Rocco's Realm

My Canine Couch Potato

2011-02-26T07:09:00.001-06:00

Need I say more?

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T21:44:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas from Rocco (& Molly, too)!
There has been much sibling rivalry between Rocco & Molly today.
Neither wants to share their new Christmas toys.
We hesitate to show you the following photo because of its exaggerated graphic nature.
But we assure you that no Molly's were harmed during the taking of this photo.
Rocco's growl is enough to make Molly back away from his beloved toy.
So here you go, from our peaceful Christmas house to yours.....
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wow...

2010-12-09T09:14:00.003-06:00

Its been much too long since I updated this blog!
Well, let's rectify that right now.
Today, I have Rocco & Molly with me at the shop.
Here they are, snooping and trying to shoplift.

And here is Rocco, who can jump right onto the drying table and into the bathing tub. He is the only dog of all the dogs that I groom that can do this un-aided!

I am such a proud doggie mama!

Crazy summer

2010-09-02T09:13:00.002-05:00

My husband had knee surgery and has been off work for the past 6-weeks. I have been able to work more hours (so I haven't had much time to post...sorry!). And because he is home with the dogs, I don't have to worry about getting home to care for them.
That being said, this is what I see when I leave for work each morning...

I guess this is the dog days of summer for BOTH Rocco and his daddy?

Rocco's Report Card

2010-07-03T07:30:00.002-05:00

My husband and I went to Arizona last week, and Rocco and Molly were boarded at a brand new facility. We were able to access their web cam and we were able to watch Rocco & Molly throughout our trip.
I hated to leave them and was alwaying thinking about them while we were away.
When we picked them up, we got this report card that melted my heart.
How sweet!

If you are unable to read it, it reads as follows:

It was a joy to have Rocco & Molly stay with us. Molly loves to play fetch and Rocco loves to chase her. Rocco made new friends this week, and the ladies particularly love the big guy. Both dogs love to play first thing in the a.m., then turn into big lap dogs, rolling over for a belly scratch, and of course, kisses from Rocco.
We loved watching the 2 of them cuddle up together for a nap~so sweet!
All of us so enjoyed Molly & Rocco & hope to see them again.

Drum roll please....the photos have arrived!

2010-05-06T08:15:00.002-05:00

This is how my husband summed them up.
"Well, not as bad as I thought, but not as good as they could have been".

You be the judge.

My husband is not happy with the platform we are sitting on. He thinks it should have looked like we were sitting in the GRASS.

Men.

Hey, the dogs look good and we look reasonably happy. What more could we ask for? Right?

Wow! A new post!

2010-04-24T06:50:00.003-05:00

I know! A new Rocco post!
It's like winning the lottery, your birthday and Christmas all-in-one!

Sorry it's been so long overdue. But here is a good story for you.

We took Rocco & Molly for professional photos 2-weeks ago. Our local Humane Society offered photos with a pet photographer. My husband and I were really excited to have them photographed. We had them washed so they were clean and shiny, we gave them coordinating bandannas. They looked great! We were laughing in the car on the way there.
It was a great family moment.

And then we got there.

By the time it was our turn for photos, we had been sitting outside in the hot sun for 45 minutes (it was almost 80 degrees that day), the dogs were panting fools, their bandannas were lopsided, Molly was drooling and her bandanna was drenched, and my husband was throwing a temper tantrum.

You get the picture.

The lovely family moment was out the window and we had not even taken one photo yet.

We were finally summoned into the photography trailer, and the photography assistant was trying to arrange my dogs in a artistically pleasing way. They wanted the dogs staged on a platform.

Easy enough, right?

Nope.

Rocco kept trying to jump off and Molly kept looking at an invisible spot on the ceiling and would not look into the camera. When Rocco would sit, Molly would stand, and when Molly would sit, Rocco would stand. We could NOT coordinate them.
And the photographer kept blowing a high pitched whistle to get the dogs attention, but it would upset Rocco and he would bark and cry. My husband asked him to stop with the whistle. SEVERAL times. And for each photo the photographer would blow the whistle to get them to look into the camera but it would upset Rocco.

By the time my husband looked at me and said out loud "If he doesn't stop with the whistle I am going to shove that whistle up his a--" I knew our photo session was over. The photographer was only 2-feet away as I informed my husband through my clenched teeth.

The photos should arrive in 4-6 weeks, and $98 worth of photos later, I still don't know if it was worth it.

I'll let you know when the photos arrive.

That's MY Daddy!

2010-03-12T08:30:00.002-06:00

Rocco LOVES his daddy.
LOES, LOVES, LOVES his daddy.
And he jealous of anyone that gets his daddy's attention.

So when Molly (who has trouble jumping onto the bed since her ACL surgery last year) jumped onto the bed yesterday morning to give HER daddy a kiss, Rocco went into jealously overdrive.

Here is the evidence.

First, he seems to trying to block daddy's view of Molly.

Then he just keeps moving closer.

Poor Rocco.
He has serious sibling rivalry.

Three Eyes

2010-02-12T08:15:00.003-06:00

Although I am getting older, I am blessed with my mom's anti-aging gene. The gene where you look younger.
So even tho I am closer to my 50th birthday then, say, my 45th birthday, I am told that I don't look my age.

I am happy with that.

And during the past few years when my friends started to need reading glasses, I still had good vision.
I tormented my friends mercilessly.

I was happy with that.

So last year, when I finally needed those dreaded reading glasses, I chose to embrace the concept with a pair of designer reading glasses. If I needed reading glasses, I would not accept a pair of $1.99 drugstore glasses.
I bought a pair of $30 zebra striped reading glasses.
If I needed reading glasses, then dammit, I was going to make a statement!

And I was happy with that.

Love them ot hate them, everyone noticed my reading glasses.
So apparently, did Rocco.

I left them on the nightstand.
I KNOW! I KNOW!

The next morning, when I heard a "crunch" sound, I assumed it was Rocco eating his rawhide bone.
I KNOW! I KNOW!

I turned around to discover that it was not a bone, but my $30 reading glasses.
That now looked like this.

There is one lens missing and one arm missing.
I went from four~eyes to three~eyes in one crunch.

And I am not happy with that.

Especially since in desperation last night I actually put on those glasses, closed one eye (the one with out a reading lens) and tried to read the mail.

Sigh.
I guess I am much older than I thought that I was, since I looked like a crazy lady wearing those glasses.
I am thankful that my husband does not know how to work my camera or my picture would be on this blog today as well.

And I am HAPPY about that.

Snow Day

2010-02-10T13:11:00.002-06:00

We had A LOT of snow last night.
And at 6:30 this morning, while we were doing this...

Rocco was doing this...

Apparently the pound cake that I left on the counter was irrestible.

And I thought we MIGHT be over this phase.

The difference between a dog owner and a non-dog owner

2010-01-23T07:09:00.004-06:00

Rocco ate a $20 bill off the table on Wednesday.

Some things never change.

I know it was my fault. I left the cash on the table because I was going to the bank. It was there for maybe 5-minutes. I had several one dollar bills in the pile as well, but they did not attract Rocco's taste for the finer things in life.
When I discovered the remains of the $20, only half of it had been eaten, and the remaining part still had serial numbers on it.

So I took it to the bank anyway.

This is the true, unedited version of our conversation.

Me: Hi. I only have part of this bill, but the serial number is still on it...can I still deposit it?

Teller: (Brightly) I'm so sorry. You have to have all the pieces. Do you have the other part of this bill?

Me: (Sheepishly) Umm...I my dog ate it.

Teller: (Brightly) Well can you get the other half from him?

Me: (Confused) Umm...maybe in a few days?

Tell: (Brightly) A few days? Can't you get it now?

Me: Umm...it will probably be in the back yard in a few days, but if the snow comes, I might not find it until Springtime.

Teller: (Brightly) Springtime? That's just silly! Bring it back today and I will credit your account!

Me: Umm...I don't think you understand. The money will turn up when Rocco, umm, ...poops.

Teller: (Silence), then...
Teller: (Confusion), then...
Teller: (Shock) then...

Teller: (Horror) OH MY GOSH! YOU CAN'T BRING THAT MONEY IN HERE! We will NOT be able to credit you account!

That's what I thought.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T15:18:00.002-06:00

Have a wonderful and blessed holiday from Rocco & Molly.
We love you all!

Christmas Card Pictures

2009-12-16T19:30:00.002-06:00

For those of you waiting for our holiday card to arrive in the mail, you may be waiting a bit longer.

This is the quality of picture that I have been collecting for our card photo:

Hopefully we can get our cards out BRFORE Christmas.

Hopefully?

An average Sunday afternoon

2009-10-30T08:22:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday, I decided to make meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner. And as usual, I was trying to get my chores done, too.
The potatoes were on the stove and the loaf was in the oven, so I decided to go out and clean up the yard of any "doggie droppings".
You know what I mean.
As I reached for the pooper-scooper, something moved and I jumped.
As I looked down, I saw this....

Yes, a rattlesnake in Chicago.

OK, maybe it was a garden snake, but it LOOKED like a Rattler to me!
I'm just saying.

So of course my plan of action was to leave the snake where he was and do something else.

So I walk back into the house and hear two dogs fighting over the same dog toy.
That's nothing new in our house.
But the actual TOY was new...

Somehow they got a potato and were fighting over it.
Here is Rocco guarding it...

And Molly trying to steal it...

After taking the potato away from two disappointed dogs, I decided to further humiliate them by trying on their Halloween costumes. We will post an "official" picture later, but here is sample of the costume.

Ketchup and Mustard.
Actually, if they had an oil and water costume that would have fit them better, but ketchup and mustard works for this year.

A twist of fate and a sister

2009-10-20T08:17:00.003-05:00

Here is the conversation between my husband and a new co-worker about their respective dogs.

I have a Rottweiler/Doberman mix.
Really? I have a Rottweiler/Doberman mix!

He is 3-years old.
Really, my dog is 3-years old!

We got him at the Humane Society.
I got MY dog at the Humane Society.

Was your puppy quarantined for 2-weeks like Rocco was because of kennel cough before you could pick her up?
Yes, she was!

Did your dogs' original name start with the letter "i"? Because Rocco's original name was Issac.
Yes, it did. We changed it to Chula!

Yes, that dog is Rocco's sister! Her owners have read this blog and said that Chula looks and ACTS exactly like Rocco. We hope to set up a sibling reunion and will post pictures.
What a coincidence!

Updates

2009-10-10T07:29:00.002-05:00

Sorry. We have been so busy with the new shop. Here are a few updates.
Molly hurt her leg Thursday night. We thought she had hurt her shoulder. She was not putting any weight on her front leg. After her $2,500 ACL surgery in 2007, and then the next $2,500 ACL surgery in 2008, we we convinced that she was really hurt and that it would cost us a fortune.
THANKFULLY, after a $58 Vet visit, we were told that she just had a stubbed toe.
She is now known as Molly the Money Pit.
Molly loves to come to the shop, and has befriended our dog bather, Joanna. Molly has become her shadow, following her everywhere. It's really very sweet.
Rocco loves to come to the shop as well, but mostly to bark at anyone driving by or walking by the shop.
He is our one-dog security team.
Molly is the professional greeter.
That's all for now. Will update soon!

It's Official

2009-09-17T13:11:00.003-05:00

We own a doggie groomimg shop, soon to be known as a Doggie Day Spa.
And Rocco and Molly are thrilled.

Here is Rocco jumping into the picture on our first day. He thinks it's HIS shop.

Here is Rocco helping his daddy answer the phones...

Here is Rocco AND Molly stealing merchandise off the wall. They don't understand that the toys are for sale, not for their own personal use.

Here is our security team, barking and growling at everyone that walks/drives by.

Task Number One: Trying to acclimate them to WELCOMING the clients, not scaring them away.

Thanks for all the well wishes!

Guess?

2009-08-20T23:46:00.002-05:00

I came home tonight and found this on the kitchen rug. Can youy guess what it means?

It means that Rocco threw up, and my husband (with his weak stomach) decided to COVER it up other than CLEAN it up. saving it for me until I got home.
Welcome to my world.

An "America's Got Talent" Fan

2009-08-11T22:43:00.003-05:00

Do you happen to see tonight's episode of America's Got Talent?
It featured Rory, the Frisbee catching dog.

Apparently, Rory caught more than Frisbees.
He caught Rocco's attention.

It's nights like these that we appreciate our Tivo, since we rewound Rory's segment at least 10-times to laugh at Rocco.
Each time we got the same reaction.
He growled at the TV.
We are so easily amused.

Hanging out in the yard

2009-08-03T18:55:00.004-05:00

Rocco and Molly love sitting on the patio with us. They actually (usually) behave themselves, too.

Molly is always the happiest outside.

Rocco looks so big here!

Rocco in the late afternoon summer sunlight.

These are the pictures that I flip through on a 20 degree winter night.
The dog days of summer.

Rocco sure LOVES his Daddy

2009-07-30T20:28:00.005-05:00

Maybe "loves" is a bit mild.
I think Rocco is POSSESSIVE of his daddy.
You be the judge...

Rocco loves to be hand-in-hand with his daddy...

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole

A BIG DOG AND A HORSE!

2009-07-26T21:22:00.004-05:00

We just took the dogs for a walk at the park. They are wound up pretty tight tonight, so we decided that a short walk would do all of us good.
It was just getting dark, and as we got to the park, a family of 5 on bikes peddled past us. The littlest child, on a tricycle, pointed at our dogs and yelled to his parents "LOOK! A BIG DOG AND A HORSE!".
Apparently tonight, in the twilight, Rocco looked like a horse.
Too funny!

Thank Goodness for Old Navy

2009-07-14T21:10:00.006-05:00

They have flip-flops on sale, 2 pairs for $5.
Because as you can see, someone whose name we won't mention, is craving the taste of flip-flops.
Again.

Notice the guilty look on his face.

4,000 hits and a day from hell

2009-07-08T13:36:00.004-05:00

Thank you to all who read this blog. Today we will reach 4,000 hits.
Rocco is a VERY BAD BOY and may not make it to, say, 4,005 hits.
In the past HOUR he:
My have killed a bird in the back yard. I didn't have my camera, and if I did I would NOT have taken a picture of his bird-feather covered face. The bird was still moving as Rocco dropped it, and I am waiting for my husband to come home to inspect if the bird survived.
About 20-minutes after that, I took a pan of brownies out of the oven, cut them and arranged them on a platter on the kitchen island to cool. I went the front door to greet the mailman (so that he would actually BRING the mail up to the house because Molly was barking at him thru the screen door like a rabid attack dog) and then I walked back into the kitchen.
And then there were three.
Three brownies left out of, say, twenty brownies that were on the platter.
As Rocco sat there, licking his lips with a guilty look on his face.
And because chocolate is toxic to dogs, I had to actually feed him for the second time this morning to dilute the chocolate brownies that now fill his stomach.
At least I know he will survive the chocolate, since he's eaten wallpaper, blankets, crazy glue, socks, tulips, grass, plants, assorted shoes, my Coach bag, aluminum foil, Frisbee's, toilet paper off the roll, the bottom of a wood dresser, Tupperware....
The list of the contributors to Rocco's culinary palate is endless.
I have to go.
I can't take my eyes of Rocco for one second today.

Doggie beach, 2009

2009-06-30T21:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a cloudy, warm Chicago Monday.
A perfect day for the doggie beach!
Here are Rocco and Molly with their daddy, before the Frisbee chaos began.

And the fun begins. (sarcasm).
Who will get the Frisbee?

Rocco...

Then Molly...

Then Rocco...

Then Molly...

Can you tell how competitive that they are?

And the best part of the day?
Rocco and Molly passed out by 7pm. :)

The snuggle dog

2009-06-08T21:31:00.002-05:00

My 11-year old niece was here this afternoon, comfortably laying on the couch watching TV.
Well, she was comfortable until Rocco decided that he needed to snuggle with her.

And all was well until Molly decided that my niece needed kisses.
Look at how mad Rocco is that Molly got involved.

Yep, dogs have sibling rivalry too!

Bloopers

2009-05-27T18:34:00.004-05:00

For those of you who think that taking pictures of Rocco and Molly is easy, please note the following pictures.
I would call them my gag reel, I guess. There are HUNDREDS of blooper pictures for every handfull of good pictures.

Here's Rocco jumping at the camera at the last minutes while Molly looks like she's sticking out her tongue...

Molly deciding that smelling the banner is better than posing for my picture...

Rocco, not running where I anticipate he will run...

Rocco. walking away as I was taking his picture....

I will post more of these pictures soon.
I guess now they are funny.
At the time, not so much.

Memorial Day Mascots

2009-05-25T18:33:00.004-05:00

Today we honor those who served in the U.S. Military, and to remember those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
My father and my father-in-law both served in the U.S. Army in WW II.
God Bless our soldiers who have served, are serving or will serve our country.

The Big Boy Collar

2009-05-18T17:34:00.004-05:00

Moose was our Sheperd/Rottweiller mix that passed away 2-1/2 years ago.
Moose was not a dog. He was a member of the family, our faithful companion, the love that filled this house. He was daddys boy and mommy's protector.
Moose was 120-lbs, and wore a big Harley Davidson collar that fit his stature and his demeanor.
He was one tough dog before bone cancer took him from us.
We keep his collar and his ashes together on a shelf in the house.
He is home where he belongs.

Lately, we have been looking for a new collar for Rocco. We wanted a big boy collar for him.
I don't know which one of us suggested Moose's collar for Rocco.
It was not an easy decision.
Truthfully, when I had Moose's collar in my hands yesterday, I cried for him.
And secretly I hoped the collar would not work for Rocco.
But guess what?
It fits.

And it looked good on him.

Well Rocco, you have big shoes to fill.
Yes you.

Flower Power

2009-05-17T09:36:00.003-05:00

These are my Iris's. The Iris's that my mom gave me, that originally came from my Grandmothers yard.
These are my 3rd generation Iris's.

Here is Rocco posing near my flowers that have JUST started to bloom...

And Rocco satnding uncomfortably close to my flowers...

And Rocco already sniffing out his next bad dog adventure.

Seriously.
Every.single.day he runs over to my Iris's. I can't take my eyes off of him for a second.
I have a bad feeling about this.

Rocco, the Nosey Neighbor

2009-05-11T16:36:00.005-05:00

Our neighbors had a tree taken down this morning.
Our nosey boy sat perched in front of the window the entire time.

Boy, I wonder where he gets it from?

What??!!

2009-05-06T17:37:00.002-05:00

WHAT?
We missed Tim's Birthday?

Shame on us!
Tim, Happy (Belated) Birthday to the biggest Cubs fan that we know.
May your year be filled with health, happiness and lots of Cubs wins!
Love ya!

Rocco LOVES Rachel

2009-04-15T19:38:00.003-05:00

Rachel is my cousin, and Rocco seriously LOVES her.
He snuggles with her....

He stares into her eyes....

And he sure looks like he's smiling when he's with her, doesn't he...

Good thing Rachel loves Rocco, too.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T23:17:00.001-05:00

From our Easter Bunnies Miss Molly...

And Mr. Rocco...

Allergies?

2009-04-10T21:02:00.006-05:00

We took Rocco to the vet yesterday. He was shaking his head throughout the night on Wednesday so much that we were worried that he had a ear infection.
And of course our vet is closed on Thursday.
We were able to get an appointment with another area vet yesterday morning.
He was, for lack of a better word, "eccentric". He had autographed celebrity pictures all over his cat wallpapered office.
Um, and he was afraid of Rocco.
It wasn't until later that day that we were told that particular vet only treats small dogs.
Up to 40 lbs.
Rocco is 3x that amount.
Dr Scardy Cat (or should I say Scardy DOG) thinks that Rocco in fact has allergies, not an ear infection.
He gave Rocco an allergy shot, and we are to give him Benedryl for the next few days.
My poor Rocco has allergies.
He is such a dainty dog in a big dog body, isn't he?
Look how pathetic he looks in the vets office.

Nice cat wallpaper, huh?

Rocco to Scale

2009-03-25T20:30:00.003-05:00

Rocco with my sister, who is 5'5".
My sister, not Rocco. I think he's taller than her.
LOL.

Rocco giving kisses....

Rocco loves his Auntie D.!

Happy St. Pat's Day!

2009-03-17T15:45:00.002-05:00

Molly...

And Rocco...

Would like to wish everyone a Happy St. Patricks Day!

PS, Doesn't Rooco look THRILLED to have those shamrocks on his head?

Rocco's Newest Fan

2009-03-05T06:37:00.002-06:00

Rocco's 6-year old cousin, Miss Emma E., is Rocco's newest fan. Rocco would like to thank Emma for reading his blog, and promises her that he will have many silly pictures to make her laugh.
And he also wants to wish her a Happy Birthday this month.
Welcome Emma!

Crockpot update

2009-03-04T12:40:00.004-06:00

We are happy to report that the crockpot remained untouched by Rocco.
But it was not due to the architecturally challenged barricade that I constructed.
It was because Rocco is petrified of the baby gates. Because when they fall over, they make such a loud crash that it scares him to death.
Yes, our big, giant Rocco boy is afraid. And he is big enough to knock those gates over, or just jump over them.
But shhhhhh, don't tell Rocco.

Crockpot Cooking with Rocco

2009-03-03T07:54:00.007-06:00

First, check the time.
For the record, this was 5:57am just before I left for work this morning.

Arrange your ingredients in the crockpot, paying special attention to the large dog eyeing up the corned beef and cabbage.

Place your crockpot on a safe surface. Again, paying special attention to the dog watching the crock pot.

Put the crock pot on low setting for 8-10 hours, then MOVE the crockpot as far away from the large dog as possible.

Begin to assemble your crockpot diversions.
In this case, I used dishes.

Then stack the baby gates.
Here is the first one.

Then a second baby gate to secure the first baby gate, as the large dog is afraid of baby gates.

Finish securing the crock pot with (2) 30-lb bags of dog food at each end of the table, paying special attention to the large dog looking at the crockpot diversions.

Step back to admire your handiwork, only to discover that you were in fact NOT paying special attention to the large dog, who has now taken the empty corned beef wrapper off the counter.

Finally, go to work and spend the day praying that the large dog stays away from crock pot and behaves himself today.

4-Legged Roosters

2009-02-27T13:53:00.005-06:00

I have no idea whats going on lately.
We are woken up every morning.
Yes, every morning BEFORE the alarm goes off at 5am.
By two dogs who are hungry.
Yes, HUNGRY.

This morning they woke us up at 3:30am.

I heard the clicking of their nails on the hard wood floor next to the bed.
The nails on their PRANCING feet.
Which went from "click, click, click, click" to "CLICKCKICKCLICKCLICK" as soon as they saw that I was awake. They worked themseleves into frenzy.
A "SHE'S AWAKE! SHE WILL FEED US! WE WANT FOOD!" kinda frenzy.

When they realized that, no, I wasn't getting up, Rocco went into the kitchen and started to nudge his empty bowl, LOUDLY, trying to let me know that his bowl was empty and he was hungry.
At 3:30am this morning.
Then he stood there staring at the empty bowl, WILLING it to be filled with food.

Um, did I mention that it was 3:30am this morning?

At least Rocco and Molly were working as a team.
I just wish their teamwork started at a reasonable hour.

Maybe....

2009-02-24T13:54:00.004-06:00

We should start a little businesss, where we would make those shredded money pens like this one.

Because we can't get Rocco to stop taking money off the table and eatting/shredding it.

Cabin Fever

2009-02-17T10:16:00.007-06:00

Otherwise known as 10-days of Rocco hell.

Last week I woke up to discover this...

All over the floor.
We could not figure out where such a large mass of apparent stuffing could come from.

Rocco was sitting on the futon, minding his own business.

When we noticed that little hole in the blue comforter, just big enough for a bored dog to get at.
And judging but the guilty look on his face, we know who is the vandal.

A few days later we discovered a chewed up container. We can't figure out where he found it.

And a few days after that, we found an empty package of dog treats.
We didn't even know we had this kind of treat in the house until we found the remnants of this bag.

This was one weeks worth of Rocco mischief.

Then this past weekend we found the a soggy chewed up Crystal Light box, the packets still intact.

And the remains of a pencil...

We didn't even know we had a pencil in the house.

My husband recently lost his glasses.
We are waiting for Rocco to find them.
He's good at that sort of thing.

Age Old Rivalry

2009-01-29T09:45:00.010-06:00

What do you think Rocco is looking at?

If you guessed a squirrel, actually a squirrel perched near our roof on a drain pipe, then you would be correct.

Yep, the Rocco-Squirrel rivalry is back.

A comment from a friend

2009-01-26T14:18:00.009-06:00

This is what a friend emailed me late last week, referring to Rocco.

"I'll be honest that a lot of Rocco's behavior just bothers me, and I roll my eyes...."
and
"What a doofus that dog is..."

It's a shame that he judged Rocco so harshly.
But again, this was quoted by a cat person.

People OWN dogs. They just feed cats.

Rocco's love is unconditional. His loving nature, his spirit, his soulful eyes and his trusting heart fill our lives.
I'll admit that Rocco is having an extended adolescence, but that doesn't make me love him any less. Rocco makes me a better person. He gives me more patience than I ever thought I had.

The eyes of a dog, the expression of a dog, the warmly wagging tail of a dog and the gloriously cold damp nose of a dog were in my opinion all God-given for one purpose only — to make complete fools of us human beings.
~Barbara Woodhouse~

I wish God granted dogs longer lives. They are here with us for such a short time. I cherish all my time with Rocco, even on his bad-dog days. Because Rocco loves me the most when I am having a bad day.
Rocco, for all his faults, is wise to the ways of the heart.
Especially THIS heart.

Happiness is a warm puppy.
~Charles Schultz~

So you may think that Rocco is a "doofus". That's your opinion.
But when you have a long day and you go home to your cat, think of me and my 120-lb compassionate puppy, trying to sit on my lap and licking all the tears away from my face with his sloppy Rocco kisses.
I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Random winter photos

2009-01-23T12:05:00.008-06:00

Our snow covered planter resembles a snow cone, doesn't it?

Or at least Rocco thinks so!
Yum!

This is our snow covered grill...

And our snow covered bird bath...

And our snow covered cedar patio bench. Each snow storm is identifiable by the layer indentations like an old tree. That's a lot of snow storms this winter!

(Sigh). I miss summer!

Hot Potato

2009-01-22T09:03:00.005-06:00

My husband and I have been trying to eat healthier meals with the start of the new year.
For my husband, that includes baked sweet potato's.

Yes, the potato is labeled "Biggin's" and it's wrapped in cellophane. We don't get a great choice of produce here in Chicago in the dead of winter.

Although it appears my husband found a store run by Al Bundy.

This potato was on the kitchen counter when we left yesterday evening.

When we got home later last night it was on the kitchen floor, along with Rocco's other dog toys.
Notice Rocco's feet in this photo?

Because as I was snapping pictures, Rocco decided to play a game of Hot Potato. He decided the potato was HIS and he grabbed it and ran.
Since we can only see his paws, Rocco can sure move FAST when he's being naughty.

I followed him into the living room where he was so engrossed in the potato that he didn't notice me watching him...

Until now...
Uh Oh!

My husband took the potato and put it back on the counter while scolding Rocco. "This is MY potato Rocco, not YOURS! Did you hear me? MY POTATO!"

I don't know which was funnier, that verbal potato scolding or Rocco's guilty face?

More snow. And more. And more.

2009-01-20T07:20:00.006-06:00

We woke up to at least 6" of more snow. Theres at least 12" out there now, and it's still coming down.
Molly loves it, Rocco hates it.
Look at his face. "Hellooooo...its COLD out here. Stop taking pictures and LET ME IN!"

On the flip side, can you guess what Molly is looking at in these pictures?

If you guessed a snow covered Frisbee hidden in the frozen grape vines, you are correct.

Because in Molly's world, why let a little snow interfere a good game of Frisbee?

It's nice to see she's feeling better!

Left, Right, Center

2009-01-18T17:08:00.004-06:00

My husband has this dice game. HE LOVES IT.
Which was why he left the dice sitting on the dining room table yesterday.
Precariously close to the edge of the table.
Also known as Rocco Territory.
So this morning, when we noticed that the left dice was there, and center dice was there but the right dice was missing we knew who was the culprit.
After a brief search, we found it on the floor with part of the "R" missing.

Rocco is lucky he doesn't have part of his tooth missing, chewing on a dice.

The funny part of this story is when my husband found the vandalized dice, he actually looked at me incredulously and asked in disbelief "WHO does this?".

Um, Rocco?

Too cold to post

2009-01-16T13:35:00.002-06:00

The dogs are actually in hibernation mode, sleeping the cold days away.
Molly on the couch, Rocco on the futon.
So I have no stories to report today. Just trying to get through this cold spell!

Selective Memory

2009-01-13T13:28:00.003-06:00

We adopted Rocco in the winter of 2006. He was only 3-months old at the time, and it was his first winter. He was frightened of the snow, but he was only a puppy.

During the next year, the winter of 2007, Rocco was over a year old. He didn't remember snow, and was fearful of it throughout the entire winter.

Flash forward to the winter of 2008/2009.

It is Rocco's third winter.
Yet, everyday he still looks at the snow like "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

If you can't tell by his expression, he hates getting snow in his face....

...yet he sticks his face in the snow every.single.day.

Rocco will never be a snow dog.
But he sure is cute, isn't he?

Another Rocco Quirk

2009-01-09T08:14:00.003-06:00

Rocco hasn't quite figured out how to get through a doorway if the door is slightly closed. He doesn't have a narrow doorway aversion, so its not a cognitive mannerism. He just hasn't discovered that all he has to is nudge the door and it will pop open.
Molly, on the other hand, shoves the door open so it slams against the wall and she bursts out like a magician's assistant.
TA DA!
Rocco peeks through the door opening and stares at me, willing me to let him in or out.
His eyes plead HELP ME!

The funny thing is that Rocco is big enough to actually BLOCK a doorway.
He just can't figure out how to get THROUGH a doorway.
I guess we'll never have a doggie door in this house.

Rocco = Bird Dog

2009-01-06T15:41:00.005-06:00

Saturday afternoon Rocco was outside and Molly was waiting to go outside. She was in the kitchen and I was trying to coax her down the stairs. Since her surgery, sometimes she is still leery of the back stairs. I opened the back door to let Rocco in while turning my head to watch Molly.
After she was outside and Rocco was inside, I walked into the kitchen as he dropped something at my feet.
I shrieked.
Well, screamed was more like it.

This was on my kitchen floor.

APPARENTLY Rocco decided that a dead bird was a wonderful present for me.

Between screaming "OH GOD, LET IT BE DEAD" and "BAD, BAD DOG", I realized that I could not pick it up.
I just couldn't.
And Ken was working.
So I had to call next door.
THANKFULLY, Bob was home and came over to dispose of my present.
He said it was still warm.

So Rocco killed the bird.

I am feeling kind of bad about that.
Well, I felt bad AFTER I bleached the kitchen floor and tried to rinse out Rocco's mouth with mouthwash.
There will be no Rocco kisses in this house for QUITE awhile.

Guess where I was this past weekend?

2009-01-05T12:52:00.011-06:00

At the hospital.
Getting my foot x-rayed.
For stepping on a hard plastic dog toy and hurting my foot.
I can barely walk on it.

The good news is that wasn't a stress fracture.
The bad news is that it's probably tendinitis.
And I will have to wear one of those funny shoes.
In the winter.
In Chicago.
In freezing weather.
Nice, huh?

Christmas Loot

2009-01-05T07:51:00.004-06:00

Rocco and Molly were spoiled this holiday.

They received Christmas stockings from Jeanine.
The one on the right is Rocco's if you missed his possessive profile.

And stockings from Gerry & Darcy...

...all filled with generous gifts.

They received a 14-lb box of treats from Ed & Sue...

Note the scale of this box as compared to a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke.

They also received gifts from Kim...

We let them open those gifts themselves.

They each got their own stuffed hugging bear. This one was Rocco's if you can't guess that...

And of course in true sibling rivalry, they decided to fight over the same toy...

And made a mess.

Thank you everyone for thinking of Rocco & Molly this holiday season. They truly loved everything!

The wake up call

2008-12-30T11:30:00.005-06:00

I am off this week.
The fantasy of my days off was sleeping in everyday.
The reality of my days off is this.....
Getting woken up EVERY MORNING at 6am by two 4-legged roosters announcing their presence by staring at me and wagging their tails against the bed, earthquake-like.

Happy Holidays from Rocco & Molly

2008-12-30T11:24:00.002-06:00

Wishing you a peaceful holiday and a blessed new year!

Santa's little helper

2008-12-23T22:28:00.003-06:00

This was my wrapping area this evening pre-Rocco.

And then came Rocco.

Sigh. Well at least he's technically helping me to pick up the paper from the floor.

Twas a few days before Christmas...

2008-12-23T22:04:00.003-06:00

And all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
Especially two big dogs.

Well, maybe because its been so cold here.
And yes, that says NEGATIVE five degrees.

Truthfully, I haven't felt like doing much either.
Its too darn cold!

Puppy Love

2008-12-17T07:08:00.005-06:00

When we eat dinner, the dogs are nearby.
When we sleep, the dogs sleep with us.
When we sit in the yard on warm summer nights, the dogs lie at our feet.

You get the picture, right?

So when we try to watch TV, it makes perfect sense (to them) that they will also be involved.
But how can we possibly watch TV when Rocco and Molly are distributing kisses?

Because who can resist Rocco & Molly puppy love?

3,000 hits!

2008-12-11T13:16:00.003-06:00

Rocco would like to thank you everyone for their continued support of his blog. Today we reached 3,000 hits!

Thank you for embracing his stories. He truly is one of a kind!

Our Super Hero

2008-12-10T07:08:00.008-06:00

Molly the Superdog is doing great!

The surgery to repair her torn ligament was 2-weeks ago. My husband took out her staples on Saturday. Her incision has healed nicely. She is walking both up the stairs and down the stairs with the vet's blessing. She is trying to walk on the healing leg, lightly putting her weight on it instead of scampering around on 3-legs.
She is an excellent patient, and is well on the road to recovery.

Here's the thing.

I don't think this is Molly.

Because she certainly does not ACT like Molly.

The fake Molly has been waking us up EVERY SINGLE MORNING between 2am-4am, barking at the front window, in full protect mode. We will grogilly get up to investigate, but by the time that we get there the source of the noise is gone.

And during the day, she is humble and lovable.
Just like Shoeshine Boy (girl).
Can you see where this is going?
At night, she turns into a superhero, protecting her home with ultrasonic hearing and X-ray vision.

I think Molly had transformed into Underdog.

I'm not kidding.
There's no need for fear,
Underdog is here.

I should look into her pain medication that we give her every day. Maybe we've been giving her Underdog's Super Energy Pill!

The Evil Shovel

2008-12-07T20:41:00.005-06:00

Rocco hates the shovel. And now that snow has officially arrived in the Midwest, he is on high shovel alert, stalking it, then attacking it every chance that he gets.
It's like a hockey game every time I have to shovel a path in the yard.
A path I am shoveling FOR the dogs.
I turn into a goaltender and the sidewalk is the attack zone. There are rebounds and blocked shots and saves.
I think I need an NHL referee to get thru this winter.
Because shoveling certainly has become a type of backyard hockey game with Rocco.
Thankfully, without a puck.

Feliz Navi-dog

2008-12-03T07:19:00.005-06:00

Thanks anyway, Gina and Jackie.
It really was a FUNNY plan to dress the dogs in sombreros and serapes for this year's Christmas card. We even brought back mini sombrero's from our Mexico trip this past summer for this much anticipated card.
Feliz Navidog.
Great concept.
Bad idea.
Especially with our dogs. Who hate anything on their heads, and break out into frenzied running when they see me with both a camera and a doggie headpiece in my hands.
Don't believe me?
Check out our TEST shots with Rocco. This was a PRACTICE run, to get him used to wearing the doggie sombrero.
Yeah. It spent more time hanging off his head than sitting on his head.
Besides the fact that Rocco looked like a crazed, rabid dog the entire time.
Maybe next year?
Um, no. It would probably be EASIER to take the dogs to Mexico for a Feliz Navi-dog photo than to put those sombreros back on their heads.
Roco and Molly are photo Grinch's.
Bah Humbug.

Our Million Dollar Baby

2008-11-30T20:27:00.005-06:00

Or should I say, our $1,324 Molly.
Times two.
That what it cost for Miss Molly's surgery for her SECOND torn ACL.

Here is Miss Molly at the Animal Hospital, waiting to meet with her surgeon.

Here is Miss Molly, waiting for someone to open the door so she can make a quick get-away.

It was really difficult to leave her overnight. We probably called the clinic four times that night to check on her.
When she came home, she looked so pathetic. Her leg was shaved, she had staples instead of stitches, and an IV bandage on her front leg.
Can you tell she's still groggy from her pain meds in this picture?

We put foam collars on her neck to help keep her from licking her incision.

Rocco has been well behaved, and keeping an eye on Molly. He actually took a nap with her this weekend. It was very sweet.

Molly is feeling better, scampering around the house on three legs. Her staples come out in one week, and by April, she will be ready to play her favorite game, catching her Frisbee.

Thanks to all of our family and friends for the puppy prayers. They helped!

And I just wanted to post this picture. It was in the vet's office when we dropped off Molly.
God Bless veterinarians for keeping our fur babies safe and healthy.

A trip to the vet

2008-11-19T09:10:00.004-06:00

Rocco just had his 2-year old vet visit for his shots. That day it was rainy and cold. Rocco loves to hang his head out the window during car rides. Unfortunately, because of the rain, I could just open the window a few inches.
That did not stop him from trying to get his nose out the window.

At the vet he was weighed. Our boy weights 108-lbs!

He got his shots and cried like a baby. Afterward, he got a treat for being a good boy.

The vet said Rocco will not get any taller, but he might get wider. Next year he could weigh 120-lbs!
And next year he will probably cry again when he gets his shots.
My poor big and bad but dainty boy.

Uh oh

2008-11-16T19:16:00.004-06:00

Hey mom! Look at the pastry brush I took out of a kitchen drawer!

(spit) What pastry brush?

Uh Oh. I think I'm in trouble.

The Great Grill Caper

2008-10-23T10:30:00.004-05:00

One afternoon last week Rocco and I were in the backyard. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a squirrel sitting on top of the grill.
Yep, the pear-eating-Rocco-nemesis-squirrel.
Sitting ON TOP of the grill.
In a spit second, Rocco lunged at the squirrel, KNOCKING OVER our 150-pound grill. Yep, he knocked it OVER.

I ran into the house to grab my camera. Either its grab the camera or have a nervous breakdown with Rocco's antics. When I ran back outside he had the nerve to be PETRIFIED of the grill in its sprawled out state.

He eventually got his courage back and began to investigate his mess.

That's why I ALWAYS have my camera ready to document Rocco's calamities.
Who could believe he knocked over a GRILL?

The Snuggle Bunny

2008-10-17T08:36:00.004-05:00

I had a rough day at work yesterday. Plus, the autumn weather is here and the temperature outside had dropped. I was crabby and tired and cold.
When I got home, I layed on the couch under extra blankets, trying to stay warm.
Apparently, I looked like I needed a friend.
Have you ever tried to relax with a 100-lb dog draped across your body?

Oh well. At least I stayed warm with my own personal Rocco blanket!

14-hours of Rocco Hell

2008-10-14T07:57:00.008-05:00

Yesterday was a bad Rocco day.
I went home at lunch as I usually do so Rocco and Molly can have a potty break. We let them out separately for potty breaks. If they are outside together, Rocco thinks it's play time and terrorizes poor Molly, tugging at her ears and nipping her.
So I let Rocco out first. He sniffed around for the pear-eating-squirrel, then picked up something up in his mouth and started running around the yard in his play-with-me manner.
I think to myself, "What can he possible be playing with?".
So I checked.
Ugh.
It was dog poop.
I chose not to document this event.
You can thank me later.

After work I went home to change my clothes as I was meeting a friend for an early dinner.
I discovered that Rocco had taken my plastic hair clip and a tube of Blistex lip balm that were on the kitchen island and chewed them to pieces.

Granted it was my fault for leaving for them there. But he hasn't actually taken anything off the counter in awhile, so I thought maybe he was growing out of that stage.
Apparently not.

Then last night I was in bed, sound asleep.
SOUND ASLEEP.
My husband came to bed at 1:40am with his shadow, Rocco, who is too big to sleep in our bed, but can't be more than 5-inches away from my husband at any given moment.
Five minutes later it started.
You know how on those fishing shows on TV, when they reel in a fish and it hits the floor of the boat, how it flops around like crazy?
That was Rocco. Flopping his 100+ lb body around, trying to get comfortable.
And I mean FLOPPING like a fish out of water. Of course my husband slept thru it.

At 2am, I had fallen back asleep, and then awoke with a start. Rocco was standing on my side of the bed, staring at me with his "Helloooooo, I have to go outside" look.
I tried to ignore him, but there is no ignoring Rocco. Mostly because (not getting the response from me that he wanted) he started to nudge me with his nose. Hard.
So at 2am, I had to get up and let him outside. That means that I, too, was outside with him at 2am, making sure he didn't bark and wake the neighbors.

And that's when I saw it.

Yep, a full moon. It all made complete sense now.
Rocco's crazy day and night must have been caused by the lunar effects of a full moon!
Or should I say HOPEFULLY caused by the full moon?
Oh PLEASE let it be the effects of the moon.

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree....

2008-10-09T06:47:00.006-05:00

Well, we DO have a pear tree.
But we don't have a partridge.
It's a squirrel.
And it is driving poor Rocco crazy.

Everyday day when we open the back door, we find the the pears that are located directly above our cedar bench...

Scattered, shredded, pureed, all over the bench.

Thre are little shredded pieces of pear all over the bench, the pavers, the sidewalk. It's a mess.
Every. Single. Day.

And knowing there is an uninvited houseguest in his yard makes poor Rocco insane.
He goes into Chief Inspector Rocco mode, searching for clues.....

Then he will stare at the tree for a long time, wishing he had x-ray vision to see the culprit.

But he has yet to find the criminal in action.

As a side note, we are HOPING that it is, in fact, a squirrel.
And not a raccoon.
Or a possum.
Because we actually have not seen the culprit either.
We just find his leftovers.

Do you think.....

2008-10-01T07:44:00.005-05:00

If I wasn't standing there taking a picture, those cheeseburgers would still be there?
Based on Rocco's guilty face, probably not.

That being said, we spoil Rocco and Molly.
Alot.
Every time that we go to a drive thru, we bring them back 2-plain cheeseburgers.
So in these pictures, Rocco is waiting for his cheeseburger.
Waiting a little less than patiently.

Daddy Long Legs

2008-09-18T07:08:00.006-05:00

In this case, it's not a spider.....
It's Rocco.

I guess we should have known how long and tall he would be, based on this picture from the first day we brought him him.
He was 3-months old here.

I guess we also should have known from the look on his face in that same picture that he would be a handful for us.

His face is ALWAYS very expressive.

Happy Birthday Rocco!

2008-09-09T06:13:00.003-05:00

Our sweet boy is 2-years old today! I will update this post later, but just wanted to say "Happy Birthday Rocco!".

Can someone please explain why...

2008-09-04T06:55:00.003-05:00

Molly, the dog who LOVED the water at the doggie beach so much that we could not get her to leave......

Is the same dog who REFUSES to go outside when it rains?

The Cupcake Caper

2008-09-02T14:40:00.012-05:00

I confess.

I drove 48-miles round trip for cupcakes.

But you must understand that these are from Swirlz Cupcakes, the best gourmet cupcake shop in the City of Chicago. And they are FANTASTIC. The Red Velvet cupcakes are to die for. My sister-law-law referred us to Swirlz and we are HOOKED.

And so, apparently is Rocco.

I lovingly peeled off the paper wrapper, and set the cupcake down on the coffee table, to enjoy with a glass of cold milk. But in my hurry I forgot the milk. I glanced at Rocco, asleep on the couch and thought, "Hmmmm, I'll only be gone for 10-seconds". So I left my pricey ($34.00/dozen) cupcake unattended.

Yes, I left it unattended.

As I stepped into the kitchen I heard the "clink clink" of the fork tapping the saucer as Rocco licked the remaining cupcake from the plate.
He ate my cupcake. In about 5-seconds.

Another confession.
I am making another 48-mile road trip again.
But this time for both cupcakes and "pup cakes', their doggie confections.
Because just as the Swirlz logo says, cupcakes me me happy.

The Doggie Beach

2008-08-18T07:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, we took Rocco and Molly to the doggie beach. It's a tiny part of the beach on Lake Michigan dedicated to dogs. They were so excited! They behaved beautifully. Even though there were several other dogs there, they were so intent on catching their Frisbee they didn't even notice the other dogs.
Here are some pictures of our day.

And I saved the best for last....look at my crazed Rocco, going for the Frisbee. He looks like Batman!

The BEST part of this adventure (for us) was that they slept from after dinner until this morning. Not a peep out of them. They are still sluggish today.
Poor babies.

Peek-a-boo

2008-08-12T19:34:00.005-05:00

We have to hide the frisbee. If we keep it in the house, in a closet, Rocco & Molly will stalk that closet. They will sit in front of it, sleep in front of it, walk slowly by it, always hoping we will open the door so they can be reunited with their beloved frisbee.
So we hide it.
Um, see if you can find it.......

We have to hide it in the grape vines in the arbor over our patio.

This is easier in the summer amid the folliage, than in the winter amid the bare branches.
But our pups play frisbee in the summer heat or the winter snow.
They just love their frisbee.

Actually this is a great preface for a post on what we have to hide from Rocco.
Stay tuned for that post!

Sunday Frisbee Day

2008-08-10T17:58:00.004-05:00

Rocco had a great afternoon playing frisbee. Our boy loves his frisbee.

Impatience with Impatients

2008-08-07T08:35:00.004-05:00

Rocco eats flowers.
Um, among MANY other things.
This morning I noticed that he had started to eat part of my impatients, then he tried to drink the dirty water in the planter from the recent rain.
Because, seriously, the two gigantic bowls of water in the house (one for Molly and one for Rocco) is just not enough water for a growing boy.

Vanity thy name is Rocco

2008-08-07T08:17:00.002-05:00

My sister was over last weekend. When I tried to take a picture of her with Rocco, he jumped onto the bathroom sink and looked at himself in the mirror, then it seems as if he smiled for the camera.
You be the judge.

The thunder rolls...

2008-08-05T15:39:00.003-05:00

Last night we had terrible storms with tornado warnings. The wind was gusting and the thunder was rolling.
And we made another discovery.
Rocco is TERRIFIED of thunder.
I got home last night and usually it's a mad puppy-love homecoming greeting that I receive.
Yesterday, I walked in to half of a greeting from Molly.
Rocco was on our bed, and would not get down. He was like a statue, afraid to move, but his eyes were darting around wildly at the sound of the thunder. He was so scared.
So we did what any puppy parents would do in that situation.
We laughed at him.
He was so pathetic.
And funny.
Poor Rocco.

Trust Issues

2008-08-01T07:13:00.005-05:00

Whenever we leave the house for an extended period of time (in this case, extended means longer than 5-minutes) we baby-gate Rocco into the kitchen. We have serious trust issues with our boy.
But recently, we started to discuss that we need have a little faith in Rocco, especially since he will be 2-years old next month.
Which in human years would make him a 14-year old boy.
Um, that should have given us a clue.
Yesterday, We were going to leave the house for a few hours, and decided that it was finally the day to trust Rocco. So we Rocco-proofed the house.
Key: Rocco proof means my husband and I walk around the house, making sure anything harmful or destructive or expensive or sentimental is removed from his line of vision.
And then we left.
For 45-seconds.
My husband discovered that he left his bottle of water on the table, so we drove around the block and while I waited in the car, my husband walked back into the house to get his water. Apparently, Rocco had already raided the bathroom garbage and was in the process of eating the toilet paper off the roll.
He lasted less than one minute before getting into trouble.
But then again, what parent would trust a 14-year old boy?

Monkey see.....

2008-07-24T08:10:00.002-05:00

We seem to have a case of "monkey see, monkey do" in our house.

Rocco has always had cravings for unnatural non-food items.

Like toilet paper.

And spoons.

And rugs.

And grass.

Ah, grass. Overtly abundant this time of year. And Rocco is an equal opportunity grass eater. Freshly mowed, freshly watered, wilted, drying out, long, short....the boy just loves to eat grass.

Its a habit of which we just can't break him.

And now, his partner in crime Molly has joined in the fun.
Rocco eats grass and does not get sick. Molly sees Rocco doing it, so she has to do it, too. But poor Molly does get sick.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Why can't they imitate the others GOOD traits?

Today...

2008-07-17T15:05:00.003-05:00

I am fighting off a summer cold.
I just want to plop on the couch and watch some mindless TV.
But this is what blocks my view....

Welcome to my world.

Or should I say, Rocco's World.

Chasing Dragonflies

2008-07-17T13:58:00.002-05:00

Rocco was outside a few days ago, and when I tried to get him to come back into the house, he would have no part of it. He was much too busy chasing a dragonfly that was circling our pool.
The dragonfly would dart and weave, effortlessly soaring close to Rocco, but not too close.
On the other hand, Rocco was jumping and grunting and whining, twisting into the air like a bungee dog, determined to catch that dragonfly.
Beauty and the Beast.
And in the end:
Dragonfly 1
Rocco 0

Poor Rocco...

2008-07-09T09:21:00.002-05:00

While we were off in Mexico for 7-days...

our poor baby Rocco and Molly were boarded. I called to check on them almost everyday. I felt terrible leaving them! We got home on Friday, July 4th, and Rocco slept and ate for 2-straight days.

He sure was happy to be home.

And actually, we were, too. It was much too quiet for 7-days without them.

Clean Sheets

2008-06-20T15:41:00.003-05:00

Rocco loves clean sheets. It really is the silliest thing.
I'll carry the sheets, fresh from the dryer and plop them on the bed. As I start to put clean pillowcases on the pillows. Rocco will lay on the sheets. I don't know it of the warmth of the sheets straight from the dryer, or the Downey smell, or maybe he is just goofy (ya think?), but our boy LOVES clean sheets.

Now if we could just teach him to actually MAKE the bed with me....

Rocco's Perch

2008-06-17T20:15:00.002-05:00

This is how he sits on the couch. He sets his behind on the cushion and his front paws on the floor.
Isn't this hilarious?

Dog days of summer

2008-06-08T20:36:00.007-05:00

I was out shopping early this morning. My husband was supposed to be outside doing yard work, but it was 90 degrees today. So he decided to take a nap with his favorite bad dog.
This is what I discovered when I got home.

I am surprised how comfortable my husband sleeps with a 100+ lb dog draped across his chest.
Unless, he was pretending to sleep to get out of doing the yard work.

Hmmmmm....

Short on cash today....

2008-05-20T22:16:00.002-05:00

Um, that would be because when I took out my wallet to pay for my pizza tonight, I left the rest of the money on the dining room table. I paid the delivery man, ate my dinner, and THEN noticed that there were shredded pieces of money on the floor.
So far, I think I am missing $40.
That Rocco ate.
He left the singles shredded on the floor and consumed the $20 bills.
And after I yelled at him, and he hid for a total of 5-minutes (Molly would have hid for days) he ate my chap stick.
Rocco is a very bad boy today.

Another one....

2008-05-02T16:44:00.003-05:00

Bicycles.
Rocco is barking at anyone riding past the house on a bicycle.
ESPECIALLY the 3-year old down the block riding her tricycle.
That evil, evil tricycle is antagonizing poor Rocco.
Just wait until he see's a Big Wheel.
That's going to put my poor boy over the edge.

Part 2 of Rocco's forgetful summer

2008-04-28T06:49:00.002-05:00

Lawnmowers.
This weekend our next door neighbor mowed his lawn for the first time all year.
Rocco barked for 30-straight minutes. He could see the neighbor thru the window, and he KNOWS who Bob is, but he didn't know his new big, red lawnmower.
So Rocco stood at the windows watching Bob and growling at his lawnmower, then barking, and growling some more, while the hair on his neck stood up.
(Sigh). It's going to be a LONG summer.

Things Rocco has forgotten from LAST summer

2008-04-22T13:07:00.004-05:00

My Rocco boy was not even 1-year old last summer, so he has apparently forgotten a few things.

Thunder.
We had our first thunder storm of the summer last week, and Rocco was terrified of the thunder. He was like a Velcro dog, physically attached to my hip. But he wasn't trembling. It was more of a "What the hell was THAT?" look he gave to me each time the thunder roared.

Window fans.
We were so happy to be able to open the windows this week. Until we realized that Rocco barks at the window fans. He especially barks at the large floor fan that stands 5' high and oscillates. He has learned to tolerate that fan, but he still gives it a dirty look each time that he passes it.

My Red Toe Nails.
I had a pedicure last week, and had my toes painted a bright cherry red. I thought that was an AMAZING idea, until I realized that Rocco mistakes my bright red toes for food? Or maybe a toy? Regardless, he bites my toes
every
single
day.
So I have to wear socks
every
single
day
to protect my feet.
Seriously. I will be standing barefoot at the sink, doing the dishes and CHOMP.
Funny, huh?

Tulips.
My tulips started to come up. But unfortunately they won't be blooming. Rocco ate the buds from every single plant before they even bloomed. So I just have a lot of leafy, green flower-less tulips in my yard.

It's going to be a fun summer around here! (Noted with sarcasm).

Our morning routine

2008-03-19T00:15:00.003-05:00

The alarm goes off at 6am.
My husband gets out of bed to get ready for work.
10 seconds later, Rocco settles onto his side of the bad and immediately falls asleep.
Just like this......

Rocco's Blankie

2008-03-18T23:42:00.005-05:00

This is Rocco's blankie.

When it was new, it was filled with a thick foam pad.
Until Rocco chewed a hole in the corner of it and extracted the foam, bite by bite. I finally had to remove the partial remains of the foam pad, as I was finding orange pieces of it all over the house.
So now it's a limp, chewed, hollow, faded blankie.
And Rocco loves it.
He can barely fit on it, yet it's his favorite perch.
Um, besides our bed.
Anyway, here's our big dog with his little blankie.

Sorry

2008-03-18T23:23:00.003-05:00

Let me apologize for the lapse in posting. Mainly it's computer issues. I can't open picture attachments, so I have to scan EVERY picture for this blog.
One at a time.
Then reboot the entire computer after EACH picture.
Or my computer locks up.
It's been a technological nightmare and a time related mess.
Oh, and my digital camera makes Rocco's eyes white.
Ha.
I'm doing my best, so keep checking for updates.
We love our readers!!

The Comfort Zone

2008-02-25T09:48:00.002-06:00

We have a futon in our spare room. When it's open, it's a full sized mattress. We keep it open for the dogs, with the intention that they would use it. Thus allowing us to sleep in our bed.
Rocco occasionally uses it. The key word here is OCCASIONALLY.
He will nap after a long afternnon of eating something he's not supposed to, as illustrated by this picture taken earlier this week.
Yep. Another chewed roll of toilet paper is visable on the floor of this picture.

And here is Rocco napping on our bed the same day.

Um, which one does he look more comfortable using?
The answer is, of course, the WRONG bed.

It's quite comical, actually

2008-02-21T22:47:00.004-06:00

...that Rocco's newest fan club is the Toilet Paper Posse.
And we all know how much Rocco adores toilet paper.
And the ladies.

Rocco's fan club spent last weekend spreading Rocco's joy all around our life.
In the snow.
In February.

They decorated our little tree....

They decorated our landscapping...

They decorated my car...

They decorated themselves with t-shirts that read "That's how I roll", featuring the logo of a roll of toilet paper.
OK, we bought those for the girls.
But they wore them.

Well, we wore them too...

Because we are all just Rocco groupies, aren't we?

Oh, and a quick note to the Toilet Paper Posse. I have one word for you.
Payback.
I'm just saying.

Paging Dr. Rocco......

2008-02-15T16:20:00.005-06:00

Rocco LOVES band-aids. I have a band-aid covered papercut on my finger that he is fixated with it.
So I didn't blame Molly when I walked into the living room to find this...

Since the evidence seems to be stuck to ROCCO'S face and not Molly's, the case was closed.

Although she certainly looks guilty, doesn't she?