Lobster Louie Wins!

One of my favorite events here on the coast is Yappy Hour at the Ritz Carleton in Half Moon Bay.
They have the most amazing treats, plus chicken and beef waters. How often does a dog get fed by the Ritz chefs? Of course, since I'm on a diet, I didn't get dinner first.

Lots of dogs of all sizes bring their peeps, who are always raving about the view of the golf course and the sea. Sometimes we sit by the fire pit so they can enjoy the view. There is even a pet photographer, Lori Cheung, who takes great pictures of yours truly.

This last time, they had a costume contest. The theme was "crustacean," so Mom and Dad dragged out my lobster costume and insisted that I wear it. I only agreed because I knew I would get a lot of extra attention, and maybe even extra treats. But I did not expect to win, especially since the giant crab-beagle's costume was home-made. But I did win, in fact, we both won, crab beagle and I. The prize was dinner for two (humans, sigh) at the Ritz. Mom and Dad were thrilled, which made me happy.

Dad says maybe they'll order steak and bring me home a piece in a doggy bag. Promises, promises.

Yay! I'm cancer free!

One day this past winter, I woke up and didn't want to get out of bed. Humans have these kind of days too, I guess, but dogs usually don't. I didn't want to go for a walk, I didn't want to play, but what worried Mom the most was that I didn't eat. I didn't even go to the kitchen and bang my food bowl, which I like to do to remind Mom and Dad that I'm hungry, again. So Mom took me off to the vet, who said I had dental problems.

To make a long story short, when I was asleep at the vet's, she removed two growths, one of which turned out to maybe be a mast cell tumor. She also removed 8 teeth. After I got over the dental surgery, we visited the nice oncologist at SAGE and her pug, Ruby. We also saw another oncologist at AIMS and they agreed that I needed surgery to make sure I didn't have cancer. So the surgeon took out one tonsil and trimmed my soft palate so I can breathe better.

Mom and Dad are amazed at how much quieter I am now when I'm sleeping and by how much louder I can bark now.  She also found that I have  a collapsing larynx, but at least I'm cancer-free. Which is good, right?

The bad news is that I have had to go on a diet, for like forever, because the fat pads in my puggy throat can make it harder for me to breathe. The surgeon wants me to be as svelte as Ruby, who I personally think looks too skinny. So Mom had to cut my kibble rations in half and cut way back on treats.

My revenge is that I wake her up at first light so that she'll feed me. Mom is looking forward to winter and a few more minutes of sleep.

Pug Peeps

We were walking on the Coastal Trail in Miramar yesterday when we met a Pug Peep. We didn't catch the name of the nice young woman in knee boots, but her pug's name is Cookie.  Cookie's mom scratched my head behind my ears and said, "The only thing better than pugs are the people who love them."

Vote for Me, Please

Voting has begun on the KOFY competition for canine county mayor. Please look for my picture or my mom's name (J Rosenberg Montara). Feel free to share on your Facebook or Twitter.
Thanks a bunch!

Vote for Me

I had my first casting call! Last Sunday, Mom and Dad took me to Colma where the local TV station, KOFY, was holding one of several casting calls for dogs for mayor of each of the nine Bay Area counties (http://www.kofytv.com/election-2012/). Dad and I visited with the other candidates while Mom filled out a questionnaire. There was a Frenchie named Dexter and Duke the Great Dane and a dog with a beaded collar that read, "Little." When my turn came, I sat in the big, leather armchair and tried to look regal for the cameras. Next month, the TV station will have our photos up, and you'll be able to vote for me for Mayor of San Mateo County!

Faery pug

Mom and Dad went to Faerieworlds in Eugene, Oregon last week and saw Sharon Knight and Donovan perform, while I played with my buds at Klaws, Paws and Hooves. All they brought me back was this silly pair of Faery wings. I wish they had saved me some of their tri-tip sandwich...

I went to daycare today or, rather, Kamp K-9 at Klaws, Paws and Hooves in Montara. I played with several dogs, including Wasabi and my special buddy, Fiona, She and her big brother Wasabi are both French Bulldogs, so we are distantly related, I guess. Katheryn brought me home this evening. After dinner (spaghetti with meat sauce) I conked out on the couch while Mom was still working on the computer.