The Brinkley Briefing

His Third Degree

2011-10-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Brinkley now has THREE diplomas! He just finished his Click-a-Trick class at PetSmart, and he learned so many fun tricks. He now knows how to play dead, be shy, say his prayers, roll over (his least favorite), spin, wave, high five, shake, reverse, go around, jump over a hurdle and through a hoop, and crawl.
He loved this class and was always excited to work on learning his new tricks. All I have to say is, "You wanna work?" and he runs off looking for the clicker and treats. He is such a smart dog and did really well with this class.
He graduated on Sunday after passing several tests. First was the crawling race, and he won both heats. I have never seen him crawl so far or so fast! Then he had to go through an obstacle course of different tricks/objects and he did really well. He was the ONLY dog in the class to have a solid "play dead" by the last class, and he got to show off several times for everyone. I know he will miss his doggy friends and all the attention, but we'll keep working on perfecting his tricks and learning lots of new ones! I read the other day that the more a dog knows, the more easily he learns.

Congratulations, my little graduate!

Making a Splash!

2011-05-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Brinkley got to try dock diving for the first time ever! He absolutely loved playing in the water, but he was hesitant to jump from the dock each time. He did have one run and jump, but I think he reached the end of the dock before he realized it! Every other time, he ran to the end of the dock, stopped, considered, floundered, and then eventually jumped/fell into the pool.

Getting used to pool from the steps

Oh, no! Water in the ears! (This picture makes me giggle.)

Happy Labby!

That is one wild, excited doggy . . .

. . . who eventually managed to calm down a little!

The trainer and her doggy, who has obviously had some practice!

Is this dog walking on water? This picture certainly makes it seem that he is!

Brinkley (his splash and his tail at least)

Is the toy worth it? (Of course, he decided it was!)

SPLASH!

See? More of a fall than a jump. Let's have a closer look . . .

And another one!

This is a sweet little chocolate Lab named Maddie, who tried to show Brinkley how it was done. He watched her intently on her turns, and even got to meet her up close. He thought she was pretty cute! I don't think she taught him how to jump though! Maybe next time . . .

(Thanks to L. and T. for taking pictures for me! These are priceless!)

The Terrible Terrific Twos

2011-03-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

Brinkley is 2 today! I had grand plans for an exciting birthday for him, with a trip to the park, playing in the creek, and shopping for his birthday presents on the list. Unfortunately, he hurt his dew claw pad on Monday while he was running outside. The vet had to remove the tissue he had torn and then cauterize it. He has a crater in his pad now! I had kept him quiet and wearing his e-collar to let it heal, and then I let him play for just a few minutes outside last night. After we had been back inside for a short while, I looked down and saw drops of blood all over the living room floor! So much for birthday plans. All he really got to do was take a nap in the floor draped across my lap this morning, and then we took a long nap on the bed this afternoon. He did have me home all day long though, and for him, that is probably present enough!

I think 2 is going to be a very good age for him! We survived two years of Lab-puppy-craziness and now we are settling into a more mature phase. I can really tell he is growing up. He is so eager to please and has more self-control now. I think I'm going to like the ~~terrible~~ terrific twos!

Happy Birthday, Brinkleberryboogeydoogeywoo!

What a Difference a Year Makes

2010-10-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

I noticed some pictures on my screensaver slideshow today, and couldn't help but remember what a crazy little boy Brinkley was at 6 months old.

In just over a year, we have gone from this . . .

to this!

From this . . .

to this!

Wow! What a difference a year makes!

An Autumn Afternoon

2010-10-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

The temperatures dropped to the 60s this weekend, after a long, hot summer! Brinkley and I spent hours outside this afternoon, enjoying the sunshine and cool breezes. He got hot after 30 minutes of running, so I even put some water in his pool. As soon as I turned on the hose, he began flopping this way and that in the pool, trying to find enough water to get him wet!

It was a lovely autumn afternoon.

365 Days

2010-10-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's Brinkley's one year anniversary! He has now been mine for an entire year. It seems hard to believe it has been that long already, but it also seems like he has always been mine. I am so thankful for him and I know he made this first year without my Bailey Asher a little easier. He can't take Bailey's place, but he has certainly distracted me from the loss with his goofy puppy antics!

In just a year, he has gone from a 45-pound wild puppy to a 71-pound wild dog! He has definitely matured in that time, learning lots of commands and the all-important house manners, but he still acts like a puppy often! He has boundless energy and loves nothing more than an afternoon outside running as hard and for as long as possible.

He is also a very loving little guy. If I am sitting at my desk using the computer, you can probably find him sitting next to me, leaning against my leg with his head in my lap. When I wake up in the morning, he wants to snuggle before going outside to play, even though he is obsessed with his Chuck-it ball launcher. This morning as I was leaving to go out of town for the day, he ran out of the house ahead of me and headed straight for my car. He did not want to be left behind!

I am so blessed to be his mommy. God knew exactly what (or who) I needed, and he sent me Brinkley. I wasn't looking for a dog. He found me. And I am so glad he did.

Happy Anniversary, Brinkley!

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4

Long Overdue

2010-09-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I haven't updated the blog in 7 months! I can say that Brinkley keeps me busy, because he has tons of energy to expend. I thought I would list a few things I have learned about him in the last few months.

1. He is a morning person. How God saw fit to bless me with a dog who is a morning person, I will never understand. But I'm pretty sure it has something to do with personal growth and getting me out of my comfort zone because I am a night owl! Brinkley wakes up bright-eyed and READY TO RUN AND RUN AND RUN. We get up around 6:30 and head to the door, where he stares intently at the kitchen counter where I keep his Chuck-It ball launcher (which he cannot even see) to make sure I won't forget it. I take him out and throw the tennis ball over and over and over and over and over and over again until he finally tires out. And on the rare occasion when I do not wake up to an alarm clock, I instead wake up to a very cute puppy standing over me staring me down, watching for any signs of life, ready to pounce!

2. He talks. He talks a lot. He's not a barker, but he has much to say. I have never heard a dog whine in so many different ways before! There's the "I just woke up and this stretch feels really good!" whine, the "Why aren't we running?" whine, the "I'm bored." whine. I wish I could capture his talkative nature on video! I keep trying...

3. He spends half of his time outside trying to figure out exactly how many toys his mouth can hold. He almost always has at least a Frisbee and a small ball or two Frisbees. Sometimes he likes to challenge himself though and he does this:

His greatest feat, so far, was carrying the two toys pictured above along with his tire toy!

Here are a few more pictures of my handsome little guy:

(Note the dirty tongue. He's oblivious.)

A Creature of Habit

2010-02-02T16:32:00.001-08:00

It has been fun getting to know Brinkley's personality over the last four months. He is playful, goofy, loving, and wild! And he is also quite the creature of habit.

In the last week or so, I have noticed that he has a routine for going outside. He will usually come to me and pace and whine when he needs to go out. As soon as I say, "Let's go outside!" he runs to find a toy. Then he carries to toy to the door, makes a big show of throwing it down, usually across the room, and he sits. He waits for me to put his leash on, and then we go out. As soon as he gets back inside, he finds the toy again, picks it up, and holds it in his mouth while he sits and I remove his leash. Then, as soon as I release him from his sit, he begins playing with the toy. It doesn't matter if he was asleep, already playing, or just sitting still, he HAS to find a toy as soon as I say the word outside! It is a very cute ritual to watch.

He has another habit also. He sleeps on the floor on his bed at night, but once my alarm starts going off in the morning he thinks he needs to be on my bed. He hears the alarm, jumps up on my bed, and snuggles close. As soon as the alarm goes off again, he jumps down, waits for me to push snooze and roll back over, and then he jumps back up on the bed and snuggles close. He repeats this process as many times as I push the snooze button!

I may be rubbing off on him though. He picked up on a routine of mine weeks ago! I always take him in the bathroom with me when I take a shower, because I don't trust him yet to be alone in the house yet. So now, if I go into my room and get clothes and then go to the linen closet for towels, he runs to the bathroom because he knows it's shower time!

His First Snow

2010-01-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

Brinkley had his first experience with snow on January 7, 2010! I was able to leave work early because it was beginning to stick on the roads, and as soon as I got home I took Brinkley out armed with a video camera, ready to capture his reaction. Except he didn't react, because he did not even notice the snow falling around him! It wasn't until the snow began to accumulate on the ground that he began to notice it. His favorite thing was for me to throw snowballs that he could chase.

Walking on the snow took a little practice, as you can see by his skid mark!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

SNOW . . . maybe!

2010-01-07T09:07:00.001-08:00

I'm hoping for Brinkley's first snow today! I am sure it will not amount to much, but he would be so wild and adorable playing in the snow! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-24T18:36:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

All I Want for Christmas is Something Plush

2009-12-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

Santa: Well, hello there, Brinkley! Have you been a good boy this year?

Brinkley: Yes, sir, Santa, sir. I have been a very good boy, sir.

Santa: Are you sure about that?

Brinkley: Yes, sir! Most of the time, anyway. I even graduated from my training class and was voted Most Improved!

Santa: Well, then, what would you like for Christmas this year?

Brinkley: I would like a stuffed bear and plush duck and fleece pig and a fluffy rabbit and, well, basically anything soft and squishy and stuffed, because my mommy won't let me have any toys like that, not even blankets or pillows or anything. All I get are Kongs and Nylabones and rubber frisbees and balls.

Santa: Well, you don't chew up the soft toys . . . do you?

Brinkley: Isn't that what they're for?!?!?!

(I have it on good authority that Santa will be bringing Brinkley more of the same for Christmas this year! Maybe next year . . . )

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thankfully . . .

2009-12-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

Brinkley enjoyed his first Thanksgiving, spent at my sister's house with her two dogs! He loves to play with Cooper and Abagael! He thinks he has to be playing with them anytime they are in his sight. Hopefully, as he gets older, he will figure out that he can play for a while and then take a break and rest.

On the way home on Sunday, we stopped at PetSmart and I was brave enough to take him in. I was really afraid he would be wild and I would have to take him back out to the car to do my shopping. However, he did amazingly well! He was cautious at first but warmed up to the idea quickly. Several guys petted him as we started our shopping, and he was not scared of the buggy as I was afraid he would be!

I put him in a sit-stay while I lifted the 46 lb. bag of dog food into the cart, and the visions I'd had of being dragged around behind him carrying a huge bag of dog food did not come to be, thankfully! He sat perfectly still. He quickly picked up on the fact that I wanted him sitting and staying while I looked at things, so I did not even have to tell him to sit several times! While we were on the toy aisle, he sat beside me while two ladies down the aisle were squeaking every single toy they picked up, and he did not rush them and steal the toys! Yay!

When we were in line to check out, two boys came up to pet him and he loved that. He gave the smaller boy kisses in the face and let the older boy rub his belly. He would have stayed there all day! While I was checking out, he sat beside the buggy and watched everyone and did not give me any problems. His first shopping trip went SO much better than I expected. He was perfectly behaved! I foresee a lot more trips to PetSmart for my little boy!

Way to go, Brinks!

Fun at the Park

2009-11-22T07:38:00.000-08:00

He's smart! Maybe too smart...

2009-11-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

Brinkley did extremely well in training class this week! His 30-second sit stay was perfect. Some of the other dogs were fidgeting and needed reminders to stay, but Brinkley sat perfectly still and watched me the entire time! We also had to do a down stay, but it was different than the homework we've been doing, where we sat next to the dog while he stayed for 15 minutes while lying down. In class, he had to lie down and stay while I walked in a circle around him. He did not move once! I kept repeating it while the trainer was working with a dog who wasn't getting it, and he did perfectly each time. She also introduced heeling this week, but he did not seem to get that at all in class. All the owners and dogs were supposed to walk in a circle around the room, introducing the idea of heeling. I think he was too distracted to learn something new, but hopefully he will pick it up at home quickly.

He has been really itchy, so I gave him a bath tonight. He loves the idea of getting in the water and drinking it, but he does not like the noise when I rinse him. Well, he figured out how to get even with me tonight. The large blue cup was floating in the tub, full of water, and he picked it up and poured the water all over me and the floor! I am as wet as he is!

I am glad that he's a brilliant baby and is doing so well in training, but maybe he's a little too smart . . .

Honesty

2009-11-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

Brinkley is slowly learning to enjoy lying on his bed instead of chewing on it. For now, he only has a thin crate mat type bed because I do not trust him with the more expensive beds yet. This morning, he had gotten in trouble for chewing on it and I took it from him and placed it back on the floor, and he left it alone.

While I was in the bathroom getting ready for work, I heard Brinkley getting into something and yelled, "Brinkley, what are you doing?" He walked to the door with the bed in his mouth, folded in half, as if to say, "Uhm, chewing on this..." It was all I could do not to crack up and to remember to correct him! I wish I had had my camera! That was one of the most hilarious things he has done in the 6 weeks I have had him.

I guess he lives by the motto, "Honesty is the best policy."

Introducing . . .

2009-11-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Brinkley!

He is a purebred yellow lab who was born on March 25, 2009 and found his forever home with me on October 2, 2009. He has the sweetest personality and loves to be loved on! He can only sit still while being petted for a few minutes before he falls to the floor on his back awaiting belly rubs. In the past month, he has visited his new vet too many times to count, learned lots of commands, and started an official training class last night.

It's a good thing he already knew sit and lie down because he was way too distracted with chewing on his leash to pay attention. He did really well at first, sitting next to me and watching everyone. However, this was the first class and the trainer spent a long time talking, so Brinkley got very bored! He wanted to play tug of war with his leash rather than listen! He was finally starting to feel better and had a lot of energy to burn. He was so exhausted after class (and being at the vet all day), that he took a nice long nap as soon as we arrived home.

AKC Name: Bailey's Brother Noah Brinkley, in honor and memory of his amazing predecessor