I Learn To Use A Cellphone And Try To Learn Reading

(This is the picture of me that Yvonne put up on the web to help me find my forever home.)

OK, so jc is home from work, we went outside and practiced sitting, laying down, and walking nice, so now he's ready to type for me some more.

When I got to my new home, for the first few nights they made me sleep in a crate. I guess they were worried I'd try to start something with Makeeta or Moon. Although I ate the hot dog bits they tried to bait me with, I made it really difficult and put up a pretty good fight about going in. Once or twice they tricked me when I went to the back of the crate to grab the hot dog. They gave me a shove and locked me in! I caught on to that pretty quick.

On the fourth night, after 45 minutes of me being smarter than them, they gave up and let me sleep outside the crate. I'm pretty good at sleeping, and I stayed in one of two spots, either right on top of this hole that blows cold air ['air conditioning vent' --jc] or next to the edge of the bed. I think this pleased them because I haven't had to sleep in the crate since then. I think the real reason I don't like the crate much is because I can't see out except for the front, and I like to know what's going on.

Unfortunately, I was still being forced into a crate when they went out during day. Usually Cindy is home with me, but sometimes she goes shopping, to the gym, or whatever. She'd try to bribe me with treats, but I really don't like the crate. She'd end up grabbing me and making me go in, which I really don't like. But I kinda got even...

One night they went out to dinner with some friends, and I was in the crate (I put up quite an argument!). jc had flipped the crate door over so it opened the other way. There's some holes in one side for the hinge, and some slots in the other for the locking bars. With the door flipped over, you have to carefully align the locking bars into the holes. Well, he didn't notice the bars weren't locked properly, and I didn't say anything. After they left, I waited for a little bit to make sure they weren't coming right back.

I pushed on the door, and as I expected, it opened right up. I was free, Free, FREE! Woo hoo! I charged around the house, Makeeta and me wrestled a bit. I found some magazines on the floor and tried to look at the pictures, but they got all shredded.

Then I discovered Cindy left her cell phone on the table. They've got that Nextel service with that push-button thing that makes the phone make a weird little noise. I figured since they went out to dinner, I'd call them and tell them to bring us back a doggy bag. I bit on the phone and it made the Nextel noise. But when I tried to bark my order, the button wasn't pressed, so they didn't hear what I wanted. I tried a couple more times, but without "opposable thumbs", I couldn't make it work (I heard later they were confused then worried when the phone beeped and no one was there). I think I bit a little hard, because there were some extra holes in the phone. And I sort of gnawed on the antenna some...

Then I found a couple books from the library, and opened them up looking for pictures and trying to make sense of the words. I pulled some pages out to see them better, but got kinda frustrated so I took it out on the books. This reading thing is overrated, so I gave up.

A little bit later they came home, and me, Makeeta and Moon all greeted them at the top of the stairs. I don't think they were expecting me to be there, though. I ran into the living room to show them my work, and they were all "ooooh noooo....".

I sort of expected to be yelled at for getting out of my crate and using the phone without permission, but nothing happened. jc said something it being his own fault not making sure the door was securely locked.

A couple days later I got another crate, this one made of wire that I can see out of. It's a lot better, and I really don't mind going it into it. jc leaves it in his office, since I only have to go in it when they both aren't home.

Next time I'll tell you how I got out of it. *grin*

Bark!