PAWS Walk

Today we participated in the PAWS Chicago 'Run For Their Lives' 4K walk. PAWS Chicago (Pets Are Worth Saving) is the city's largest no-kill humane organization. They envision a no-kill Chicago--a city in which pets are not destroyed just because they are homeless. Mom likes us to participate in fundraisers like these because she feels it's important to help dogs that aren't as fortunate as I am. This year's walk/run raised over $244,000.00 to help the homeless dogs! I think that is sooooo pawsome!
It was a beautiful day for the walk. Sunny and in the upper 70s! With over 3,000 walkers, runners and doggies participating, there was a bit of a delay, so I had to sit and wait before I could get out and walk!
Look at all those people and doggies!
Dad realized that he's all over the pictures in my blog, so he snapped a quick pic of me and my mommy while we waited. Hey! Who's that dog getting in the picture with me and mom?
Off we go!
To ensure the safety of all participants, there are human and doggie water stops all along the route. It was delicious water provided by Sparky Springs! Water just for dogs!! Now, that's super cool!

Here we come across the finish line. Now, onto the food tent!!
Every good dog deserves a treat once they're done, so mom got me some apple slices in the food tent. MMMMmmmmm I love apples!
GUESS WHO was at the walk? It's my Vet, Dr. Marks!! She is the absolute BEST!!! She has taken care of me through a very difficult first year (pneumonia, panosteitis, Ecoli etc...) and I LOVE her with all my heart. Each time I go to visit her, we begin the visit with a little make out session. he he! Unlike most dogs, I'm not scared to go to the vet, I pull my way into the waiting room, and when I hear her voice, I get all excited! Mom agrees that Dr. Marks is the BEST!! She has provided the best care, helped mom and dad understand what's going on with me when there was a problem and just been there for the day to day questions new dog parents have!! I give her two PAWS up!! Luv you Dr. Marks!!!! P.S. where was your stethoscope today? You know how I love to chew on it...
After we got home from the walk, I was a bit pooped, but I perked up when mom gave me the freebie tennis ball the people from Petco were handing out. I love a good tennis ball. Mom watched me closely, as she knows I love to break them open.
Sure enough, not even five minutes after starting my chewing, I broke through. That means mom takes the ball away. NO FAIR!

Well, I'm off to nap. It's been a long and action packed weekend, and this 'dale needs his rest.

'Till next time,

Kirby

Playdate with Parker

Today my one of my bestest pals, Parker, came and hung out at my house. His parents were out for most of the day, so my folks offered to watch Parker for them. Parker and I get along like peas and carrots. He's almost 11 months old, so we are still both silly puppies. We make a handsome pair, don't we?
Parker and I spent lots of time playing with all of my bones and toys.
We chased each other all through the condo. We especially like chasing each other around the coffee table.
I'm gonna catch you Parker!
We loved nothing more than playing bitey face and wrestling with one another. We must have wrestled for hours!
Finally, Parker's Mom and Dad came and picked him up. I was kind of sad, it was like having a little brother for the day, but I heard our parents discussing another playdate, so looks like there's more fun to come!

'Till next time,

Kirby

CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!! CUBS WIN!!!

I'm soooo excited! Tonight, the Chicago Cubs won their division, the National League Central. Wooo Hooo! I was sporting my Cubs jersey and munching on my cubby bear squeaky toy, waiting to see if they would clinch the division, and then they did!

I just wish mom would take me down to Wrigley Field to celebrate in the streets like all the loyal Cubs fans do. Mom flat out refused. She said it's too crazy in Wrigleyville tonight. NO FAIR! We live one mile due north of Wrigley Field, so it's no big deal to stroll right down the street to the ballpark. Guess I'll just continue my celebration tomorrow with my fellow Cubby fans. Aaahhh, on to the playoffs...

'Till next time,

Kirby the cubby

Agility Class

Tonight was agility class night, which means mom and dad prayed I wouldn't be my normal crazy self and would be a good dog for once. I don't know if it was the cool weather today, or if I just wanted to be nice, but I was well behaved and did a great job!

Here I am waiting for my turn on the course. This is the hardest part of class. I'm not very patient, and waiting my turn feels like an eternity.
I was totally moving when I was on the course. Mom tried to get a picture of me on the A-frame, but all she could catch was me after I came off it. Look at that 'dale go!
Once again to prove how quick I was this evening, here is a picture of me working on my jumps. What, you can't see me? Look closely, that's my back end on the far right of the picture. I was too quick for the camera!
Here I am with dad, working on jumps. I'm not allowed to jump very high (Vet's orders) due to my Panosteitis, but that's OK with me. Why jump over when you can just plow on through.
Notice my concentration on my dad's hand signals. I'm such a good boy, no not really, he's got hot dog and cheese pieces in that hand. No way I'm taking my eyes off of those hands.
If you choose to, check out the video below. It shows me strolling through my jumps. You'll get to witness my why jump when you can go through process. This was at the very end of class, so mom said I was a bit tired, but I say I just don't want to jump all the time.

'Till next time,

Kirby

Dog Beach

Today was very exciting. Mom and Dad loaded me up into the car, and we were off to dog beach! It was 80 today and sunny in Chicago, and Mom said she didn't know how many more nice weekends we would have like this, so I got to go to the beach!

Mon Dog, or Dog Beach, as most Chicago dogs know it, is a great beach. It is situated right on the shore of Lake Michigan, and it is HUGE! The area is fenced off, so no doggies can escape, so it is off leash fun for all dogs. Mom took this picture to give you an idea of the size of the beach. Today, we went around mid-day, so it wasn't as crowded as it is when we go in the mornings, but there were still plenty of pooches to play with.
When we go to the beach, I always bring one of my 'water toys'. Todays choice was my aqua kong. Here I am with my trusty kong after a big wave hit me.
My Dad likes to throw the kong out really far, so I have to work hard to get it back. Today, they were a lot more waves than normal, so I had to fight through those to get my kong.
Besides swimming, the beach is great for socializng. I love to meet and greet all the different doggies.
Mom likes when I check in with her while I'm playing. She says I'm a crazy fool at the beach, so every so often she calls me over to make sure I'm behaving myself. Yes mom, I'm being a good boy.
I love to play with all the doggies at the beach, and even more I like to play with the toys they bring with them. Here I am chasing this guy down with his great training toy.
After our time at the beach, Mom and Dad decided I was too sandy to go straight home. They felt I needed a bath anyways, so off to Soggy Paws we went. Mom loves the Soggy Paws motto, "Wash your dog, dry your dog, go home, we clean up the mess." I'm not a fan of baths, so I have to be attached to the tub. Apparently, I'm known as an escape artist.
Here's Dad washing me down. It took nearly two bottles of shampoo to get all the sand out of my fur!
The do it yourself bath does come with a professional dog facial. Here they are cleaning up my face with a mango face wash. Not only does this stuff smell good, but I kept licking it, so it must taste good too.
Are we done yet? After a quick towel dry, Mom and Dad decide there is no need for the dryer today. I will finish drying off at home. Finally, we're going home. I'm pooped after this super busy day.
'Till next time,

Kirby

Puptown

When I feel like getting out and having a good time, I have mom or dad take me over to Puptown. Puptown is my local DFA (Dog Friendly Area), which basically means dog park! I love going to Puptown, it is always filled with dogs of all sizes, and I always have so much fun. Tonight, Dad took me to the park, where I met up with my pal Lucky. Lucky lives down the street from me, and just like me, heads to Puptown for play, play and more play.

Lucky and I just can't get enough of one another.
After so much play, I need to take a break and get some water. The dog parks in Chicago come with 'dog sized' water fountains, which I'm a huge fan of. In case of emergency, mom and dad did teach me how to use the human sized fountain as well, but I'm partial to the pup sized version.
When the weather is warmer, there is a sprinkler set up to help keep the pups cool. It has taken me all summer long, to get comfortable with walking up to the sprinkler, but now I loooove it! Nothing beats a drink straight from the source.
To fully cool myself down, I often need to lay in the puddle the sprinkler makes. Mom and dad get mad when I drink from the puddle, but I try to sneak a lick or two when they're not looking. He he!

After I've rested up and drank my fill of water, it's back to playing. This little guy looks like he'll be fun!
'Till next time,

Kirby

The Cube

According to my mom, I have separation anxiety. I don't go crazy or anything, I just cry a bit when mom and dad leave. It's not even each time they leave, just when we've been having a good time. Hey, what dog wants a good time to end? Not this one. Well, mom discussed my issues with my vet, and she recommended THE CUBE.
The cube is to keep me occupied when my parents leave, so I can focus my energy elsewhere. Before mom and dad leave, they pour a handful of kibble into the opening and shake it up a bit. The kibble slides within the cube falling into different compartments. To get the kibble out you have to roll, flip, push, and kick the cube around and a piece or two of kibble will roll out.
Well, I've become obsessed with the cube. As soon as mom puts it down I go after it like a mad man. I push that cube around and around until , well until it usually gets stuck somewhere. That cube likes to find its way under chairs, tables and into corners. Then I usually paw and paw and paw until I pull it out or it sits there 'till mom and dad come home and find it.
The cube, its a fun, but FRUSTRATING toy. I just can't understand why it doesn't pour out the kibble. A piece at a time, come on!
'Till Next Time,

Kirby

Go Bears!

There's nothing better than a Sunday in the fall. Sunday is football day, and I being an ever faithful Chicago dog, am a Chicago Bears fan. I've got big hopes for this season. Each Sunday, I have mom put on my good luck charm, my bears bandanna. I prance around all day showing off my bears pride. Ahhh, another victory. Now I'm ready for a nice long nap.
'Till next time,

Kirby

My Family (the dog side)

I am the first dog for my mom and dad. Mom mad dad promise that when they got married that they would eventually get a dog, and three long years later, I came along!

Yet before I was even an option, there was a long line of dogs (especially airedales!) that were part of my moms life. My mom grew up in a 'dog' family. She says she really can't remember a time in her life where there wasn't a dog running around in their house.

Mom's first dog was part of the family before she was, his name was Bouncer and he was a Cockapoo. Bouncer was a great who lived for 16 wonderful years. Grandma always says that if Bouncer hadn't of been such a good dog, the string of airedales that followed him would never have existed.

In Bouncer's upper years, Grandma and Grandpa decided to help a friend out who was having trouble selling their airedale puppies (I know, this can't be true!) and Skipper came home. Skipper was the ultimate family dog. He was well behaved, loving and an all around perfect dog. Skipper was with moms family for four short, but loved years before an immune defficiency got the best of him.

After Skippers passing, Grandma and Grandpa didn't know what to do, but mom and Uncle John begged for another dog, so along came Sabastian. Sabastian was a sassy momma's boy, who managed to charm everyone he met. He was a true airedale through and through meaning, he was as stubborn as, well, as I am. Sadly, like Skipper, Sabby was only with moms family for four short years before he too passed away.

Before Sabastian's passing, grandma and grandpa adopted an airedale whose owner had recently passed away and needed a home. Samantha was welcomed into moms house and was spoiled as she was the first female dog they had ever had. Samantha was first and foremost a lady who loved her family. When grandma and grandpa moved to the country, Sammy became the ultimate country dog who loved to visit with the horses next door. Sammy passed away a few years ago from the all too often airedale afflction, lymphoma, but her wonderful behavior is still spoken of today.

Savannah was adopted from ATRA, Airedale Rescue. She was the ultimate spitfire of grandma and grandpa's dogs. She came to their house snarling and biting, but with love and proper care, the beast was tamed, and Savannah became a model airedale. Vanny crossed the rainbow bridge earlier this summer after 15 amazing years. I was happy that I was able to meet her, and while she didn't want to puppy play with me, Savannah always knew when to stand with her family.

See how cute Savannah was. She wore her party hats so well, and I ripped them off of her so fast.

Now, grandma and grandpa just have Spencer. I just love Spencer, but mom says Spence feels the verdict is still out on me. Perhaps I'm still too much puppy for him. I just love to go over to grandmas and follow Spencer anywhere he goes. As you can see in the pictures below, I think everything he does is just great! No matter how much I bark, he just won't play with me!
Here I am following Spencer around the backyard, no matter where he went, I was all over that doggie!
Finally, Spencer gives in and shows me around his lake.
Got to nap just like the big boys.

So, as you can see, I am following a spectacular group of dogs and have a lot to live up to. Mom says that she's confident I'm up to the task, and will make all the dogs who have gone before me proud. Mom, I sure hope you're right!

'Till next time,

Kirby