His Third Degree

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.)