Patches has been here 4 weeks and Poppy's in trouble!

Hi everybody! It's me, Patches! I have been here at Airedale Heaven for four weeks now and boy, have I learned a lot! I guess the first thing I learned was that it's okay for me to go out in the backyard without a leash. Woohoo! Freedom! I have checked out every inch of the yard and I'm making it my mission to catch one of those evil squirrels or chipmunks. Poppy and Penny keep telling me that it can't be done, but they aren't as fast as I am.

One of the really big things I've learned is how to eat from a fork. Yes, us doggies have our own forks. It's something about Mom and Dad liking to keep their fingers. Anyhoo, when I first came here, they would give me a treat on a fork and I would try to swallow the fork. I have finally figured out that: A.) the fork is not eatable, and B.) each and every treat I get will not be the LAST! There's always more where that one came from. Maybe it's because I am starting to put on some more weight and I don't feel like I'm absolutely starving to death anymore. Believe me, we get LOTS of treats. Of course, mine are always twice the size of Penny and Poppy's. Somehow, I don't think that will go on forever!

I am also learning how to play with toys and the other doggies. I know you've heard about the fights we got into, last week. Well, this week has been much better. Mom and Dad are watching us just to make sure we don't start any trouble. Okay...so I don't start any trouble! I just want to be the first one out the door and the first one to greet Mom when she comes home from work. I know Poppy is the alpha, but I am just still learning how to play. I will get it right one of these days. When I first came here, I had no interest in toys, but now I LOVE the stuffies! Everyday, I make a pile of them in the middle of the big bed and Mom has to remove them before it's time to go to bed. Heeheehee!

This is Poppy's guilty face. She got in big trouble, today! Some of you may remember that she is a "shopper". She likes to take stuff that doesn't belong to her. Well, since she hasn't been feeling so great, lately, her "shopping" trips have pretty much stopped. That is...until today! Mom and Dad were in the kitchen and all of a sudden, Penny and I went running into the living room. Mom jumped up to make sure none of us was causing trouble and she caught Poppy sitting in the middle of the floor with the bag of pipe cleaners that our mom uses to make wire armatures for her felted critters. Poppy had chewed several pieces off the plastic wrapper and slobbered all over a bunch of the pipe cleaners. Mom couldn't even get mad because she was so glad Poppy is getting back to her old "self". I'm sure glad it wasn't Penny or me that did it!

I have discovered the toy pile in the corner of the living room! Yesterday, I played with the Wubba that Scruffy, Lacie and BabyStan sent to Captain High Pockets. I was SHOCKED when I heard it squeak! It was sooooo fun! Of course, that made Poppy and Penny want it, but I wouldn't let them have it! I hid it under one of the pillows on the big bed and Mom found it last night. Heeheehee! It was nice and slobbery too!

So...let's see...after 4 weeks, I guess I have learned enough to fit in pretty well with Poppy and Penny! I have to check out this "shopping" thing that Poppy does though...I think that might be fun! For some strange reason, Penny never does it! Mom says that Pockets, their very first Aire-girl, was the queen of shoppers! That gives me a goal to reach for...as soon as I learn how to "shop"! I'll start working on it!

Aire-hugs,

Patches (and Poppy & Penny too)