PUGnetwork: July 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009

Attempts To Being Normal

Well, everyone knows I am mom's only child. Even though I am a pug, I have my needs and I provide love. One of my basic needs - to sniff and explore - was suddenly taken away from me when I got sick last month. Once I got better my vet said I could go out... just trying to not get too close to other doggies.

That's how we decided to go to people places instead of doggy places for a while. Daddy didn't like the idea - seriously, he is cool when it is time to get treats but for the rest of interesting things in life, he is mostly boring.

While driving around looking for houses - a human thing - mom asked dad to stop at a kid's playground. There was no one there, just a family walking towards the back of the park. Daddy thought that the family would complain for me being there.

Look at me. Totally adorable. Who could complain? While having those thoughts, a loud noise atracted my attention. Why are those people shouting?

It turns out that people are very loud in this city. I had forgotten, since mom and dad are very quiet. It is very common to see a mother yell to her child, just because he or she is running/jumping/climbing/playing/getting dirty/laughing/being happy. What's the purpose of coming to a playground if the poor little kid can't do nothing? Then, of course, kids stop listening to their parents. Who wants to pay attention to that ugly loud noise all the time? And the shouting continues, for ever and ever, anywhere and everywhere. Mom can't understand people sometimes.

Back to me, I was having fun sniffing everything on my reach. It was cool to follow mom's directions, this time in a much nicer and fun place than our regular walks. I am used to following "Up" and "Down" when there's a stair, "Jump" when there's a curb or a higher than normal step. But there was a slight difference this time. Mom was being a little louder. She wanted to make sure I heard her since she was not too close to me.

What did I do? Behave like a normal kid. I didn't listen - after all, she was almost yelling at me. Ninety degrees on the ground, muzzle in the sand, and I realized she had said "Jump" instead of "Down".

"Ooops mom! I didn't mean to scare you. I am fine, and the sand tastes good, by the way!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Texting Miss Pearl

Hello friends,
You will not believe what happened to me yesterday. I am very mad at my mother because she has no sense of privacy at all. Unbelievable.

She happened to had left her phone on the window sill, connected to the charger. When she came back to the bedroom she found the phone on the floor, screen opened, paw on keyboard.

"What are you doing, Coco?"

"Me? Nothing. And you?"

"Let me see the phone... who are you texting to?"

Totally rude. I can't wait to be four years old in September so that I can move out of my parents house.

(And I hope I pressed SEND on time. Did you get my message, Pearly?)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Wordless Pugless Crazy Wednesday

(MIAMI BEACH MARINA)

(ADRIENNE ARSHT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER)

(MOM AND DAD, THE WAY THEY WOULD LOOK IF YOU HAD ASTIGMATISM)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

My Hairitage

Hello friends!

Many of you may not know something about me. I am a multiracial pug. No, I am not a mutt or a mixed breed, but my hairitage (or is it heritage?) is very rich. You see, I am a chinese-peruvian-cuban-american pug. That's why I can bark and understand spanish and english!

So before you start guessing, here goes the story:

I am a pug, and pugs originated in China, but I was born in the U.S.

My mom was born and lived most of her life (27 years) in Perú.

Dad was born in the U.S. but his parents were both born in Cuba.

So today, 188 years ago, it was the independence of Perú. It is a big country, not as big as this one though. But it looks big in this map.

Mom was born in Lima, grandma was born in Moquegua and grandpa was born in a little province in Lima, up in the mountains. Doesn't mom look like an andean girl?

Yesterday mom brought a "Paneton" home to celebrate the tradition. It smells yummilicious but she said that I can't have any. Well mom, since I can't have any, let me tell you that Panettone's are originally from Italy. How come you say that's a tradition to eat on Perú's Independence Day? (And on Christmas, also).

Monday, July 27, 2009

While daddy watched TV...

after our Sunday breakfast, I was getting ready to clean the kitchen. Daddy prepared grits - but not just any grits, this is a special "daddy's grits recipe". This is the type of breakfast that we all share as a family; I always get a little bit on my bowl. Yesterday daddy didn't measure accurately so there was a lot left over. I was ready to clean the pot!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Extreme Fluffiness

Mom and dad finally found a duvet cover they both like, and they bought it. I tried it and approved it so this will definately go with me when I move out. I hope they don't mind.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Busy Pug

Dining in Panera Bread and then shopping in West Elm to furnish my pugpartment. If I ever get one.

PS: And if I get my pugpartment, we can celebrate Wally's Poop Party there!

Friday, July 24, 2009

The Failed Plan

Hi Friends,
Mom and I are worried because our friend Wally had surgery again, and we haven't heard any updates yet. It breaks our hearts to know he is not well yet, but we know that his mom and his vets are doing all they can to make him feel better.

I also went to the vet two times last week; the first one was my routine once-a-month visit for the cortisone shot and nail trim. The second one, last Saturday for my annual rabies vaccine.

Daddy wanted to stay in the car, as usual, but mom convinced him to come inside. She had a secret plan for him.

Anyway, there was a cute kitty inside this cart. Mom whispered something in daddy's ears and he shouted "NO WAY! I am not walking beside you then". I wonder if this conversation had something to do with my birthday present...

But I liked the cart. It seems comfy.

Little by little, more doggies and kitties came in so my mom decided to embarass myself putting me on the bench with her. I just wanted to sniff and say hi to everyone!

Mom asked dad to take a picture of us together. Dad said "No". As usual. That's why all of our pictures together look almost the same. Mom's arm is not that long!

Oh, before I forget, I wanted to tell you about something that happened yesterday. Mom and I were walking when a neighbour mom had not seen before came by and told us he had a pug. He said: "Wait, I'll bring him so you can meet him". Soon after, he came with his daughter and the pug. He was the cutest cutest little pug boy BUT he was loose. Mom was shocked. We live in a townhouse so beside the buildings, there is only small areas of grass, a sidewalk and the street.

I was walking with my harness and my leash, of course. The neighbour said his wife just had a baby, so the pug spends most of the day outside on the shade, but there is no fence in the backyard! He said he has a chip and his info on a tag so he is confident he will never get lost. Mom felt her stomach squish. Mom would never risk having a dog loose on the streets. He can get lost or he can have an accident. But she doesn't know that man! So she just wished him luck and asked him to please take good care of the puggy. Then another man walked by, that is also a neighbour, and he said he also has a pug! So it is three of us in the neighborhood!

Back to my visit to the vet, we found a flyer with info of a new doggy park! We used to live very close to that park, but we couldn't go too often because it was not pet friendly. We are so happy to see this city improving!

Now, here's a family picture:

When it was my turn to go inside, daddy wanted to stay in the waiting room. Mom had to pull his arms to make him come with us. Remember, she had a secret plan for dad. So the vet came, applied the vaccine and said, "that's all". Mom hid behind my delicate little body (that, by the way, covers all of her head), made signals towards daddy and said: "Doc, so Coco needs to loose more weight?". The vet realized that mom wanted her to tell dad to stop overfeeding me. I was still on the table, in awe. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. Is this your GREAT secret plan for dad, mom?

Anyway, the vet started explaining all the problems that being overweight bring to a doggy, specially one with such a short snout, and other health complications that may arise with being fat, and the amount of food I should eat and the tiny little piece of carrot that I should only be allowed to have twice a day and... mom dropped me on the floor. The vet - still talking to dad - suddenly turned her head downwards, to the pug that had gently put his paws on her legs and said: "Yes, Coco, I know you want your cookie. It's right here."

What happened next, explains why I prefer my dad above everyone else in the world. He laughed at the vet and told her she was not practicing what she was teaching him. And that was it. I am now allowed to eat treats and cookies at my very own discression.