Graceland's Houndog

Hiding

2010-04-08T11:27:00.001-07:00

Montego Bay

2010-01-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Do you all have ANY IDEA where my parents spent New Year's Eve?? They were there for an ENTIRE WEEK!!

Yea, yea, yea, I had a blast at the Spa, but that's soooo not the point. They missed Snow, Freezing Temps, and Wind Chills!! All that for something called the Caribbean Ocean, 85 degree weather, and the one thing they keep talking about - Rum!!

Some one needs to come explain to them that it's January. This month is supposed to be nothing but snow. All snow, all the time. None of that flying off to warmer weather crap. We all know that will be here soon enough, and that's not cool!! Snow is cool! SNOW!

Secret Santa

2009-12-20T15:24:00.001-08:00

Oh my goodness guys, it's CHRISTMAS!! Mom put me in this Secret Santa thing, which I didn't care about At All. Well, until this box come a few days ago. It had my name on it, but Mom took it for a few days because she said it wasn't time yet. Pffft - whatever mom, it's MINE. Give it to me NOW!

So, anyway, I fell asleep and then got distracted by all the snow and forgot about it. Until today! She got it out and I totally got to open it! Whoooohoooo!

Thanks, Apache. You have excellent tastes and we really should hang out some time. How far away are you from WV?

Ooooh....TREATS!! And that one says PEANUT BUTTER!!

Hmmm.....what could be in here???

YES! I love it! Oh, I LOVE IT!

Wait, there's more? This isn't the only toy??

Phew. All those toys! All that work opening the box! Lobster and I are gonna go cuddle it up a bit, before I'm due back out in the snow.

Later dudes!

Christmas Card

2009-12-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

Mom got this wild idea that I needed to be on the Christmas card, so she made me all purty, combed back my amazing floof, then covered it with this weird furry hat. She said they turned out really well.........okay, SOME of them turned out really well, the rest? Well, they're just typical Elvis Dog!

25 Days

2009-12-01T08:04:00.001-08:00

Well my goodness! It's been way to long, sorry I've been out of the loop for awhile!

So, let's see........what have I been up too? I celebrated Halloween by "streaking" through an Animal Friends Halloween Party. Apparently it was only a costume contest, and since we didn't know that, I showed up totally Naked! Mom entered me anyway, and it was a tough call whether to enter me as a Bear or a Streaker. I didn't win the contest, but I did get plenty of pats and treats!

I've been cheering for my Mountaineers all fall, and they BEAT PITT on Friday! ARROOOOOOOO!!! We won't make a BCS bowl, but we should be playing sometime around New Year's.

OH! Speaking of New Years, do you have any idea where I'll be spending it?? At the Spa! I LOVE the Spa, but that means the Mom and the Dad are leaving me for awhile. They're going to some place called Jamaica, and they are really excited about it. Something about wanting to leave the cold air and snow to go lay on a warm beach, but I don't get that at all. It's December!! Bring on the snow, cold air, and frosty nights!!! The more the better, I always say!

Hmmmmm what else have I done? Oh, right, Thanksgiving! All that talk about turkey really got me going, but I barely got any. Not even one good bite! My grandma even came to see, and I thought for sure if I gave her my best "mom and dad never feed me" face, she'd gave in and give me the WHOLE BIRD. Boy was I wrong! I did get a new bone though........so I quickly forgave everyone involved in stiffing me my turkey.

Mom got my name for the Newf Net gift swap, and I picked out some AWESOME toys to send my new buddy. I tried to test them out before Mom boxed them up, but she gave me some speech about how when you give toys and treats to some one else, they should be BRAND NEW, not slightly chewed, drooled on, or have bites taken out of them. She did tell me that I'll be getting a package in the mail full of toys Just For Me, and I can't wait!

Oh. Oh yea. I wasn't going to bring this up.......but since Mom's going to post the picture anyway......has anyone else seen the Dog Snuggie commercials? What a crock, they're "large" is a measely 20 pounds! Anyway, Mom didn't want me to be left out, so she put her own Snuggie on me. It fit........and don't tell anyone but it was kinda cozy.......but I told her I'm way too much of a man to wear it EVER AGAIN!

Ok, it's Newf Naptime down here, so I'm off to snooze until I hear the mail truck. Maybe today's the day my package will arrive!

Lazy Sunday

2009-09-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

This Naked Newf is taking today off to watch some football. While I definitely prefer college ball, I have been known to cheer for the Colts. And now the Dolphins, since you won't find a bigger (literally) fan of Pat White than me. And I supposed the Browns too. And the Lions. Mom says they need all the fans they can get, and since I'm a Big Dog, I'll be a Big Fan and help them along.

Oh, and anyone who plays the Steelers. We're all about beating the Steelers in this house.

2009-09-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness guys, I'm like, TOTALLY BALD!! Mom and Dad took me to the groomer last week, and look! NO FLOOF!!! I'm so embarrassed, it took mom over 3 days to get these pictures. She keeps telling me it's going to grow back, but lemme tell you, I'm worried! She also said next time she'll take a picture of how she wants me to look after a grooming session, because MAN ALIVE, this is crazy. I'm all itchy and rather chilly. She even said you could see my "thing" because he trimmed me so close on my belly. I don't really mind that too much though because I can lick and itch a lot better than I could before, although for some reason mom and dad don't like me doing that.

I only posed after she got me dressed in my WVU bandana, cuz that's how I roll. It must be lucky though, cuz my Mountaineers have won both times I've worn it!!! Let's goooooo......Mountaineers!!!!

Dog Swim 2009

2009-08-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

Me and a new friend.....I made TONS of them!

Well guys, I know I haven't been on here in soooo long, but I'm just too tired from swimming All Day Long (mom's note ~ 1 hour) that I must go get my beauty rest. Mom said she's going to let me write on here more often pretty soon, but I don't know if I believe it. She discovered this thing called Newf net and is there all the time now! Computer Hog!! I don't even get it, there can't be a net big enough for a Newf, so I don't know what she think she's doing.

Summer!

2009-07-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!!

Well, as promised, mom and dad got me a bigger pool. It's about time, it's getting HOT here! And my hinormous wouldn't even fit in that other tiny thing. I have loads of room in this pool, but don't you dare try to get in with me! It's MINE!

Also, Grandma came to visit! I was sooooo excited I HAD to get on the couch. I'm so totally not allowed to do that, but dad had to get a picture cuz I was looking good.

It's almost summer!!

2009-05-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Don't worry guys, they're getting me a bigger pool. This is where I'll be all summer long!

Well, I was supposed to have my CGC/TDI testing two weeks ago. I had gone to classes and worked really hard, but it wasn't meant to be. I got really excited when my dad mowed my grass, so I hopped all over it when I was allowed outside. I got too hyper, and ended up pulling a muscle in my leg. After a trip to the "Vetpire", I was put on Strict Rest! Me! Imagine, putting a newf on strict rest! Geesh. I wasn't allowed on ANY walks, or even up the stairs!! NO FUN!
They're testing again in the fall, so I"ll have to wait until then. As long as I have my pool, I'll wait forever!

Why Yes, I AM A Big Dog!

2009-03-24T18:03:00.001-07:00

Mom told me I'm now 14 months old, and would you believe an amazing 175 pounds? Apparently all the Newf Research mom and dad did before I came home said I would be between 130-150, so I guess you can't believe everything you read! My vet is even happy with my weight, since I still have a nice tummy tuck. I just really am a Big Dog!

My first therapy dog training session went really well. My instructor said he doesn't see me having very many problems with anything I'll be asked to do for the test, but I do need to spend the next 8 weeks "fine tuning"' all my killer skills. I can't imagine why I should ever just pass by some perfectly good food, but apparently that's something the boss lady wants me to do. I don't know how I feel about that!

MIA

2009-03-22T07:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry guys! I haven't written in like, fur-ever, but first not much was happening, and now, everything is happening.

Today mom's taking me to my Very First Newf club meeting. Whoo! It's called the Creekside Newfoundland Club, which just got started this past summer. It has to be functional for two whole years before it can be an AKC club (or something like that) but I get to meet and greet other Newfies! And mom gets to talk Newfies with other mommas! AND there's even a creek with a swimming hole.....and since a certain Newf blog author has never been swimming yet, I couldn't be more excited.

Tomorrow evening starts my CDC and perhaps TDI training. The CNC is sponsoring the CDC and TDI testing this May, and classes start tomorrow to get us all prepared. I know right now I'm only taking the classes for sure, we'll see how I handle class before we discuss actually taking the tests.

Ok, gotta go get brushed so I look good for the ladies today!

Super Bowl

2009-02-01T10:38:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you, but I'd LOVE a super bowl! Imagine how much food could fit in it!!

Anyway, apparently it's not really a bowl, and I'm supposed to cheer for the little red birds, not chase them.

Dad says I should be an offensive lineman in the Puppy Bowl. Sounds good to me!

1st Birthday

2009-01-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

I turned one on Saturday! I don't really know what that means, but I got lots of pats, kisses, and even a trip to Petco. I got some new toys, loads of food, and pets by pretty much everyone in the place.

However, better than that, it's been snowing! I've been out in it before, but this is the most I've ever seen, and it's awesome. I even got mom and dad to come out with me for a photo shoot, and I think they had fun too.

So, birthday, snow, finally registering in the AKC, joining the local Newf club, and working on my training? It's been a busy week!

Registering and Training

2009-01-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

Well, mom finally dug through all my papers and got out my AKC registration. I'm pretty sure it came like, forever ago, but it's filled out, stamped, and ready to go out tomorrow.

I met my new trainer today. His name is Joe, and he's awesome. He'd tell me to do these things I do all the time, like sit and DOWN (!!!), but then, THEN, he gave me something amazing called Ham! HAM!! Ohh it was so good, and I showed him how good it was by getting no less than 7 slobbers on his pants. Mom was worried about my allergies, but since I never had ham, it was okay. Plus, there was no way I was letting that ham leave after getting a wiff of it!

Apparently this is just the beginning, as there is some "good dog person test" (CGC) coming up this spring. Mom sees doggies visiting the kids all the time at the hospital, and she wants to take me. However, I gotta take this test and get those initials behind my (finally registered) name before I can go with her to work.

Hmm, after all that ham, a nap sure does sound nice!

Christmas

2008-12-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

Well guys, my first Christmas was a huge success. Mom and Dad put loaded up BOTH cars (one for my stuff, one for theirs), then I got loaded in as well, and off we went. Grandma invited us down for the week, where I got to play with her two dogs, and my aunt's cattle dog puppy as well. We two puppies really hit it off, and I finally have a best friend. He's really tiny, a minuscule 40 pounds, and has more energy than anything I've ever seen. I did my best to run and play for 15 minutes, then it was Super Naptime.

I already opened and tried to eat a wrapped Kong present, and am currently doing considerable damage to an oval tennis ball toy. I asked for a Tuffie, maybe it'll come for my first birthday next month!

My allergies are better at the moment (with out antibiotics this time) but get worse ever few weeks. Mom's hoping the lamb diet I'm on (YUM) will keep them at bay.

Mom and Dad did buy me a new bed to try out at Grandma's. They thought since I'd be sleeping in a room with other dogs I wouldn't chew it, but I proved them wrong! The hunt for a Newf-proof bed continues in the Taylor household.

I've been hearing rumors that mom's trying to get me into a Newf club. Apparently I need some more manners, and the trainer they've found also has a Newf club who meets in his kennel. Here's hoping to meeting more guys my size!

New Bed

2008-11-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

Well guys, it took me about 3 months, but I did it. I chewed through the zipper and destroyed the inside of my supposedly chew proof Orvis bed. My parents spent almost $200 on it, so they're not too happy with me today. A nice lady from Orvis is getting them a refund, but now what do I sleep on??

I voted for the couch, but for some reason was overruled. Apparently I still need some crate time, especially at night, so my mom really needs to get something comfy in there for me.

They were nice enough to leave the destroyed cover in there for me since it tastes so good, but it's not too soft to sleep on. What do you all sleep on, and can I destroy that one too??

Itchy

2008-11-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

I've been one itchy dog again lately. I break out from time to time, but after a trip to the vet and some antibiotics, I'm good again. My mom switched my food in August, and until now, my skin has been happy and smooth.

Any hairless area is red, bumpy, and really itchy right now. The vet thinks it's allergies, but I can't get tested until June when I've lived here a year. I'm back on antibiotics, and going on a chicken, beef, wheat, and corn free diet. It took some doing, but my mom found a lamb and rice food that's free of bad stuff and just for puppies. Hopefully I'll like it, because it's the last stop before prescription food for awhile.

I got a medicated bath at the groomer today, who used some kind of sulfur and tar shampoo on me. I look great and feel fluffy, but kind of smell like a road. I'm not as itchy at the moment though, so it must be working to make my skin better.

My mom's all worried since I broke out again. She's doing what the vet said, but anyone else have any ideas? What do you do when your pup's skin breaks out?

Life in Photos (1)

2008-11-14T11:23:00.001-08:00

Here I am on the day I came home. I was almost 4 months old, and already 74 pounds.

I'd like to point out my fabulous WVU nametag. I loved it so much, I somehow pulled it off and ate it. It did result in a trip to the vet, xray to determine it wasn't stuck in my belly, and 3 days of my parents looking for it in the backyard, but it was quite tasty!

Sometimes I practice my karate kicks on Mom.

I love to wear my bandanna on game days. This isn't as easy to eat as the name tag was!

My first real hike. The first 3 miles weren't that bad, but the 4th was a killer. I practically had to drag Dad back to the car.

At last, my favorite past time!

Welcome

2008-11-14T10:54:00.001-08:00

Hello and welcome!

After my human mom came across some other Newfy blogs, she decided I should have one too. So far this hasn't applied to all the toys and treats she sees online, but here's hoping that changes soon!

Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Elvis, and I'm 10 months old. I was born January 17, 2008, and adopted on June 4th. My mom is something called a nurse, and my dad goes to a school about graduation.

*Mom's note - He's in graduate school, getting a PhD*

She leaves for hours upon hours at a time *darn 12 hour shifts* but when dad's not in class, he's studying at his desk. I like to help by shouting out answers, but he doesn't seem to write down anything I say. In fact, after I bark out a few, he's usually enticed enough to play with me for awhile. He says something about "all that barking being distracting", which must be a good thing, so I try to do it a few times a week.

Right now I enjoy playing with my baby dog *he used to have ears, and his tail is dangerously close to falling off*, peanut butter, fresh water in my bowl, my outdoor squeaky ball, walks, and naps. Oooh naps. They should be at the top of the list.

Yawn. Ya know, a nap actually sounds really good right now. So good in fact, I think I'll.....I'll just......hold on one sec.......ZzzzzZzzzzzzzz