Little Puppy, Big Face

Happy Birthday to Mom

2009-11-18T20:18:00.004-05:00

Mom went to my auntie Margot's for dinner last night, and I was kind of bummed that I had to stay home--but then when she got back, she had a present for me! Getting presents on other people's birthdays is the best.

Mom let me have it for a while, and then I had to go outside for a walk, but I couldn't wait to come back in and chew on it some more.

I guess I kind of chewed it to pieces.

New toys are always the best toys.

Mom's eye view

2009-10-22T18:28:00.002-04:00

gorgeous view of the East River and 59th Street Bridge on what will likely be the last really lovely evening walk of the year. Mowgs and I love mild fall weather.

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

Snoozy sleepy Sunday

2009-10-04T09:56:00.001-04:00

We are having a lazy Sunday morning, mom and I are. It is a beautiful day but we are staying in bed a little bit longer still...

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Mowgli the Jerk

2009-09-27T10:52:00.004-04:00

Molly and Dempsey moved to the city from Alaska last month, and last weekend, we decided to introduce the dogs. I have to say I was not overly optimistic about their chances of getting along, because Mowgs can be such a jerk sometimes. At first, they got along fine, sniffing, and peeing over each other's spots, and walking very nicely together. And then just after I took this picture, Mowgs picked a fight. Because he's a jerk. So now we're trying some new training methods, or different applications of previous methods. Clicker training a deaf dog is not an easy task, let me tell you, but I think he's starting to get the association between the flash of an LED light that I'm now using and the treat that follows. We'll see how it goes. Meanwhile, wish me luck.

Dog day afternoons

2009-09-13T17:38:00.000-04:00

This is how I spend most days, napping on the couch. Mom leaves for work or to run errands, and I just kind of conk out. Not so bad, on the whole, though there are still some days when my own toys aren't enough and I'll entertain myself by snagging something of mom's and chewing it up. I don't understand why mom gets so pissed off about that. I mean, she can chew up my things anytime she wants. I don't mind--why should she?

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

A Genuine Dog-Skin Rug

2009-08-16T11:52:00.002-04:00

The best way to insulate yourself against those cold marble floors.

A dog's eye view of a city sidewalk

2009-08-07T18:13:00.002-04:00

It's a beautiful summer evening and on my pre-dinner walk, sitting there right by the curb is this huge branch! Totally made my day. It was too big to pick up, though. Oh, well.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Cow-dog eating grass

2009-08-05T09:27:00.003-04:00

Ok, just because I like to eat grass, and I have cow spots, and occasionally small children will look at me and say "moo" does NOT mean that I am a cow. Got it?

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Independence Day in the park

2009-07-04T15:31:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th of July, everybody!
love and puppy kisses,
Mowgli

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Return of the prodigal neighbor

2009-06-13T18:44:00.003-04:00

Today my girlfriend Madison came home from California. She and her mom had been away for so long I almost didn't recognize her when she came running down the hall. But she's home for good now and I couldn't be a happier pup.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Friday in the park with Mowgs

2009-06-12T17:57:00.003-04:00

Thankfully Mowgli doesn't know what summer Fridays are because if he did, he'd be totally pissed that he didn't get to spend this whole gorgeous June afternoon in the park. An hour walk before dinner will have to suffice.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

a busy weekend

2009-04-20T22:19:00.003-04:00

Mom and I had a really fun weekend out of town. Going on vacation is always a little stressful, because I usually have to get in my carrier, which gets kind of claustrophobic if I have to stay in it for more than a half hour. But it's usually worth it.

First we went to Bryn Mawr for a bit, which was kind of confusing because Libby wasn't there. It was still really fun, though. We sat in the backyard, and I chased rabbits and squirrels, and got a little bit sunburned.

Then the next day, we drove down to visit cousin Emma and her new baby brother, cousin Will.

We had a great time in Maryland. I got to play with Emma and Will's dogs, Moose and Sky, and we went to two different parks, and mom put sunscreen on me this time. Oh, and I MIGHT have kind of clawed up the rug a little bit in the guest bedroom... but that's only because all the humans went out to dinner and you know how it is when you're left somewhere unfamiliar--it can be scary. I told aunt Jen I was really sorry. Anyway, Will is cute and all, but Emma is the best--when it's her lunchtime, you can bet there's going to be something delicious winding up on the ground.

So then we went back to Bryn Mawr for a bit, and I got to see my pal Wonka next door, and play frisbee in the park, and then we had to go back home to New York. It was a little easier being stuck in my carrier this time, but then it started pouring while we were walking from the subway, and I was miserable and soaking wet by the time we were home. And to top it off, I had to take a bath.

I've been sleeping the rest of the day now, because let me tell you, a weekend like that leaves you in serious need of some shuteye.

Welcome, cousin Will!

2009-03-24T20:50:00.005-04:00

I have a cousin in Colorado named Eric. I haven't met him in person yet, but we Skype all the time, and when Mom went out to meet him, I got to stay with my aunt Kerri, so I like him.

I've also got a cousin Emma, who lives near DC. I met her about a year ago. We were both much smaller then, but we're both still pretty cute.

And now, I have a new cousin--Emma's little brother William James. I can't wait to meet him. Mom says we're going to visit soon, but I don't know if I believe her. She talks a good game with vacation and travel, but we haven't gone anywhere in MONTHS. Then again, travel means having to be quiet and calm in my carrier for hours on end. Hm. Maybe I'll have to rethink this...

Politics is b-o-r-i-n-g

2009-03-24T20:40:00.006-04:00

Mom and I are watching tv, which is normally something I love. But this isn't It's Me or the Dog, or even a hockey game. It's a presidential press conference. Wanna know what I think of politics? Look back at my blog post from election day. Snoooooooze.... Can we change the channel or what? Animal Planet? Please?

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

The best thing about being so low to the ground

2009-03-17T09:47:00.005-04:00

So I'm out for my last walk last night, nose to the ground, like usual. And I look down in the gutter, and--jackpot! There's this huge stick, almost twice as long as I am! Pretty cool, right? So I pick it up and take it with me, because how can you just leave such an awesome stick lying there?

Mom's all like, "Mowgli, stand still so I can take your picture!" and everyone we walked by was like, "Oh, look at that dog with the stick! How cute!"

But I didn't have time for any of that crap. I mean, when you find a stick like this, nothing else really seems that interesting. You know what I mean?

I am a sleepy puppy these days

2009-03-02T19:32:00.002-05:00

Ever since I turned 1, I just don't have the stamina that I used to. If I play a lot with my walker and the other dogs during the day, I mostly just want to snooze on the couch in the evening. Today was especially tiring because it was snowing all day. I hate snow. Wake me when it's stopped.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T09:42:00.002-05:00

This is my jingle dog collar. It is very festive--and now mom always knows just where I am.
Love to you all this holiday season!
Puppy kisses,
Mowgli

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

new toys!

2008-12-12T16:35:00.003-05:00

So, I'm a puppy, right? And what do puppies do? They chew on things. And you'd think mom would be GLAD that (generally) my chewing is by now limited to my own things (like my bed). But as soon as I finally break in a new stuffed animal, what does mom do? She takes it away! I should start gnawing on the walls again--that'd show her...

Anyway. Luckily, I have my wonderful aunt Eleni. She gave mom three new toys for me. (stupid mom has only given me 2 so far. something about spacing out the inevitable destruction... whatever.) They're awesome toys. I already de-faced the white bear, so now it's perfect. I like the rainbow one, too, especially for tug-of-war.

newest member of the family (Colorado branch)

2008-12-09T11:40:00.002-05:00

This is my new cousin, Eric Alexi Petersen. Mom flew out to Colorado this week to meet him while I stayed with my aunt Kerri and uncle Billy and tormented their cats. I don't entirely get what "cousin" means, but mom says I will love him when I get to meet him. She certainly loves him a lot.

Asleep at the wheel

2008-12-01T21:36:00.001-05:00

I also like to snuggle up on the lap of whoever is driving. Mom doesn't get it, but it really is comfy, nestled in between a warm lap and the steering wheel.

I love to nap in places I shouldn't

2008-11-26T10:36:00.002-05:00

So I know I'm not supposed to get on the couch, but I've kind of chewed up my bed, and when mom's not there, this is my favorite nap spot. Nose pushed between the pillows, there's nothing comfier.

Bar(ac)k Obama!!!!

2008-11-05T00:09:00.007-05:00

It was way past Mowgli's bedtime when the election was called, so I'm posting for him tonight. He'd be really excited if he understood the significance of what just happened, I swear. But I woke him up once already, just cuz I was so excited and I wanted to give him a hug. . . and then he crawled back in bed. So I'm letting him sleep. Maybe we'll do a victory lap around the block for our last walk of the night...

Happy Halloween, everyone!

2008-10-31T19:54:00.003-04:00

A big writhing mess of black and white fur

2008-10-15T19:31:00.001-04:00

Layla, Lola, and Mowgli at play

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Rita, Bryan, and Gonzo - my downtown pals

2008-10-15T07:40:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, mom and I took the bus downtown to go hang out with her friends Rita and Bryan, and their son Gonzo. Here's a picture of us that Rita took (Gonzo is the little fuzzy one, not the big fuzzy one):
We played inside for a while...
...and then we went to the park. Bryan rode his skateboard, and Gonzo and I ran along with him.

I wasn't sure mom was following us at first, but she and Rita were just behind us.

I had a really great time, and mom says that if I'm really good, we can go back for another visit sometime soon.

(and thanks to aunt Rita for all the awesome photos--hope your tooth feels better soon!)

My lady friend, Jenn

2008-09-29T21:59:00.004-04:00

This is my lady friend, Jenn. I met her in August when Mom and I went to Pennsylvania for the weekend (although she lives in Los Angeles), and it was love at first sight. Don't tell Mom, but I'm planning on moving to California so we can be together.

Cow-dog

2008-09-28T13:22:00.001-04:00

As you can see, I am less than thrilled with my halloween costume. Just let Mom TRY and put a bell around my neck.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

oldies but goodies

2008-09-25T10:30:00.003-04:00

This is an old video of me, playing fetch with my aunt Nina, at Mom's old office. I was about 10 weeks old.

How cute am I???

Mowgli [hearts] Layla

2008-09-23T21:30:00.001-04:00

This is my girlfriend, Layla. She is a Boston terrier and I am in love with her. She is older than me, by about a year, but I think it can work anyway, no matter how much Mom tries to warn me off older women. "I'm not you, Mom!"

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

A beautiful Sunday morning

2008-09-21T11:36:00.002-04:00

This is me and my new boyfriend Moose at the 62nd street dog run. He is a boxer puppy. I am so glad Mom finally got over her fear of the dog run. I told her "I am deaf, Mom- not dumb. I will be just fine."

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

8 months and still growing!

2008-09-19T10:10:00.003-04:00

Mom's camera is broken and she is not really very good at the whole camera-phone thing. But we have to acknowledge my 8-month birthday SOMEhow. So here is a shot of me last week, at a playdate with my pal Luna, an Italian spinoni who lives down the block. She is one of my best friends.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Momo asleep with his tongue out

2008-08-19T15:32:00.004-04:00

Mowgli's mom is testing if she can really text blog posts.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Greetings from LBI!

2008-08-19T15:19:00.005-04:00

Wish you were here.

On second thought, I don't really care WHERE you are. I just hope you're having as good a time as I am. I am at the Jersey shore, hanging out with my aunt Libby and being the cutest grandpuppy ever. I ventured a few inches into the water the other day, and that was interesting, let me tell you. I've been sharing Libby's bed with her, and snoozing in the sun, and running around like a crazy dog all day long. It's great. I do wonder where my mom is, though...

puppy kisses,
Mowgs

busy busy busy

2008-08-04T23:09:00.003-04:00

I had a busy month in July. First off, it turned out that going to my aunt Libby's shore house wasn't a permanent thing. We stayed there about a week and then came back to the city, and mom started leaving me home again every day. That's ok, because I just love my walker, Narelle, but I did like getting to hang out with mom all day.

Then I went to the vet for an overnight stay. I'm not entirely sure what that was all about. I love my vet, too, and I know she always takes great care of me, but I was SUPER tired for, like, two whole days after I came home.

Mom was really nice to me and stayed with me the whole time, but mostly I just slept.

And then I got to spend the weekend with my auntie Adrienne in Brooklyn. That was lots of fun.

And now it's August! And I am exhausted. I can't wait for fall, when the weather will cool off a little. I'd kind of like to just nap until then...

comparison shots

2008-06-30T18:57:00.003-04:00

It's time for another compare & contrast, to see how much I've grown.

This was me at 9 1/2 weeks:
and this was me at 22 weeks (just over a week ago):
I've lost most of the wrinkle on top of my nose, and my ears stand up by themselves now, even when I'm sleeping. And my jowls are a little droopier, maybe. Mom thinks I look more like a little boy now than like a baby, which is just fine, if you ask me.

And now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find something to chew on.

and now a word from mom

2008-06-20T22:41:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone,

My mom wants to say something, so I'm turning this post over to her. Because she's the boss.

**********************

This is Mowgli's mom.

I have had dogs my whole life, but I grew up in the suburbs, so it was kind of a different experience being a dog owner. (Plus, my own mom was the primary caretaker, which makes a big difference.) But I have lived in New York for over five years now, and I have to say, as well as I thought I knew the city, seeing it through the puppy gives me an entirely new level of understanding. Having Mowgs makes me even more irritated with people who throw cigarette butts and candy wrappers on the ground, or who spit on the sidewalk, because he is going to find all of those things, and lick them or chew them or do whatever he can get away with before I catch him. But realistically, I know I can't do anything about that. It is a big, dirty city, and I love it just the way it is.

The thing that bothers me is this:

If I am walking my dog, do not try to whistle to him, or make little clicking noises to call him to you. Besides the fact that he is deaf, and has no idea you're trying to say hello, it is VERY VERY RUDE to call to someone's dog while she is trying to take him for a walk. It is hard enough to get the pup to walk where I want him to with all the aforementioned dirty, yummy distractions on every inch of the sidewalk. I do not need idiots who think that my dog is common property making my job harder.

In the same vein, if I am crossing the street with him, at a light, please DO NOT BEND DOWN AND PET HIM. This actually happened to me crossing Park Ave. at 86th Street. We missed the light and got stuck on the median divider. And the couple who slowed us down were not remotely apologetic. This is BAD MANNERS.

Now, I recognize that my puppy is irresistible. He is, after all, the Cutest Puppy on the Upper East Side. (We were considering making that the name of the blog...but he voted for modesty.) Even so, if you want to say hello, ASK ME. As long as I'm not in a hurry, I am more than happy to let everyone in the world bask in the adorableness of the little man. I want to spread the love, and bring joy into everyone's lives. But not when I'm trying to get my dog to pee or to cross the goddamn street.

There, I have vented my frustrations, and I feel much better. Thank you.

Now back to your original programming of unending cuteness.

*************************

Wow, that was a little crazy. Don't pay too much attention--mom's been having a rough week.

I think to bring the tone back down, I'm going to end this post with a picture of me napping on my aunt Adrienne's lap, in the car. Steering wheels make surprisingly comfy pillows.

mommy's Gram

2008-06-11T18:55:00.002-04:00

Mommy's Gram passed away last Friday. I only got to meet her once, but boy, did I love sleeping in her lap. I would just lie there on her legs for hours, and she would pet me, and we were both happy as clams. We will miss her very much.

weekend at the shore

2008-05-28T19:22:00.006-04:00

Mom and I went to the shore for the holiday weekend, and we had a lot of fun. I got to snooze in the sun...

and play with Libby...

and run around with our neighbors there, Roxy & Ruby (also Labradoodles). They are water dogs--which I am NOT--and they run much faster than I do, but we still all had a good time together.

The township doesn't allow dogs on the beach during the summer, but that's ok, because there was plenty of space for me to run around outside even without walking over to the ocean.

Mom's friend Annie came along, too. She is a good person to nap next to. I like her a lot.

I think Libby is still my favorite nap partner, though.

vacation time

2008-05-23T08:15:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that Mom and I are going away for the holiday weekend, so no posts until we're back home. Meanwhile, please feel free to bask in my cuteness:

my vacation in Pennsylvania

2008-05-20T21:13:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, Mom went on vacation to Tucson, and I went on vacation to Pennsylvania to stay with my aunt Libby and her mom. Libby is a labradoodle, which means she's a big dog. But I'm not intimidated by her at all. Plus I'm good at sharing, so we had a good time playing together.

It was lots of fun getting to run around the park and the backyard.

We kind of tired each other out, but that's ok, because I'm good at sharing the bed, too (and so is Libby).

work is fun

2008-05-18T22:44:00.000-04:00

The first few weeks Mom had me, she brought me into work a lot. That was fun, but it was hard staying quiet tucked inside a tote bag while she snuck me into the building. I was pretty good, though. They tried to put me to work......but that didn't really pan out. I'm less of a working dog and more of a "napping on people's desks" dog.Mom had tons of help from my aunties Nina and Kerri while I was in the office. I love them both a lot.

I like Mom's boss a lot, too. She sat down on the floor to play with me and I crawled right into her lap to take a snooze.

oh, how I've grown!

2008-05-17T12:39:00.002-04:00

This was me at 11 weeks:And this is me at 16 weeks:
As you can see, I'm a champion napper. I'm growing into my bed (and my ears), but I've kind of grown out of my sweater. (It was a gift from my foster family, and served me very well in those cold early spring weeks.)

my first foray into the world of blogging

2008-05-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone. My name is Mowgli, and I'm a French bulldog. I am congenitally deaf, but I'm a city dog, so really it's not such bad thing. No car alarms to bark at, no motorcycles revving their engines to startle me. And I've never known anything different. On the whole, I'm an exceptionally happy dog.

I was born in Oklahoma, but now I live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and I am the center of the entire universe. Anyone who tries to tell me different will get barked at.