Happy Holidays!!

My family and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Hope everyone is spending a relaxing and fun day with their loved ones. Unfortunately for my humans, they've all caught the flu but I'm making my snuggle rounds to cheer them up!

-Bailey

X-mas Sneak Peek

My family surprised me with an early Christmas present this year! They noticed that the current bed that I was sleeping on lost all the cushion and support (they say it's because I'm too heavy). As a result, my humans bought me an orthopaedic foam bed. They heard that this bed has extra cushioning and will eliminate pressure points on my joints as I get older. Not sure if that's true, but all I know is that the new bed is quite comfy.

-Bailey

A White Christmas?

What a wonderful surprise! I woke up the other day to find the whole neighbourhood covered in snow!  While Diana was hard at work in shovelling snow from the side walk, I was frolicking in the yard. Eventually she stopped and joined me. Interestingly, Diana's definition of playing in the snow was to build a snowman... Which entailed rolling three different sized snow balls. Diana didn't seem to be having too much fun so I helped her by pretending to be an oversized monster and attacked her snowman. She seemed to have enjoyed it very much, so I kept pretending to be a monster attacking all the snowmen she created.

-Bailey

Getting Ready for the Holidays

Christmas at the Bailey house has finally arrived!! My family absolutely loves Christmas and we usually decorate the house right on the first day of December, but for some reason we had to delay our festive activities this year. Even though I had to wait for a few extra days, my humans finally set aside some time to help me decorate! And when I mean help me, I mean I oversee the decorating and inspect each and every piece of ornament, present and tinsel!

During my inspection of the gifts, I came across one present that smelled so interesting that I couldn't wait until Christmas to open. I begged Diana if I could just have a small peek, but she said that it would ruin the surprise on the big day. However, I was being slightly naughty and chewed a corner to have a quick peek as Diana turned around. She didn't even suspect a thing!

Note to self, it is never a good idea to take a nap around Diana when she is decorating the tree... She thought it would be fun to decorate me as I was having a power nap. I woke up looking like this...

-Bailey

Hide and Treat?

Usually on rainy days when I'm stuck indoors I ask my human to play hide and seek with me. I've seen little humans play this game before, but their version isn't as much fun as mine! My version involves eating the hidden treats! Now doesn't that sound much better? If you ever play with Diana, be careful she can be very sneaky! She'll try and fool me by hiding the treats in boxes, bags, paper rolls and sometimes underneath a mountain of pillows! But I keep telling her, I have a very good nose and she will never be able to fool me!

-Bailey

23 Days Until Christmas

My humans became very excited yesterday that it was the first day of December. Apparently they weren't the only ones as the village was flooded with people wearing strange hats and I believe I saw a snowman greeting little humans on the street. Well, to get into the spirit of Christmas I will be wearing my new Santa head band for the rest of the month.

-Bailey

Doggies at the Pet Store

Visiting the local pet store never gets dull! During my previous visits, I've noticed the cages located in the centre of the room and every time I will peek up to say hi to be friendly, but most of the time no one is there. Except for two days ago when I saw two doggies curled up taking a nap! I was very eager to go make new friends and as I was approaching them, Diana had to remind me that I have to be a gentle giant because my size scares strangers. My conversation with the doggies was going great up to the point when Diana says to me "they are adorable, why don't we adopt them?". Then the future flashed before my eyes... Diana would have to divide her time between the new doggies and me. Now I couldn't let that happen so I said good-bye to my new friends and lead my human out of the store.

-Bailey

How to Keep Errands Short

There are many days when I hear my humans say "Bailey, do you want to come run an errand with me?". Now how can any berner say no to that? Even if it means a short car ride or a very quick walk to the village. If it's a chance to go outside, I'm all for it! The only downside of an errand is the part where I have to wait outside a store, while they run inside for a 'quick' visit. 

Now I've learnt in the past that my humans are easily distracted, so when they say a 'quick' look that means an eternity for a berner! But I have figured out the perfect way to politely inform my humans to hurry up. Here's how: (1) you must give the humans at least five minutes to look around the store because shorter than five minutes will not work, (2) if there is a window or a door then sit or stand in front so they can see you, remember to smile, and finally (3) with increasing volume vocalize (don't use the same voice that you would use on the mailman!) that you miss them in 30 second intervals.... and voila, the humans will be running out of the store in no time to cheer you up.

-Bailey

Monsters of the Night

Halloween is approaching which means there will be more and more of these scary looking monsters around the neighbourhood in the next few days. My human isn't much of a fan of Halloween because she doesn't like being scared by monsters. So you can just imagine how difficult it must be for her to see these scary creatures around town. Being a good companion, I promised my human that I would protect her from all the monsters during our evening walks. I even demonstrated to her just how harmless the monster was by taking a photo with him.

-Bailey

Did You Say Free?

A few weeks ago, there was an event happening in the village and being a responsible berner I took Diana out to see what the fuss was all about. What caught our attention the most was a massive food truck that was offering everyone a free hot beverage from their menu. It took some persuading to get my human to stand in the long line up, but even with my hard work she didn't allow me to have a sip of her mocha.

-Bailey

He Says Baah

My family went back to Country farms for the last time before they close for the winter. While there, I chatted a bit with the friends I made the last time I was here, but not everyone was excited to be my friend. This guy with the extremely curly fur was a little shy and even suspicious of me. I tried my best to show him that I was friendly and just wanted to say hi and exchange information, but he kept his distance away from me and only said hi to the humans. I'm staying optimistic and believe that one day he'll become my friend.

-Bailey

The Lounger and I

I can feel the weather changing, which means the hot weather will soon be gone. That in turn will mean that Diana will be placing her comfy lounge chair into storage and I won't be able to sneak up when she's not looking to enjoy a nap. With the weather still warm enough to sit outside, I'm taking advantage of the lounger as much as possible before it disappears!

-Bailey

Country Farms

My humans have been eating lots of local vegetables and fruits lately. And just the other day, they took me to a place called Country Farms to buy more because they said summer is almost over. Not sure what that means, but if it involves a family trip out then I'm all for it!

I made some new friends at Country Farms! I met a pair of doggies (have you seen the big doggies my sister saw the other day?) and had a very long chat with them. They were so friendly because they saw me from a far and immediately asked me to go over and have a quick chat. To be honest I couldn't quite understand everything they said. For instance, I don't know the difference between "oink oink" and "oink oink oink". However, according to my new friends, playing in mud is a good way to cool down! Maybe I'll try that one day.

I am always happy to help out Diana whenever she needs it so I was given the responsibility of looking after the shopping cart while she walked around the narrow aisles of fruits. I was being a very good guard dog, I didn't let any of the items in the cart run away!

When I wasn't busy looking after the shopping cart, I was checking out the odd looking produce that were stacked in boxes. I was quite fascinated by this plump looking veggie called a squash. Diana says that there are many different types of squash and lots of ways to make delicious things with it. But from what I could smell, it doesn't have a yummy scent like garlic.

-Bailey

It Was Meant to Be

As I was going through Bailey's puppy pictures, I came across this one where she's sporting a yellow cape and it reminded me of her wearing her life jacket in the present time. Would you call this destiny?

Riding the Waves

I think my life jacket gives me super powers! I feel like I can conquer anything at the beach! Even the waves don't look intimidating anymore. To show my human just how courageous I was, I dared her to throw the ball into the incoming waves! Please excuse my human for not catching the first half of my swim in the video below, she was having technical camera problems after I yelled 'action'...

-Bailey

Maritime Festival

Over the weekend, there was a celebration called Maritime Festival occurring at the Britannia Heritage Shipyard. There were lots of activities and entertainment to watch. The picture above shows a driftwood mandala. Not sure what that means, but my human participated as I watched from the side. I later found out that the purpose of this mandala was to wish the ocean, lakes and rivers a good health by placing a piece of driftwood inside.

Interestingly, there was a building full of these small boats inside! I don't get why the boats are so small, it doesn't seem like it could fit a person on it. Maybe it's for the cat next door? She's quite small so I have do doubt that's what it's used for!

Scattered around the area were these stage performers. Some of them would be talking about old stories about the people who use to reside in the area whereas others played instruments. My human looked interested in the performers with the instruments so I insisted that we stay for a bit longer and listen to this group. I have to admit, I have a pretty good ear for music as my human was very pleased with my selection.

-Bailey

Get the Sand off! Get it off!

To clear things up, I don't have an obsession with digging in the sand. The truth is, I'm trying to get the sand off my tennis ball. Have you ever tried chewing a ball covered in sand? I wouldn't try it if I were you, it's an uncomfortable feeling on your tongue and doesn't taste all that great.

-Bailey

Safety Comes First Update

Thank you everyone for your recommendations! This really helped my human and I find the right life jacket for me. In the end, we ended up going with Ruffwear's K9 float coat. It fits perfectly and had all the specifics my human was looking for.

It made my human happy that I was enjoying myself at the beach, even more so that I didn't mind that I was wearing a jacket. Truth be told, I kinda enjoyed wearing the life jacket. The human thinks that it's the vest that's helping me swim better, but I say it's because I'm just getting better! I was feeling so good that I dared another dog to have a swimming contest with me to see who would reach the tennis ball first! Guess who was the faster swimmer? Me!

I predict that I will be back at the beach lounging in the water in a few days, I can just feel it in my paws!! 

-Bailey

[Bailey's swimming has improved a great deal, remember when she was younger and taking swimming lessons? Oh my....]

I'm a Little Teapot, Short and Stout

Bailey has moments when she truly believes she is a small puppy. In this instance, she heard the wrong instructions and proceeded to climb into the back seat. I guess the floor looked comfier because she didn't even try to jump onto the seat. Rather, she slowly climbed in and maneuvered herself carefully in-between the seats and a bag that's tucked underneath. Most surprisingly was when she tucked her tail not just inside the car, but underneath her leg so that it wouldn't wander away by itself!

[So sorry for the terrible quality picture!]

Safety Comes First

 Lately, my human has been taking me shopping more frequently! However, she hasn't been buying me much stuff which is a bit odd because when I pull out my "look at my cute puppy eyes" look and count to 3 the human will always say "ok!". In the last couple of times we've been out, she's been making me try out these silly outfits! I don't know what's so special about them because they're bulky and non-edible. The human says that because I love to go swimming, but am getting older I will become tired quicker than before. So to protect me from fatigue I need a life jacket. Now the human and I have now come to an agreement, I will wear a life jacket ONLY if we go out for more swims at the dog beach. But here's where the human needs some help, she can't seem to decide which brand of life jackets for dogs is best for me. We've looked at brands such as Outward Hound, Ezy Dog, Canine Friendly and Ruff Wear. Does anyone have suggestions?

-Bailey

Renovated

So my hood has been going through some renovations in the past few months and during those times they blocked the entrance to the boardwalk. There is a prime location along the boardwalk where I like to enjoy eating a snack. On the other hand, my human eats at odd times so to keep her occupied while I eat, I have to bring a book for her (and she calls me the princess, the human is more demanding than I am!).

Well, the boardwalk finally opened a few weeks ago and it looks completely different from before. It looks great, lots of shade for dogs and best part is... they installed numerous dog benches! I definitely approve the new layout!

-Bailey

Anyone There?

Dear Mr. Breadman,

Did you know that I came to visit you a few days ago? I tried to look through the window to see if you were inside, but it was dark. I thought maybe if I called your name you would hear me, but there was still no answer. My human kept telling me you were away. However, I was convinced you were around somewhere and that you were just too busy to come out.

Even as my human tried to lead me away from your bakery I kept looking back to your bakery expecting to see you jump out! I even tried to persuade my human to stay five more minutes to wait for you, but she was growing impatient and was saying how bugs were going to eat her alive. I think she was lying about the bugs because I didn't see any around!

-Bailey

Hot Summer Days

How does Bailey stay cool on a hot summer day? With frozen yogurt of course! I've always given Bailey regular yogurt, but never thought to freeze it to make it into ice cream for her until now! It's easy to make, healthy and Bailey approved!

If you're thinking of making some for your special pup, a wise dog once told us that the key to spicing up plain frozen yogurt is to add a few pieces of treat or fruit.

Right Under Our Noses

Who knew there could be a tranquil nature trail right in the centre of a bustling city? Bailey and I came across the Minoru Park Trail by chance one day while curiously walking around the vicinity. This serene park is hidden between the Minoru arenas and the Richmond hospital. It wasn't until we finished our walk that I discovered that the park is a part of the Walk Richmond walking series dedicated to encourage individuals to explore the city. We hope to visit the other walking trails because a few of them are leash optional!

For My Peeps

To My Humans,

Thank you for all the love, attention and delicious treats on my birthdays! I find it strange that the other pups in the neighbourhood find it odd that I have 6 birthdays in a year! They say I'm only suppose to have 1 birthday, but I'm not complaining!

Anyways, it was such a surprise when you walked into the house with a large cake instead of the usual cupcake! I absolutely love the peanut butter icing! It got stuck on my tongue and the top of my mouth which caused me to constantly lick my mouth, but ohhhhh was it delightfully tasty!!

Thank you again,
Bailey

Can't Believe It's Tap

Spring is definitely in the air! While the days are getting warmer, Bailey hides in the shade! Thankfully for us, Richmond is promoting their clean and potable tap water by installing temporary fountains around the area. We are so spoiled in Richmond where water is easily assessable. Whereas in other parts of Vancouver, it's much more difficult to find water for a thirsty puppy!

Mini Me

Lately my human has been so busy with school that she hasn't had the time to update my blog. So for todays post I, Bailey, will take charge writing the entry. Shouldn't be that hard right?

My day was very interesting, it started off with my human waking up earlier than normal and going out to run an errand. I of course am not use to early mornings so I opted to stay behind and catch up on my beauty sleep. By the time I woke up, I was surprised by a visitor. His name is Mason and he's staying over for the day. I have given him the nickname mini me because he has similar markings as I, now ain't that clever?

More about our fun day later!
Bailey

Did You Want a Squeaky Toy With That?

While I was stuck inside a lecture hall, Bailey on the other hand had fun playing in the sun at the UBC Pacific Spirit park. I heard many funny stories about the trip, such as Bailey rolling around in the muddy puddles and sprinting around like a bunny rabbit! What surprised me the most was that Bailey didn't mind visiting a self service dog bath, rather she was eager to get past the blue gate that was blocking her way to the tub!

"Okay, let's get this over with and make me squeaky clean! The other human would not be pleased if I arrived home dirty..."

Lighting up the Night

Before we sprang an hour forward in time for daylight savings, there had been a few incidences where Bailey and I would go out for a nice walk and the sun would disappear below the horizon! Conveniently, I received a pair of bike lights which at the time I had no use due to the cloudy and wet weather. However, it came in handy for Bailey when walking home in the dark! Drivers could see both of us and provided Bailey with a lighted pathway.

Big Enough for a Bear

Thankfully there's a public scale located in the heart of Steveston Village that encourages people to hop on because given how big Bailey is I am unable to pick her up to weigh on a regular scale! And when I say unable, I specifically mean Bailey will frantically squirm in my arms which at numerous times almost tipped both of us over!

Update: For those who were wondering how much Bailey weighed, she's sitting at 86lbs! However, I think she's gained some since then... the family has been spoiling her a little too much.

Round 2

There she goes again... Being too hyper and excited to play in the snow again, Bailey almost ran into snowshoers on the trail. However, during an innocent 'catch me if you can' game with a puppy, Bailey unknowingly walked onto the snowshoes of a hiker which almost caused him to tumble over.

"Watch me ambush my humans without a sound. I can pounce like a lion!"

By the time we reached first lake, Bailey caught a scent under the snow and furiously started digging. It's too bad she was unable to communicate what she was trying to locate because after ten minutes of digging she came up empty pawed. Being a bit disappointed she munched on the 'snow cones' mom had prepared for her.

"That was so much fun, but that really tired me out! Now please place the towel near my head so that I can use it as a pillow. Thank you."

Are You Ready Yet?

Whenever anyone takes too long to leave the house for a walk, Bailey begins to pout. She will make it known that she is upset by first following us around the house, then if we decide to sit down Bailey will sit in front with glaring eyes. If the humans still don't get the picture, Bailey pulls out her last move - complain as loud and ridiculous as possible.

A Letter to Say Thanks

Dear Mr. Bread Man (aka Nick),

Thank you for all the mid-walk snacks and a doggy bag full of your deliciously home made bread for when I return home. I don't blame my humans when they sneak a bite or two from the freshly made loaf of bread because I would do the same if I were them!

Normally, I am only fed a few slices as a treat while the rest of it is saved for the next day. They believe that if I eat too much bread in one day I might have a tummy ache. I think it's an excuse to trick me into eating my dinner.

With many happy dances,
Bailey

A Mountain Dog's Dream

It was snowing quite heavily the day we chose to head up to the mountain for some fun. Being conditioned for that kind of weather, we didn't mind at all. Instead, it was bit of a relief from the rain. 

It was so chilly out that icicles were forming on Bailey's whiskers! On top of that, we slathered on an invisible boot balm on her pads to protect them from the frigid weather. The balm did in fact help shield her pads, but it didn't help prevent formation of snowballs between her toes. Does anyone have advice on how to prevent that from happening?

Naturally, Bailey's instincts kicked in at the first scent of snow. Once off leash she is like a Tasmanian devil, darting all over the trail and passing everyone who was too slow. At one point when she couldn't stop herself from running at full speed she ran into a man, stepped on his skis and almost tripped him. She seemed to learn from her mistake as she would pull over to the side of the trail and let people pass.

"I dare you to jump..."

The Case of the Kibble Scatterer

"It wasn't me. I'm not the one who's been spitting out the old food to eat the new food. Rather the old food 'slipped' out of my mouth and onto the floor..."