Hobie was incredible itchy yesterday. After some inspecting, I found a flea on him! It was my first encounter with fleas; they are tiny and crawl really fast against the skin. I managed to catch a few (yuck) and it seemed to provide him with a little relief. We made a trip to B and B to pick up some Frontline Plus. Hobie also got a belated birthday gift, a tennis covered football that bounces everywhere. This ball floats and hopefully we won't lose it at the beach next time we go.
Play: August 2005 Archives
Dear Hobermeyer,
You are six-years-old today. Hooray!
You have the spunkiness of a puppy. You always need to sniff each and every tree on our morning walks, even though you smelled them the previous morning You don't always listen and come when called; that's why your foot pads are scratched up.
And you have the grumpines of an old man. We don't like that you growl at us in the evening when we pet you. But you are probably trying to tell us that you just want to be left alone. Sometimes I cannot help but bother you, especially when you look like a stuffed animal. Cuteness does have its price.
Yesterday, you discovered the joy of baseball. Although you did not appreciate being tied to a tree while Kris and I were hitting and fielding pitches, you did eventually quiet down. At the end of the game, you put on a show by running full speed into the outfield chasing balls. You are a natural outfielder.
Your cake is baking and I am sure you cannot wait to devour it. You are a great little doggie, Hobie, and it is so much fun having you in our lives.
Happy birthday, buddy!
When we first got Hobie, he would poop about three times during his morning walk. I dreaded picking up after him but I knew I could not leave it in the snow. Since then, he has become more regular and I usually need only one bag with me.
After he had done his deed the other morning, we started heading back home. Well, he decided to poop one more time, at the tree at the Geary bus stop, where people were waiting for the commute bus. I felt embarassed to leave it there but I did not have a choice; I did not have a bag. So being the responsible pet owner I am, I headed to the nearest convenience store and explained to the person behind the counter at what happened, and asked for a bag.
"10 cents," he said.
"What?!" I shockingly asked. "I don't have any money."
"I have to pay for these too. You should be prepared and have bags with you," he shot back.
I told him fine, that I would leave the poop on the sidewalk for someone to step in. As I turned to walk out, he called me back and gave me a bag.
What a jerk. I see kids littering those same plastic bags all the time. I'm just trying to help keep our little neighborhood clean, since there are a number of people who could care less about what their dog goes. It is disgusting the amount of poop that we have to walk by every morning on Fillmore.
Hobie was waiting patiently outside the store, sitting nicely while tied up to a meter. We went back and cleaned up his poop. It made me feel good that I am a responsible citizen.
Our neighborhood is full of interesting people. On our way to one of the dog parks, we have to walk by a few public housing buildings. It is not uncommon to see groups of thuggish-looking teens sitting on the stoop with fistfuls of cash in their hands. And when I walk by, I am always very cautious and aware of who is around me.
Apprantly, so are they. They recognize the spinning that is Hobie and they laugh when they see him do his thing. This comforts me a little, knowing that these hard-core kids can still smile at a silly dog. At least they recognize us living in the neighborhood. A few weeks ago, we were passing this group of teens. One of them said, "Yo, that's the dog that busts circles." It made me smile.
A few days ago, an old man stopped to ask why he circles. We see him twice a week in the mornings and this was the first time he stopped to chat. After, he thanked me for talking to him. Hobie is in need of a haircut,
but his furriness adds to his stuffed-animal look, which elicits so many smiles from so many strangers.
Hobie went to the beach at Crissy Field today. He was running around like the crazy dog he is, collecting smiles from people we met along the waterfront.
We brought his red ball, and he was pretty much running non-stop up and down the beach fetching it. Until we decided to throw the red plastic ball in the water. Apparently, it doesn't float too well, because as soon as the first wave was over it, it was gone. Poor Hobie spent the next few minutes frantically looking for his priced posession, but it was nowhere to be found.
The red ball was one of his favorite toys...
On the way back we met a white Miniature Schnauzer - the first one we've seen here. That was a large mini also, pretty much exactly Hobie's size. He wasn't in a playful mood, though.
Back home he is now collapsed in his crate, tired from all the running. One of his eyes must have gotten sand in it, because he has trouble opening it. It looks OK though, but is a little red.
