Diary of Oscar

I like to eat things.

2010-02-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is another Oscar post.

Where do I even start?

Oscar ate this. ATE it. As in swallowed it whole. Um... I have no idea how.

The one we had originally had a cheap tennis ball attached to it. We bought it during one of our puppy classes back in the day for training, and he ripped off the ball in class. It stayed in tact for, oh say, about 5 minutes. He loved the fleece part, but it did get disgustingly wet while he played with it. The then started to pull at each strand, ruining the braid part. Eventually, the toy became a very loosely braided toy with mismatched lengths of fleece strand.

Many times, I had to take it away from him and knot up the longer strands because I noticed they would go completely down his throat, but never have I imagined that he would get the entire thing down.

So this time, he did. The toy was quarantined away in the bathroom downstairs, and Mr. Chill must've left the door semi open while he pulled out the trash in the room. Oscar found the toy, and JACKPOT! Within a minute it was gone and our poor dog walker witnessed it.

Of course, the next few hours were followed by frantic calls from yours truly to Mr. Chill, to our vet, and to our dog trainer, Ruth. I lined up various emergency vets in the event Oscar chokes or vomits, or has a toy sticking out of his ass (um, deja vu?).

The first night went fine.

Video of Oscar trying to get Mr. Chill's attention. (Just for the record, we ignore Oscar if he cries or whines, unless it is an emergency, because we don't want him to think crying will get him what he wants.)

Finding time to work out

2010-02-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

Why is it that I feel like there are never enough hours in a day? Especially when it comes to working out?

I try to hit the gym, or do bikram yoga, 4x a week. I really should do more, but trying to make the 4 classes is TOUGH. Getting there is half the battle.

For example, I made plans to have dinner with my Dulcetta girls (to be announced in the near future) in the city. Plenty of time to hit the gym beforehand. But then I realized, Oscar needs paw booties because the snow and the salt is doing a mean number on his precious paws. I would say this is a priority especially since we're supposed to be hit with another 12 inches of snow tomorrow, and his paws looks so sad.

In true planner fashion, I called Buzzy's, our great dog food supplier, and asked if they had dog booties. Yes they do!

They carry Ultra Paws booties, and they have decent reviews. Hopefully winter is almost over, so Oscar will only need these for another month or so. They're not as cute as some other booties I saw, but these look like they will stay on.

So my plan is to purchase these today along with some food and treats for our pup. Then drive into the city and pick up Mr. Chill, go to dinner, and come home. There is something about working out after 6pm that is very unappealing to me. Will just have to do double tomorrow I guess. Oh right, I have to do grocery shopping tomorrow too.

Introducing Chill family!

2010-02-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

So I've changed Oscar's diary to be a more encompassing blog about Oscar, myself, and the doings of our family. Most likely, it will be more about me and Oscar, with tiny tidbits of Mr. Chill since he's very private.

Anywho, thanks to everyone who's been following Oscar's diary!

Please update your bookmarks and google reader to http://thechillfamily.blogspot.com/. All of Oscar's old posts are there as well!

Today, I will leave you with a pictures of my cute pup in about 20" of snow from this weekends blizzard!

I have no idea how little doggies go to the bathroom outside. It took Oscar a few hours to find a safe place to poop!

Oscar's hippy hips

2010-01-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, we've all noticed that Oscar drags his back right leg during walks. Sometimes, especially when it's cold outside and he's tired, he refuses to walk and sits down on the sidewalk, middle of the street, or in the bushes (Look mom, I'm a tree!). My biggest worry was that he may have hip dysplasia which is common in breeds like American Bulldogs.

With the suggestion of our trainer and dog walkers, we decided to have Oscar checked out by his favorite vet, Dr. Wilkerson at Mt Airy Vet. We decided to wait on xrays until the doc suggested it...

So off we went to the vets office. Well first, we had to have Oscar try out the new ramp to climb into the back of the SUV.

That took a while. Chris was getting frustrated and said, "Christina, I swear, if we wasted $120 on this stupid ramp that Oscar won't use..." and almost on cue, Oscar ran up the ramp and sat down inside the SUV. Ha!

We drove to the office, then we tried to get Oscar out of the car via Ramp. A few minutes later, Oscar was getting showered with love and kisses by the staff at the vets office. Oh, he's such a stud there!

There was another big dog in the waiting room, and a german shepherd came out later from his appointment, and they both greeted each other nicely. I think the german shepherd wanted to play because he gave Oscar a great big play bow. Well... it's the doctor's office, not a playground. So Oscar went back to focusing on us for treats.

We went into the exam room, and his favorite blond nurse initiated the new staff nurse by introducing Oscar to her along with his drool, which ended up all over her crotch. What a mean joke! But Oscar didn't mind. He loves the attention there.

We first ruled out Lyme Disease, then talked to the doc about Glyco Flex pills and trimming down Oscar's weight even more. He's also fit, but he suggested we get him almost skinny, which will help his joints.

Great news is that the doctor didn't think an xray would be necessary at his point. He was able to flex Oscar's back legs, and he wasn't in pain. We will bring him in if Oscar starts to limp most of the time and if he has a more difficult time getting up after a long nap. But with the weight management and pills, he thinks Oscar will be find. Let's hope so!

Big Update!

2010-01-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

So it's been a long time since we've updated! Lots have happened since...

Let's start with our new bulldog-mobile.

We got rid of the little jetta, and upgraded to a cross-over SUV. Why? To accomodate Oscar. But now, it's too high, and our little baby will need a ramp to get in and out of the back trunk.

Here is Oscar chilling on his way to Blue Bell Park - one of his last rides in the jetta.

Since our last post, Oscar has continued to love us. See exhibit A below.

A.

B. Maybe daddy loves Oscar too much.

C. Spent a nice day outside pretending to be super serious and sexy.

Halloween came and went, and we couldn't find him a cool costume in his size. So instead, he borrowed our fedora hat for a few seconds. Then he thought about eating it, so we had to put it away. Far away.

In mid December, we went on a cruise to the caribbean, leaving Oscar with his dog sitter and Queenies. This was the longest we've left him, and to say that I was nervous and anxious would be an understatement. I had to hold myself back from texting our dog sitting 24/7.

So we were on this... (a cruise)

Enjoying some of this

and this.

Our flights were cancelled back to Philadelphia, so we enjoyed some more of this:

while Oscar enjoyed this.

A week after we returned, it was Christimas! Of course, we couldn't neglect our baby and not get him a gift, so we gave him his little football with string tug. What a perfect gift we thought!

Yes, Oscar LOVED it. A bit too much. He started to SWALLOW the rope, along with the toy. So we took it away. Far away. Like in the garbage forever, away. Poor Oscar.

Now that Oscar is 1.5 years old, and he's been very good (aka no household-damaging-chewing), we've started to allow him full reign of the 1st floor of the house if someone is home. This also includes sleeping on the couch at night, while the adults sleep in the bedroom. I picture him sleeping like this when we're not looking...

But in the morning, I usually find him like this:

I've also started working in a real office recently, but only temporarily. So I think Oscar misses me being home with him all day. Because honestly... he loves to deter me from working on my laptop.

His big head always gets in the way. Fortunately he hasn't drooled enough to short circuit my laptop.

More of Oscar in New Hampshire (by Oscar)

2009-10-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe mommy didn't write about my time in the water. I hate showers and baths, but I definitely grew to like the lake water... sorta.

I knew I had to help out somehow, so I decided to save Daddy's sister and her boyfriend from the scary lake:

I pulled that boat and all the passengers to safety - Super Oscar!

Daddy and Mommy bought me a new toy, but they tricked me... they threw it into the lake, I chased it and before I knew it, I was waste deep in water!

How did I get out so far?

I eventually got used to going into the lake, but only up to my neck, I did not want to get my pretty hair on top of my head wet:

You want me to go how far to get the frizbee?

Whew, I got it, and I kept my head (mostly) dry! I'm heading back to dry land...

No, I do not want to go back into the lake, just give me the damn frizbee!

I gots me my frizbee and I iz doing fine here, thank you very much.

Our trip to Lake Winnepesauke

2009-10-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Over the summer the Hill family head up to New Hampshire to spend time with the rest of the Hill family.

This is a photo journal of our journey.

On the trip up, Oscar threw up within 1 hour. He usually doesn't get car sick, so it was a bit disturbing. He also barely slept during the whole ride. He was either a) excited, b) sick, or c) scared that the baby gate in the back seat was going to fall on him. We think it was d) all of the above.

For some odd reason, Oscar started to hang out like this in the car. He is so big, he can use the head rest as his pillow!

We finally go to the island, and Oscar was scared of getting onto the boat. We also did not think he could swim. So we SHOVED him into the boat, and CARRIED him off of it. Fortunately, he learned very quickly that a boat ride is much like a car ride and eventually he figured out how to get on and off without any help... even when we did NOT want him on the boat... but that's another story.

Chris' dad rented a sailboat for the trip. Here is Oscar watching the boat come in. He's like your personal welcoming committee.

Yay! The boat's here!

Here is a great picture of Oscar hanging out inside the house. He was SO rowdy during the trip, but he was always so gentle with Grandma. She loved him, and he loved her back. Sadly, Grandma passed away a few days ago, and we're all so thankful we were able to see her recently. Hopefully lots of Oscars are up in heaven taking care of her.

Like I said, Oscar was usually rowdy, so he was usually leashed up. Here is Chris holding onto a long lead with Oscar at the end of it. He is also rocking the socks with flipflops look. He's so hot.

Oscar LOVED the boat rides.

He also loves car rides, especially in a new Mercedes. I think Chris' dad was worried Oscar would DROOL all over his new leather seats. But Oscar wasn't concerned about drool. At some point prior to the trip, he had eaten some socks, and he was in the habit of throwing them up... again. So we took him to the vet on the mainland to get him checked out.

Oscar always feels bad after he eats socks. He knows he shouldn't. But I think once they end up in his mouth, he forgets all that, and the tastiest of socks outwins the consequences. Ah... free will.

Chris driving the boat.

Chris, Jenn, Pete, and I went out for lunch at this great seafood place. We stuffed ourselves with oysters, steamers, fish and chips, etc. Oh my... it was heaven.

Chris was grill master the one night we had bbq for dinner. BBQ chicken, steaks... every night was a gourmet meal.

Chris and I took turns waking up early to take care of Oscar. One morning, Oscar woke up so early, the rest of the house was still asleep. We hung out on the front porch trying to make as little noise as possible. We practically watched the sun come up. For a city girl and city dog, we loved that porch and looking out onto the lake every day. I think we could live like this.

Oscar loves people watching. He was watched Jenn and Pete paddle up to the shore.

Video of Oscar greeting Jenn and Pete.

At some point, Chris took me out on the Sunfish again. This time, we did not get stranded. Oh wait, yes we did. The wind died. It was a very calm week on the island. Eventually Chris paddled us back to the dock.

I had a great time nonetheless. I find the Sunfish to be very romantic. Especially when you're not moving. Then you imagine sharks circling you. Wait... we're on a lake. Never mind.

Later our family went onto a boat expedition to explore the area around our island. Oscar was loved it.

Chris was the captain.

I just sat there.

Oscar made funny faces the whole time.

Oscars lips flap in the wind. It's like hair blowing in the wind... but funnier.

We finally had a day with some wind, so Chris' dad and grandfather took the big sailboat out. I tagged along because I've never been on a sailboat larger than the Sunfish. I had a great time... I also got burnt.

Chris' grandfather steering.

The boat docked.

Whew, what a trip! Oscar slept on the whole ride home back to Philadelphia.

Oscar farts a lot.

2009-10-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

Oscar just let out a huge fart while he was sleeping, and woke himself up. He lifted his head towards his butt and had this expression on his face that read "what the hell is that smell?!"

Days 4-10

2009-07-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Honestly, Days Four through Eight are all about the same.

The doggies stayed at home with me during the day. They were awesome. Having Rory around also helped train Oscar more about manners in the house. We opened up the entire first floor and gave them access to the stairs to the 2nd floor. If Chris was home and in his office, we let the puppies roam on the 2nd floor too. Sometimes, Rory would stay upstairs while Oscar stayed downstairs. A little of space is not a bad thing.

One day when Chris wasn't home yet, Oscar decided to sleep at the top of the stairs.

But this is usually where he sleeps:

They's been so exhausted, they'll play for 10 minutes then crash for an hour!

I love it!

Rory is not used to sleeping in her crate. She'll hesitantly go in for her bedtime and sleep until 5:30 then bark bark bark. One time I let her out, thinking she wanted to pee, but she grabbed one of the toys and took it outside and looked back at me as if to say, "Let's play!" Meanwhile, I can hear Oscar howling and whining, "Why does she get to be out of the crate and not me?" He's such a baby.

But I love this picture.

One time, just before Queenie's Pets came for a lunch walk, I found Rory sleeping like this:

Then I realized, I woke her up (probably with my flash. Sorry!)

Day 8 was Rory's birthday! She is now officially 1 year old!

On Day 9, Saturday... we didn't do much because I was feeling under the weather.

Finally, on Day 10, we had quite the adventure. As a family, we all got into the VW and headed over to Rite Aid to pick up some medicine. Of course, since it was just a trip in the car, I told Chris not to worry about the leashes. Later, Chris decided to turn the car on to keep the AC on for the pups. The battery died instead.

Multiple failed jumps later, and with two new leashes from Rite Aid (thank goodness we were at Rite Aid! A pet store would've haven more ideal though), we walked home. It was less than a mile, so this ended up being their early lunch walk.

Everyone made it home safely and without any heat stroke- phew!

Day Three with Rory

2009-07-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

On Day Three, we threw a last minute bbq at our house. Unfortunately, we were too busy prepping for the party that we did not take any pictures.

But the dogs were great. Oscar met CJ, the baby, again, then barked at the poor baby trying to figure out why the baby wouldn't play with him. Rory just laid down and let everyone fuss over her. She was the star of the day!

Oscar has a youtube channel!

2009-07-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's day 10 and I need to catch up!

2009-07-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

I only blogged about Day 1, and it's already Sunday (Day 10) and Rory is only here for about 6 more hours!

So...

Here's the recap:

Day 2:
Saturday - more playing and lots more sleeping. Playing with your friend 24/7 can get tiring!

We also took time out to do some walking.

The puppies both use the same color gentle leader head halters. Except Rory's is still the original color and nice, while Oscar's is gross and dark brown after coating it with his saliva.

Rory knows she's the shiet.

Then we went to Pastorius Park. What an adventure!

On the way to the park:

I love how Rory always lies down. Sometimes she'll just get in the car and lie down, and refuse to move over to one side, so Oscar has no choice but to sit on her. She doesn't seem to mind though.

We always bring water to the park since Oscar is the type to get dehydrated quickly. It was super hot, so we also brought along a bowl of icecubes!

Oscar's big nose is always in the way.

Here's Chris. Not sure if he's still convinced about being a two dog household, but he's smiling!

Cesar Milan --- move over! Chris Hill is the new Dog Whisperer.

Oscar- he knows how to work it for the camera.

While Oscar hung out in the shade, Rory sat in a big puddle of mud.

Then she jumped into the lake:

I wish Oscar would swim.

After the trip to the park, we gave both puppies a nice bath. They were both smelling great!

Then they went to sleep.

Day one with GF

2009-07-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

Meet Rory!

Okay, I know you've already met her, but it's rare to get a picture like this of her when she's with Oscar because she's too busy licking or humping his face.

Just in case you forgot, here's Oscar:

Rory and Oscar are going steady. It's so serious that we've allowed her to stay with us for over a week! Well, actually she has stayed with us before, but that was when they were both only 5 months old! Now they're both almost 1 year old.

So much has changed! Lots of playing, but much more napping. I think they're getting old. :)

There's a lot of this:

Separate bone and antler chewing.

One watching the other sleep:

They're really cute.

We went on our lunch walk and they both use the gentle leader. Great on the walk, both of them! Met people very nicely and just trotted along. Afterwards, (it was very hot outside) they did this:

Oscar hearts his new toy

2009-07-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure... Oscar eating his new stuff toy. He particularly loves the tongue, ears, and plastic eye balls.

Castration is a bitch

2009-07-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

So last week on Wednesday, Oscar, at precisely 11 months of age, went to get have his testicles removed.

And to celebrate that, I put him into a very tight baseball jersey.

He was not happy about it, the shirt and the lack of balls, but he was nice enough stay still for some pictures. Also, I have no idea why my rug looks so disgusting It's not that bad in real life, but I think it is time for another steam cleaning!

Anyways, back to the surgery... in addition to the neutering, Oscar also had a microchip implanted somewhere. He was very calm and obedient the first two days, and soon afterwards, he was back to his normal self.

Just a few changes since the surgery:
1) Less humping = success!
2) Less marking during the walk (our typical walk = 4 markings, now = 1 or none markings)
3) Mushy poops. But this may be from the medicine or because he ate something again.

I'm home during the day for a limited time, so I plan on posting more pics and videos!

Sad News

2009-06-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

First Farah Fawcett dies, then Michael Jackson.

Soon...

My masculinity will die as well.

That's right folks. It's snip-snip time... and the date is quickly approaching.

July 1, I will be in the hospital, and leave with a cone on my head. I will make my parents pay by not humping them anymore.

...help me...

My first ginormous waterbowl

2009-06-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, and my mommy and daddy bought me the world's BIGGEST water bowl!

They tried to throw me in, but I'm too heavy!

So my girlfriend came over. Rory loves the water. They thought Rory would entice me into the waterbowl. Nope!

"Hey, what are you doing in my water bowl? We're supposed to drink it, not lie in it!"

"You better get your furry paws out of my water bowl!"

"Are you just going to ignore me? Rory... is it fun?"

I think Oscar and Rory had a great time. Rory jumped in a few time, she's a great water dog! Oscar did not want any of it. He didn't even stick his paw into the water. Just his muzzle to get a nice cold drink. Oh well. We tried....

Happy Oscar

2009-05-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

There have been too many posts recently about Oscar's digestive problems or near emergencies about him swallowing something dangerous. Its due time for a nice everything is hunky-dory post (and of course some gratuitous pictures!)

As an update - Oscar is off his antibiotics, and it seems as if all of his digestive issues have cleared up (we are still supplementing his huge meals of kibble with a little double-boiled white rice); they have cleared up so much that he's actually even better then before his "carpet-string is yummy but hurts coming out" episode.

Oscar is a big boy and has a lot of love to give. He loves a number of things: Rory (his golden-retriever girlfriend), food, toys, me and his mommy (sometimes he loves mommy too much - he does the Humpty-Dance with her!).

Here is a picture of Oscar as happy as can be after another one of his favorite things: a nice long walk of sniffing, marking his territory (he has finally started lifting his leg to pee!), meeting other dogs and people, and generally getting out and about:

Notice the big grin from ear to ear (or are you looking at his red-rocket, sicko!), either way a very happy (and content) Oscar.

Here is Oscar happy with his tennis ball, which he has recently learned to catch in his mouth after we throw it to him.

He likes to move as little as possible, so all he has to do is open his mouth for the ball to fall into place. He's like a very finicky baseball catcher who calls the pitch and refuses to move his glove if the pitcher misses the mark.

As mentioned in previous posts, Oscar loves sticks:

Do not disturb Oscar when chewing on his stick...

Here, I've distracted him with some kibble to get his attention...

No matter, the stick is better...

And he digs right back in.

Finally, Oscar loves to lounge on the cool wooden floor and watch TV (he really likes the Dog Whisperer)

Good-bye for now.

Do you have something sticking out of your butt or are you just happy to see me?

2009-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Oscar and here I am at the vets office at 8:30 in the morning. I kept wanted to poop every 2 hours the night before, so mommy and daddy were really worried. I'm feeling a bit sad and maybe feeling a little bit of pain, but I'm tough, so mommy and daddy really have no idea what's wrong with me.

The doctor first thought I had a bacterial infection. Then he said it could be food allergies (he's like House). Just when we were about to go home...

I pooped and string came out of my butt! Daddy tried to help me pull it out, thinking it would only be a wee-tiny bit... but it hurt, and I howled and cried, and 4 feet of string later, daddy pinned me to the ground while mommy and the doctors ran out with scissors.

Thank you daddy for saving me.

No surgery needed, but I didn't want to poop the rest out, so they kept me in the hospital then sedated me. I fell alseep like a big rock, and I probably snored (so embarrassing!) and they pulled the rest of the string (from a shag rug) out. I was up again - and I was so happy to see mommy and daddy. Then I went home and slept on the couch, the arm chair, on the dining room rug, in my crate, and in the bed in the kitchen.

Then I woke up this morning at 4am and did the same thing (sleeping, that is).

I was back to my rambuctious self again. After a few hours of doing that, I was pooped (not literally)!

Oscar graduated!

2009-04-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Oscar finally finished Puppy II a few weeks ago...

(Sorry for the delay!)

Here are some graduation pic: Rory the Golden Retriever (aka Oscar's steady girlfriend) and Sadie the Pug (Oscar's mistress)

After the playing and Rory's face humping, Oscar was tired!

Now on Monday nights, instead of class, we all just hang out at home. When Oscar is not humping his mommy and daddy, he is usually doing this: pouting.

or sleeping on the dining room carpet:

In other news: we went to Dallas (minus Oscar) to see Christina's family and got to hang out with Kobi, my sister's yorkie mix dog. He is very sweet. He is so small, that when he tries to hump us, we LAUGH at him. Oscar's 100 lb humping is much harder to resist.

Poor Poopie

2009-04-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

Oscar has been eating Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance- Lamb and Rice Allergy Formula Limited Ingredients - for about 2 months now. He's always had poopie problems. But recently it got worse.

Doc W at Mt. Airy Vet said he's a perfect example of a doggie with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

Because Oscar is such a tough puppy, we rarely know if he's in pain (he ate a sock once and it sat in this stomach for 10 days. he tried to throw it up a few times, but we never knew it was painful!!!!) - but the doc says he has colitis - and his colon is probably all inflamed (TMI?), so we got some new meds for the pup.

The freaky part? It's supposed to block him off for 4-5 DAYS! No poop! I hope that doesn't mean bad gas.

***********

In other news, I had some girlfriends over on Saturday night and since we had glasses out in the living room, we kept Oscar in the kitchen with the baby gate. I expected him to cry and whine, and possibly try to knock the baby gate down (although he's never done this before)...

But he was a gentleman! He layed on his bed in the kitchen, and watched us through the baby gate, and eventually snored away more of the night, despite our loudness.

What a trooper.

In this corner, in the red and white fur, at 8 months old, weighing in at...

2009-04-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

ONE HUNDRED POUNDS!

Yes, it's OSCAR!

Last night, we brought Oscar to the vet because he was having some tummy-problems. He's a tough dog, but he has the intestinal fortitude of a garden worm (or some other animal that food goes right through). Oscar unfortunately just can't eat any types of rich food (potentially including peanut butter... its going to be tough replacing that favorite snack).

At the beginning of the exam, we got Oscar on the scale and our jaws dropped as the indicator went into triple-digits. I'm mad that I forgot to take a picture of him on the scale. Okay, so officially, the scale read 98.8 lbs once it balanced, but I'm pretty sure over the last 24 hours, he's gained that extra 1.2 lbs...

Prior to yesterday, we incorrectly estimated that he weighed roughly 85 lbs, and estimated a potential final weight around 115 lbs... guess we were wrong. I'm not sure if he's going to get up to 130 lbs, but given his rate of weight gain, all bets are currently off.

Oscar the "Stud Muffin"

2009-03-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Not my words. But apparently Oscar's friendly dog-walker, Adina, thinks so. She called him a "stud muffin" in her last note to us. It got me thinking, he is pretty buff - he's in a whole lot better shape then me! So, I tried to see if I could take some pictures of him flexing his muscles. While getting him to "sit" and "down" are much easier then "flex" - it appears that his muscles are just naturally toned, even for a 7 month old dog:

Beware of Dog. Ha ha, I may look tough, but I really just want to lick you to death!

Look at my lightening quick reflexes - I can stop on a dime (or a twig!)

Hey ladies, the beach...is this way.... oooh yeah!

Who does not have opposable thumbs, but is built like a tank? This guy!

Really, I'm a lover... not a fighter...

And here's just a random picture of Oscar's butt. It's a little brindle coloring that has shown up

in a very very cool looking zig-zag pattern on his tail:

Oscar in Oz?

2009-03-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

While there was no recent tornado activity in our area, Oscar found himself the other day, in what seemed to be something similar to the poppy-field in the Wizard of Oz. While definitely not poppies (I actually was told the name of these purple wildflowers, but I have since forgoten), the front lawn of this house (not mine, which is why Oscar is outside the gate!) was intriguing to me and I thought the lawn, and of course Oscar, were picture-worthy.

Sleepy, this purple poppy field is making me sleepy - where's Glinda, the Good Witch, when you need her?

Oh there she is - now I'm getting hungry and excited, see my drool!

I'm getting out of this crazy purple poppy field, because the Good Witch beckons!

I've found you Good Witch, but your name is not Glinda - its RORY!

No time to play Rory, we've got to find the Wizard!

Okay, we can play, forget that wizard...

Rory told Oscar that he needed to retrieve the magical ball and rope, to bring to the Wizard, so he could get Oscar home.

Yeah, Oscar was triumphant and eventually made it home...

The craziness that ensues when we're not home...

2009-03-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

First, he brings home girls without permission. He's such a pimp.

Here is Normal, a mastiff. On any given week, he manages to visit other girlfriends: Rory, Sylvie (Rory's sister!!!), Moxie (Rory's cat - isn't that illegal in dog world?), Abbey, an god knows who else when we're not home. Then on the weekends, Oscar's flirting with random females at the dog park, usually the smaller ones. He's such a mack-daddy.

Please love me Normal. I'm not as big as you, but I try hard.

Here's with another fellow Queenie's Pets:

Oh... too many hugs!

I'm doing my flirty dance... hello? Do you care?

This is me at the end of the play date. Pooped and tired, and trying to look good for the camera. I like to show my teeth because they're getting big and they hurt sometimes.

Thanks to all our dog walkers for taking photos for us! :)

Top 10 Oscar Traits (plus more pictures!)

2009-02-26T11:27:00.000-08:00

1) Oscar is a drooly monster. It's worst after a long drink of water, but it's very cute when his girlfriend tries to lick away his drool.

(I gotta get me some water - just look how muddy I am! mmmm water!)

2) He usually walks up at 6:45am whining, waking us up. When I come downstairs to let him out of the crate, he'll just lay back down and pass out.

(I like sleeping - here's what I look like when I'm sleep-walking)

3) Sticks. It's like crack to Oscar.

(mmmm sticks - so many sticks, so little time!)

4) Sometimes it's easy to mistake Oscar for a pig. He grunts like a baby piglet.

(trust me, I'm making some very pig-like noises here rooting around for sticks in the park)

5) Oscar has really bad gas. Recently, it has gotten better, but when he farts, it's silent but VERY deadly.

(wasn't me. Just kiddin'! It was totally me!)

6) He likes light colored dogs, more specifically light blond retrievers and mini poodle mixes. If he's feeling rebellious, he'll move in on a pug.

(now that's what I'm talkin' about - NICE!)

7) One time he got so worked up in puppy kindergarten, he threw up his entire dinner and all the treats from class. It was really gross.

(I remember being sad about losing all that food)

8) Oscar loves everyone, specifically people's crotches, more specifically crotches during a menstrual cycle.

(this pink Kong filled with peanut butter is good, but it doesn't smell as good as period-crotch...)

9) He ate his favorite stuffed monkey's tail. Our poor dogwalker found it in his poop a week later. He hasn't really loved his monkey as much since.

(that's right, no tail-ey, no like-y. You got a problem with that?)

10) Oscar is our baby, just like real human babies are to parents. People think we're weird, but Oscar loves it.

(I love them most when they feed me - is that food I see coming?)

Here are some more pictures taken the same day at the park. It was a muddy day in early February due to all of the snow melting. Oscar had just turned 6 months old. All photos coutesy of Andrew Ippolito (http://www.strivestudios.com/) a fantastic photographer and friends with Christina.

(trying to look cute covered with mud)

(making friends)

(getting excited)

(getting really excited)

(checking out the scene)

(looking for more friends)

(trying to get the last bit of peanut butter from the Kong)

4 months ago...

2009-02-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Just for comparison purposes, this was taken 4 months prior to the pictures that are in the last post.

One thing is not like the other.... hmmm, what has changed in 4 months?

I can't wait to take a similar picture in another 4 months - by then Christina will be sitting on Oscar's lap...

You are NOT little!

2009-02-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

I think it was Saturday morning...

I sat on the kitchen floor while Chris made breakfast to play with Oscar. But instead, he slowly walked over to me and placed one paw at a time into my lap.

Four paws and 65 lbs later...

Sometimes we really thinks he's still a tiny puppy!

Okay, you're getting really heavy... get down.

Sleeping like a human...

2009-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

No I am not dead.... or playing dead...

My name is Oscar and I like to sleep like a human.

... on my back all twisted about.

It's really comfy. You should try it.

Even my upper lip can't resist relaxing to gravity.

Oscar's first Superbowl!

2009-02-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

Since neither the Eagles or Patriots were in the Superbowl, we weren't very interested. Chris was sick anyways, but we thought we'd try to watch the game, if not at least for the commercials.

Here is Oscar's reaction when we told him that we were NOT watching The Office or Battlestar Galatica, but football instead...

And about 20 minutes later, this is how we felt about Steelers intercepting the shouldabeen touchdown football from the Cardinals....

Nature vs. Nurture?

2009-01-27T06:23:00.000-08:00

The age old question continues. After seeing all the traits that were passed down to Oscar from his birth parents and grandparents in the previous post, here's a little trait that may be based more upon nurture (although, I believe in my heart, he was born a Sox fan!):

Oscar's Family

2009-01-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

This post is long overdue, but by request from my husband, I'm finally posting it!

Oscar's parents names are Billy (on the left) and Zena (on the right):

and another one:

Here's Zena as a puppy:

And here's Billy as a puppy, notice the white tip tail and the stick in his mouth - two common traits of his son, Oscar:

Zena's mom- Leah:

Doesn't this look like Oscar from the back?! Also this is where Oscar got his brown nose!

source: http://www.smittysbullies.com/leah.html

Zena's dad -Taz:

source: http://www.smittysbullies.com/taz.html

Billy's Parents: http://americanbulldogglory.com/Zeus.html
Billy's mom - Naya (also a brown-noser) :

Billy's dad - Scottie 2 Hottie

Billy's Pedigree:

Zena's Pedigree:

source: http://www.bulldogsofnj.com/

Now that Oscar's bigger, if Chris and I are both on the couch, after some time, Oscar will jump off the couch in a huff and pace around the living room and eventually call it a night in his crate. He loves the new bed we got him for christmas. The door to the crate is usually open during the day when we're home, so at night if we're watching TV, we'll leave it open for him to go in and out, and also to grab his toys.
One night while watching TV, we noticed him snoring away, sleeping like this:

He LOVES to sleep with his head hanging... he used to do this on the couch, and we'd cradle his head so it wouldn't eventually dislodge off his neck! Now his head's too heavy...

Oscar is big... like 65 pounds big.

He's 5 1/2 months old.. that's it.

A few months ago this was him:

This picture was taken the first day after we brought him home. Chris was watching TV on his leather chair with ottoman, and Oscar fell asleep on his lap.

Close up of his sweet face:

Sleeping with Chris on the couch:

And picture from the first night we brought him home:

Wow, that blue toy is in all these pictures!

Happy Holidays.....

2009-01-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

like two weeks ago. :(

It's late I know... but I really wanted to post about our holiday cards.

My very talented friend and wedding collegue came over for a mini photo shoot and took photos of us for our card. He took a lot of images, and after lots of thoughts, arguing, and negotiating, we agreed on these 3 for our family card (it was originally supposed to be ONE image).

Here are some close ups:

All photo credit to Jeremy Evans Thomas - at www.lifeinblue.com

In these photos, we're wearing our traditional Korean outfits, to symbol a formal occasion (Christmas and New Years) but more importantly Oscar's 100 day birthday (which was back in early Nov, so we're a little behind!).

Once we get the other photos, I'll post them - maybe even enroll Oscar in the cutest dog ever contest at Daily Puppy... which he is!

Rocky

2009-01-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

A while back I posted about Oscar's other siblings...

One of them was Rocky:

Diary of Oscar

I like to eat things.

Finding time to work out

Introducing Chill family!

Oscar's hippy hips

Big Update!

More of Oscar in New Hampshire (by Oscar)

Our trip to Lake Winnepesauke

Oscar farts a lot.

Days 4-10

Day Three with Rory

Oscar has a youtube channel!

Okay, so it's day 10 and I need to catch up!

Day one with GF

Oscar hearts his new toy

Castration is a bitch

Sad News

My first ginormous waterbowl

Happy Oscar

Do you have something sticking out of your butt or are you just happy to see me?

Oscar graduated!

Poor Poopie

In this corner, in the red and white fur, at 8 months old, weighing in at...

Oscar the "Stud Muffin"

Oscar in Oz?

The craziness that ensues when we're not home...

Top 10 Oscar Traits (plus more pictures!)

4 months ago...

You are NOT little!

Sleeping like a human...

Oscar's first Superbowl!

Nature vs. Nurture?

Oscar's Family

Happy Holidays.....

Rocky

WAYYYY overdue post....

Busy Post

Superstar?

Oscar is so fashion conscious...

Oscar and Rory sick, but still loveable

I'm a bad photographer...

Oscar's other family

3 months old!

Job Inquiry

Bad Omen? or Just like Daddy?

12 Weeks Old!

Oscar's first puppy kindergarten class

A busy weekend!

Happy 11th Week Birthday!

What Oscar has in store for him later!

10 Weeks Old

So much as happened!

New bed for Oscar

Another Play Date, but starting with a bath

Meet Adina

Me and my baby

Oscar made another new friend!

Another new toy and a new friend?

Ooooooooookay

Toys

Oscar Blue Eyes*

He could've been a Beagle

A new pup is born!