and he is still not done growing up. We may have another 6 months for all his puppy behaviors to leave, but being one is still a landmark for our little Westie puppy"
Happy Birthday Zachary Taylor II

"Happiness is being loved by a One year old Westie puppy"

Buzzed by a Jet

2006-08-10T17:03:00.000-04:00

I am not sure what has changed or whether it was a one-time flight pattern but Zach and I got buzzed by a jet. Now mind you it was a small corporate jet, but a jet. I think Zachary and I looked up the same time. I am hoping that this jet was just off course and does not make this flight pattern a habit. Between the helicopter and now the jet, this neighborhood is no longer the quiet little neighborhood it once was.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Buzzed by a Helicopter

2006-08-09T15:19:00.000-04:00

Zachary and I were outside when we heard a loud whoshing sound coming from the trees. It did not take long to realize the we were getting buzzed by a helicopter flying low. We watched him as he made large than small circles around Zach and I. We live about 2 miles from the main highway so I thought there may have been an accident. I then noticed him staying mainly over the houses. Zachary did not like the loundness of his blades whoshing through the air and wanted to go inside. I let him in and watched the helicopter a couple more minutes. I never did see anything on the news about an accident.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Garbage Truck Walk

2006-08-08T23:37:00.000-04:00

This morning we were trying to stay ahead of the Garbage truck on our morning walk. I saw it to our right when I came out of the house, so we went to the left. We managed to stay a couple house ahead by walking briskly. Now this is not easy when you have a dog that lives to smell each and every blade of grass. We only went one lap, so we would not catch back up to the Garbage truck. I walk Zachary many times a day, so he was not concerned that we ended our walk early.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Little frogs

2006-08-06T23:03:00.000-04:00

For the past several morning dozens of little frogs have been around the roof drain spouts. Since Zachary loves to chase lizards around the roof drain spouts, he saw them before I did. Some of the frogs jumped when Zach put his nose to them, from then the chase was on. Zach loves to nose big frogs to try to get them to jump. This was the first time he encountered so many frogs at one time. Needless to say, Zachary was entertained for a long time.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Bath Tonight

2006-08-05T23:27:00.000-04:00

After digging several holes and playing in the yard, Zach was a dirty puppy. Zachary does not like baths when he gets them, but he does seem to feel better when clean. So tonight a was bath was on Zachary's to do list.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Snowing inside

2006-08-04T21:49:00.000-04:00

Zachary woke up at 4:30 this morning, wanting to go outside. When we came back inside, I stayed out in the livingroom with him so he would not wake up the whole house. I laid down on the couch and tried to get him to go back to sleep. It did not take me long to fall asleep, I am not sure about Zach. I woke up at 9am to the sound of a plastic bottle being dragged and bumped across the tile floor. Now this did not sound like an empty plastic bottle that he plays with, so my ears perked up. I got up to find the floor covered in what looked liked snow flakes and saw him dragging a large bottle in his mouth by the handle. I first took the bottle out of his mouth and went back to survey the snow flakes. When I went to pick them up they were wet and sticky, with a white box like thing under some flakes. It took drinking my coffee in a can (diet coke) to figure out that he had gone in the bathroom and somehow got a box of wet wipes and began to shred each sheet. Also Zach found the toilet bush to be interesting to drag out as well. He did not care abourt the brush just the holder, which now shows many teeth marks at the top. It took almost a half hour to pick up Zachary's mess, by hand. I had tried the vacuum but it was too wet. Zach appears to want to stay in puppyhood and long as possible.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Lifting wrong leg

2006-08-03T23:10:00.000-04:00

We have a little boy dog, so you would think he would lift his back leg. Well not Zachary, he likes to be different. Every time he pees, he squats and lifts his front left leg. It is funny to watch him because he never lift his right front leg, only the left. I have never seen another dog who pees like Zachary. Anyone else know of a dog like Zach.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Bye Bye trip

2006-08-02T22:44:00.000-04:00

Zachary had a busy day. He went over to see Grandma, Grandpa and his Uncle Victor. He kept going from person to person, getting his fill of attention. Whenever anyone walked out of the room, Zach followed them. Zach did not want to miss any activity and was right in the middle of anything we were doing. Tonight while loading boxes, Zach wanted to be right in the middle. The only problem, he was nose to nose with Grandpa and in the way. I had to put him on a leash to stay out of the middle on the loading zone. He is now quiet and sleeping on the floor.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Weird dream

2006-07-31T22:24:00.000-04:00

Ever have a dream that seems so real, when you wake up you have to check to see whether it was real. Last night I had one of those dreams. Zachary was out in the backyard and started barking like the house was on fire. I ran outside to see what was going on and saw a large rooster and a cow just out the wire fence. Zachary was chasing them and trying to get through the fence. The rooster was so big, I ran inside to get my camera. When I came out again they were running down the street, while Zach barked safely inside the fence.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Dead in his tracks

2006-07-30T23:04:00.000-04:00

Every try to move a dog that does not want to move? Well tonight while we were walking Zachary stopped dead in his tracks. His four paws were planted and going nowhere. Plus he started backing up and turned himself around. Yes something scared the boy, what I do not know. As I was being pulled back to the house by Zach, I did manage to get him to go potty.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Discovering Grasshoppers

2006-07-29T16:50:00.000-04:00

Today we were walking our normal route, when Zachary made a discovery. About 2 feet in front of his nose jumped a large grasshopper. It was one of the multi-colored ones I used to catch many moons ago. This little guy saw Zach's nose and started hopping for his life. I pulled Zachary back to let this beautiful grasshopper live another day. I do not know what he would have done if he caught it, but he has been known to kill frogs and lizards. So he is not to be trusted with insects, his hunter instinct is too strong.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

New Toybox

2006-07-28T23:36:00.000-04:00

Zachary's toybox was falling apart. He now has a new box, compliments of Skittles candy. It is a cardboard box that was cut so the long side end is open just enough so that he can walk inside and get any toy he wants. The box stands as tall and is as long as Zachary. We have found that cardboard boxes my the best toyboxes, since they are cheap. When we need a new box for Zachary, we take a trip to Costco where the have free boxes for the taking.

"Happiness is being love by a Westie puppy"

Dries Faster Shampoo

2006-07-27T22:53:00.000-04:00

Tried out a new product called Gold Medal Pets Formula 30 Tea Tree Shampoo. The label says "Dries Faster, Less Stress for Dogs". Well with a claim like this, we had to check it out. Sorry to say, we noticed no difference in drying time. We were glad to see that you can now buy a Tea tree shampoo for dogs, and for this reason we liked the product. We have found that even people Tea tree shampoo helped with Zach's itching.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

More crate-free time

2006-07-26T23:17:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe but Zachary will be one Aug 11th. We have been giving him more and more crate-free time when we leave to see how he does. We do not leave him for that long in the house, but have left him for several hours in the motorhome without a problem. It the motorhome we always leave a piece of paper on the table. We would rather him shred the paper then to do something more serious. Since we have done this, he has not torn up anything besides that one paper in the motorhome. Our past two trips, the paper has not been touched. I think our baby boy is slowly growing up. Zach also has been sleeping out of his crate in a big boy bed for about a month. We will continue to give Zach longer times out of his crate when we leave both the RV and house.

“Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy”

Busy walk tonight

2006-07-25T22:55:00.000-04:00

Tonight as we were doing our normal walk Zach played with several dog buddies along the way. Before we came in we helped our neighbor take out their yard trash and plant a new tree. Zach had a good time playing in their yard with all the new smells. He came home with a wet belly from crawling through the water used for the new tree.

"Happiness is being love by a Westie puppy"

Stormy afternoon

2006-07-24T22:22:00.000-04:00

We had another stormy afternoon with thunder and lightning. Zachary slept most of the day, catching up on his sleep from a busy weekend.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

We are home

2006-07-23T22:53:00.000-04:00

We are back from our RV getaway and tired puppies. We managed to get the motorhome un-packed right before the rain started. As I am typing, Zachary is laying under my feet snoring loudly and moving his little paws. He has been doing this on and off since about 4pm, he is so tired.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Seed-spitting

2006-07-22T13:21:00.000-04:00

The snake that came to visit us yesterday was about 3 foot long. Today is another busy day at our RV rally. This morning we had a watermelon seed-spitting contest. The longest distance was 26ft. Tonight we are having a potluck and karaoke. Zach too had a job this weekend, he has been helping an RV dog buddy not be so aggressive. We walk with Luke closer and closer until they get to me nose to nose. Luke is getting much better. Zachary just wants to play with Luke.

“Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy”

RVing again

2006-07-21T15:28:00.000-04:00

Packed the motorhome and headed to our monthly rally. We are in a pretty remote area, 2 miles down a dirt road. Zach is in heaven. We even had a snake come to visit this morning. If the snake pictures come out I will post one. He was on the move going under RV's and heading towards the lake. I tried to keep Zachary away so he would not scare the snake and decide to stay underneath our motorhome. Zach has had fun catching up with his RV dog buddies. This morning we played a rowdy game of baseball in the pool. Lots of laughs during the game. This afternoon we will be raisin catching and penny tossing. It is nice to get out of Dodge and relax.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westied puppy"

Water line break

2006-07-20T10:32:00.000-04:00

We had excitement start around 10:30 last night with water coming out of ground around an electric transformer. Called the county water department, said someone would be out to check line. Well this morning the water was coming out with even more flow, called county again. When the water department showed up, Zach supervised the repair. Plus got petted, which made his day. He also got to help fill in hole that was made from water leak.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Boot Scooting

2006-07-19T22:04:00.000-04:00

For the past couple days Zach has been biting at his tail and dragging his hind end on the ground. Now I call this the Boot Scooting Scootie. Anyone that has a dog knows the meaning of this. So Zachary and I went to get his anal glands expressed. The Vet tech said they were full and might be tender for1 or 2 days. While we were there, I weighed Zachary. He weighed in at 19lbs 2 ozs. I was glad to see that he did not reach 20 lbs yet.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Full day at Grandma & Grandpa's

2006-07-18T22:01:00.000-04:00

Zach is a tired puppy with a full day at Grandma & Grandpa's. He helped Grandpa take apart the old big screen TV. I am not sure who took out the screws since both their faces were right next to eachother. His uncle Victor came over and gave him lots of attention, he loves he uncle Victor. As Grandpa was taking the old TV screen outside Zach slipped out the front door. All I could think of was him running off or getting hit by a passing car. Actually all Zach did was run to a guy that was loading things Grandma & Grandpa put out for charity. Grandpa was out the door right after him yelling "NO, NO". The poor guy loading the truck thought he was talking to him and dropped what he was holding. Then the guy found a dog at his feet even though he was scared of dogs. Now you see why the baby boy is a sleepy boy.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Mega Rainstorm

2006-07-17T22:37:00.000-04:00

It rained and poured tonight for many hours. We had several close strikes with lightning. The electric went off for 3 hours and the cable has been off for over 6 hours. Zachary as you can imagine was not a happy puppy. He was barking and hiding during the storm. Now with all the rain the crickets are everywhere and loud. When Zach went out on the back porch he started barking at the loud crickets. The ducks on the other hand are very happy.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Beyond dirty

2006-07-16T23:00:00.000-04:00

This morning Zachary needed to run, and run he did, round and round and back and forth. It would not have been bad as we do the game all the time, except there was dew on the ground. Yep, you guessed it, the dirt turned to mud. The more he ran the more dirty he became. So when we both came inside, to the bathtub we headed. At least one white doggie emerged, leaving a muddy one behind.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Play buddies

2006-07-15T22:34:00.000-04:00

Zach has two buddies on the block that he has been playing with for the past several days. One is a weiner dog and the other a mutt. Both cause such a commotion that there owners let them out when Zach walks by their house. Zachary stays on leash while his buddies remain off leash. When we come back home Zach is a tired puppy"

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Some cats are friendly

2006-07-14T23:03:00.000-04:00

Some cats are friendly, some are not. Zach seems to know which cats will not hurt him and which to stay completely away from. There is a cat that lives next door that follow his dog brothers and sisters around the block when they go for a walk. Zach does not mind this friendly cat named Lucie.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Dog buddies

2006-07-13T21:32:00.000-04:00

No matter where Zachary goes he always meets dog buddies. Some new and some are best buddies he sees every night on his nightly walk. If he cannot find a dog buddy, he will accept a pet from a human buddy.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

1st Peanut Butter Jar

2006-07-12T22:23:00.000-04:00

We have fond memories of our former Westie licking peanut butter out of the jar before being tossed in the garbage. I have be waiting till he got older before carrying on this tradition. This morning I finished a jar and spent extra time to get all the excess out of jar. Tonight he got his first peanut butter jar. I do not know what it is about the smell but it drive dogs nuts.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Baths and Rain

2006-07-11T22:32:00.000-04:00

Why is it that when you give your dog a bath it rains? I have found that if I want it to rain, I wash my car. Now the same goes for Zach getting a bath. Cool, no doing 2 things will make it rain and water my plants.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

White Frog

2006-07-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

I looked outside the porch door and noticed Zachary nosing something in the grass. Now I had seen him do this in the past with frogs to get them to jump. When I saw a white frog, I smiled and laughed. I had never seen a white frog before today. I went inside to get my camera and left Zach to guard the frog. By the time I came back, the frog was gone. I looked all around the outside of the porch but no luck. I will keep my out and take a picture if I am able of the white frog.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Helping pull weeds

2006-07-09T21:27:00.000-04:00

Zach was beside himself this afternoon as we were weeding the lawn. After we pulled a weed, he thought that his job was to run around the yard carrying the just pulled weed. His next excitement was to start pulling his own weeds. The only problem with that was, it was grass and not weeds. Finally he was told to go hunt lizards, chill out or he was going inside. Zachary was sent inside for a couple minutes to calm himself down. When he came back out, he hunted lizards and relaxed in the sun.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Ebay helper

2006-07-08T23:19:00.000-04:00

Zach loves to help and be in the middle. While I was packing stuff for an ebay auction Zach kept playing with an empty box that used to hold items.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

King of the mountain

2006-07-07T21:15:00.000-04:00

While out walking this morning Zach and I saw one of our neighbors outside. While walking up Zachary noticed the brick wall, it did not take long for him to figure out how to get up and walk on the top of the wall. He was steady and did not even seem to notice just how high he was. The top off the wall where he was walking was waist high. Our neighbor got a kick out of Zach walking his wall.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Zach is well rested

2006-07-06T23:12:00.000-04:00

Now that Zach is well rested, he is back to his normal self. Play, sleep, eat is the order of the day, on most days. Everyone slept in again this morning. Today they mowed the back stormwater pond so Zach had to supervise this operation to make sure it was done correctly. He liked watching the birds fly when the tractor russled the grass. The Ibis would wait till the very last minute to fly.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Firework remains

2006-07-05T22:21:00.000-04:00

This morning it was interesting walking around the block as Zach and I tip-toed around all the neighborhood firework remains. Zach wanted pick up the sticks and plastic tops. The rest of the day all he wanted to do was sleep. I was unable to get him outside at 11pm with all the noise. At 2am Zach woke my up by kissing me, he finally had to pee, loud noises or not. We went out and back to bed, all was finally quiet in the neighborhood.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Happy 4th of July

2006-07-04T21:19:00.000-04:00

Zachary has had an easier time tonight with the loud neighborhood fireworks. A couple times earlier tonight he started barking. I tried taking him out to go potty right before dark, nothing doing. We made it outside but nothing else, he pulled to come home. He heard loud booms in the distance.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Fireworks

2006-07-03T23:06:00.000-04:00

Zachary is having a very tough time with all the neighborhood fireworks. Sometimes he runs, barks or hides as he tries to get away from the loud bangs. Tomorrow will not be fun and we are thinking of leaving the house to a quieter place for the 4th of July.
Today Zach slept most of the day, catching up on rest from our busy RV weekend trip.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Home but tired

2006-07-02T21:58:00.000-04:00

After yesterday with shufleboard competion, a 50's party and being a social butterfly all of us are tired. Actually pooped is a better word. We managed to get home just as the rain started. Poor Zach did not even get to potty after driving over 2 hours. With lightning, thunder and rain, I just carried him inside until the storm ended. We had a good time and look forward to our next adventure.

"Happiness is being oved by a Westie puppy"

Boat ride pics

2006-07-01T13:00:00.000-04:00

Some of the critters we saw while on boat ride were dolphins, seagulls and ospry.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Played hard today

2006-06-30T20:37:00.000-04:00

Zach's buddies had a good time catching up on eachother's pee-mail. Also played with old and met lots of new RV dog buddies here at our monthly rally. We were able to jump on a boat and enjoy the ocean for a couple hours. We left Zachary in the comfort of his air-conditioned RV. He loves walking and was ready to go when we came home from our boat trip.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Motorhome packed

2006-06-29T11:01:00.000-04:00

The motorhome is packed and we will head out this afternoon for a couple days of rest and relaxation. I hope to be able to continue to blog while we are away. Looking forward to seeing our RV buddies.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Packing the Motorhome

2006-06-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

Zach became excited this morning when I plugged the electric for the motorhome. He has firgured out that going camping follows soon after this ritual. He is correct, we head out tomorrow for our monthly RV trip to meet our usual RV buddies. I had just locked the door to the motorhome when we heard thunder in the distance. We managed to get the bikes on the rack just in time. Again we were blessed with more rain tonight.
Hopefully the rain stays here and we have good weather for our trip.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Scared puppy

2006-06-27T14:43:00.000-04:00

Lots more rain and thunder and lightning today. As usual Zachary wanted to be on top of or under us for safety. It is strange because this seems to be getting worse as he gets older. With all the summer afternoon rains, this is not good. I have tried playing with him and giving him a Greenie, to try to focus on something besides the thunder. Neither of these has worked.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Our blocks worked

2006-06-26T22:44:00.000-04:00

After all the rain we had yesterday and today, work was needed in area we mulched out front. I had two places that the rain eroded away some dirt and mulch. To fix this, we placed 6 large 12"x 12" blocks to be used a splash plates. Zachary again was outside helping by chilling under a tree, while we worked. After checking our front garden after more rain tonight, our blocks worked.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Rainy day

2006-06-25T20:56:00.000-04:00

We have had rain most of the day. We needed the rain, but not the thunder that came along. Zach does not like thunder one bit. He either wants to be sitting or laying on top of us or under our chair. He takes whimpy to a whole new level. Thank goodness we only had thunder for one hour today.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Tired puppies

2006-06-24T20:58:00.000-04:00

All of us in the house are tired puppies tonight. After finishing the edging and putting out 43 bags of rubber mulch, none of us are moving fast. Now you may think Zachary had it easy today, wrong. He was out with us the entire time we were outside. Our neighbors had a yard sale so there was lots of foot and car traffic to keep Zach busy for hours. All this was between on and off rain showers. We all got wet one time when the rain came out of blue sky. I think Zach stayed the driest since he was under a tree.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Helped in front garden

2006-06-23T22:11:00.000-04:00

Zachary had a good time this afternoon as we started putting border around the front garden. While we worked, the boy was chilling, watching cars and people. We had him hooked to a tree close enough to us to stay out of trouble, but far enough away to keep him from getting in the way. He loved rolling in the grass and hanging out. Tomorrow we will finish with our helper, Zachary.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Relaxing

2006-06-21T22:07:00.000-04:00

After a hard day of walking and chasing lizards, what else is there to do, but relax.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Zach's 2 cents

2006-06-20T23:08:00.000-04:00

Several times a day Zachary wants to lay on my lap while I am at the computer. Today he made it hard to use my number keys on the right. What is really tough, is when he starts dreaming and his chin starts moving. Before I can stop him, he has typed a whole line.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Playing cards

2006-06-19T23:01:00.000-04:00

Not wanted to be left out yesterday, Zachary asked if he could play cards with us. As you can see, he is checking to make sure he makes the best play.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Father's Day

2006-06-18T23:01:00.000-04:00

Zachary had a busy day with Grandma and Grandpa who came over for Father's Day and also celebrate two birthdays. Zach could not decide who he wanted to follow. He kept following Grandma into the bathroom to help and being under foot. After a relaxing afternoon of dinner and cribbage, Zach was wired to go walking tonight. As soon as we walked out the door, we meet one of our neighors who walks at night with her cat following behind. We waited for the cat to get a head start before we walked around the block. The first time around, Zach walked fast trying to catch the cat. We passed them as they turned in to their house and continued around for our second lap.
Tonight he slept, and is now quietly chewing on his Greenie.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_cluv@yahoo.com

Backyard Cranes

2006-06-17T09:14:00.000-04:00

More of Zachary's backyard critters. Zach will run back and forth trying to get the Sandhill cranes to fly. They normally just squak and ignore him.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Zach helps a Dalmatian

2006-06-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

When we were out walking tonight and a Dalmatian came running by where we were walking. He circled around and then walked a little way with us down the street. A lady walked out and asked if we had seen a Dalmatian. We walked back to where she was standing and her dog followed. The lady said he was deaf and he slipped out when her son went out on the porch. She slipped a leash on him as we were talking. She thanked us and said she was not sure what she would have done if her dog did not follow Zachary. We were glad we could help.

“Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy”
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Something out of place

2006-06-15T23:04:00.000-04:00

Our former Westie was well know for letting you know if something had changed in his world or seemed out of place. Our current Westie is no different. I had water running into a built up area around the new tree in the backyard. I had walked away to go check the hose, and Zach started to high-pitch bark. I thought he may have seen a lizard, but what I found was pretty amazing. Zachary was barking because there was water running out 2 break-throughs in the built up area. He was letting me know that something was not right. As soon as I turned off the water he quit barking. I praised he for letting me know about the water.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Helped plant trees

2006-06-14T19:09:00.000-04:00

Zachary had a busy day today. This morning while walking he met Ponche an Irish Setter. His owner Dave was not sure how he would get along with Zach, because of his size. Well after sniffing each other it was playtime. They played until both of their toungue were hanging out. This afternoon he helped plant trees, one in the front yard and one in the back. I am not sure who was more drity, Zachary or my partner. Before he came in, he was hosed off with water. He had fun though playing in all that rich soil.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Cabin fever

2006-06-13T11:53:00.000-04:00

Zachary misses going outside and chasing lizards which he does daily. We have been getting lots and lots of rain with Tropical Storm Alberto. I have been walking him between rain bands but several times we have gotten soaked. Depending on how long it takes for the storm to pass out of state will determine whether the boy will lizard hunt today.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Visit grandparents

2006-06-12T00:55:00.000-04:00

Zachary had a busy afternoon, he went to see Grandma and Grandpa. He loves going to their house since are so many new smells and lots to get into. He sometimes had to decide which of 4 people to follow. He loved being outside the best, new lizards and squirrels. He did real well at not falling into the pool as he raced around trying to catch critters. The critters won this time. He was a tired puppy when he came home.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Cat encounter

2006-06-10T18:17:00.000-04:00

As we went out the door to walk, I had to hold tight. Our neighbors cat, Lucie was sound asleep one foot from the door. Lucie so she could care less since she was raised with dogs. Zachary on the other hand was pulling as hard as he could towards Lucie. I managed to rechannel his interests, and we started our walk. As we came back to the house, Lucie was in the same spot to greet us. Zach had another opportunity to have an up close an personal encounter with a cat. With a little help from his me, he passed Lucie unharmed.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Spooked by gun shots

2006-06-09T22:16:00.000-04:00

While were outside tonight, Zach heard gun shots. We had just come home, so I know he really needed to go potty. Nothing doing, as soon as he heard the gun shots he ran back to the door. He beat me to the door and scratched for me to hurry up. If I remember our former Westie was not fond of loud noises either.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Bye-bye trips

2006-06-08T22:19:00.000-04:00

Zachary has been going with us more places since we do not have to worry about his crate. He is super curious about people passing by and where he is going. When we travel in the motorhome we will continue to use the travel crate for safety.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Does not bark much

2006-06-07T23:07:00.000-04:00

Zach is close to 10 months old now. Tonight when we were walking I realized how much he has changed over the months. At one time he would bark at everything including other dogs. Tonight 5 other dogs barked at him and he just kept walking, with our encouragement. All this without a sound from him. It is nice to be able to take him walking or places around town and he will behave.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Indestructible Ball

2006-06-06T22:05:00.000-04:00

We finally found a soft flexible ball that Zachary cannot destroy. In the past we have used plastic balls and playground balls, both leak air from his teeth. This one has no air, but is soft to the touch. This ball drives him absolutely nuts. He wants to pop it so bad, but he cannot. I am curious to see just how long it lasts.

“Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy”
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com

Asleep at Computer

2006-06-05T22:13:00.000-04:00

As you can see it is very hard to type when Zachary helps me at the computer. You may not be able to tell, but he is sleeping on my lap.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"

Crate free trip in car

2006-06-04T21:46:00.000-04:00

Zachary had a big day, he went bye-bye without being in his crate. I put him in the backseat with his leash on and asked him to lay down. He did real well, only got up a couple of times. One time was so he could see me and not be behind my seat. The other was to climb and lay on blankets I had in the backseat. I think he had a better view out of the window on top of the blankets.

"Happiness is being loved by a Westie puppy"
zacharys_fan_club@yahoo.com