As this is my last post of 2007, I would like to take this opportunity to thank-you all for keeping in touch since the launch of MUTTS4US, and wish you all the very best for 2008 and look forward to seeing you back here this year.

It was a really trying experience for me looking after Granny for 12 days, as you can imagine, but I managed it okay and headed out to the airport to see Dad and Aunty Rosie just before Christmas. Lots of kisses and hugs and all that to show they care, it was all good stuff I can tell you. After 12 days Granny minding, it was nice to be the centre of attention again....

Since I had to prepare to write this blog post, I grabbed Dad's digital camera and started looking through the snaps.

Must say I was a bit surprised, after scrolling through the first 700 photos of me, to find 400 photos of this far away land (it certainly didn't look like Sydney Airport), lots of Dad and Rosie, and some real cute doggies (not me..mmm).  

DORA SAYS: THATS NOT SYDNEY AIRPORT DAD YOU FIBBER - THATS TAGAYTAY IN THE PHILIPPINES! 

DORA SAYS: WHO IS THIS ASKAL? (IT'S SNOW WHITE THE SPITZ FROM DAVAO)!

I was less than impressed when Dad eventually fessed up that they had been to the Philippines for 12 days (after all, how dare he not take me along!), but I was even less happy when Rosie did it again (to quote an old Kylie song) and showed me the "presents" she brought for me, and then Dad let me know he had arranged a photo shoot as Santa.....

DORA SAYS (WITH A REAL SARCASTIC SMIRK): ONE OF YOUR BETTER EFFORTS ROSIE!

Dad and Rosie must be absolute nutters I reckon, and Granny isn't that far behind in the quirky stakes.

Because I am self-educated to a high standard by reading every entry in Wikipedia in my spare time (and we know Wikipedia is never wrong), I know for a fact that Santa is (and I quote) "a fat and happy man wearing a red suit with white. Santa, as he is often known, lives in the North Pole with his wife, Mrs. Claus, some elves who build his toys, and reindeer who pull his sled, and is also associated with bringing gifts to small children on Christmas by sliding down fireplace chimneys".

Dad, Rosie and Granny please note: I am a girl of mammal family Canidae, also known as a dog (not a male human being), I am petite (and certainly not fat like you Dad), I am not married to Mrs. Claus (thankfully), you buy my toys, weird as they are (not the elves), I live in Sydney, Australia (and not the North Pole), and I don't slide down fireplace chimneys on 25th December across multiple time zones each year, on reindeer pulling my sled, bringing presents to small kiddies (although I do share the puppy love each day of the year).

However, I do look pretty cute dressed up in this garb....

All the very best in 2008 and I hope to see you again soon (when I might divulge my New Year Resolutions).

Dora Do Dog XXX

Hey Dad! 

Thought I'd better give you an update on how it's going looking after Granny, a big challenge but one I was up to when you asked.

Granny reckons that you have gone overseas to a place called the “Pillow Pines”, but I just laugh that off cause she’s getting older and sillier. I know that you are really at the Mascot Airport supercentre cause you wouldn’t leave me – I'm not really sure how you can spend 12 days duty free shopping at the airport, but as long as you bring me back lots of presents and come back soon, I’ll be happy.

Last night she stayed at my house (you know, the one I let you and Aunty Rosie share with me), and there was a really big thunderstorm in Sydney.

I think Granny was sound asleep, cause she was snoring and dribbling just like you, and there was this huge crack of thunder.

You know how much I love thunder (not…), so I jumped up on Granny’s mop of blonde/red hair which was under the covers. Granny got a bit of a fright, but I felt so much better cause sleeping on her head felt very comfortable and safe to me. I don’t think she had a very good night sleep, but I sure did…..

I have been waking her in the morning to make sure she gets up (I don't have much luck with you, she is much easier), checking her bath water to see if there is too much water in it, so she doesn't drown and to make sure it's not too hot. I do this by looking over the side of the bath, to see how full it is and to check if the steam is coming off it, then I watch her while she is in it and lick the water on her leg when she gets out. Of course I am ready to raise the alarm if she gets into trouble, but so far so good.

I have also been taking her for a walk three times a day, she needs the exercise so sometimes I make her go further than she wants. I also try to relieve her boredom by barking loudly at the big dogs (only when they are locked behind the gate) and then running like mad. She gets a big buzz out of this!

I am sitting quietly in the car when we go out, as I know what she is like if she gets distracted and I don't want us to have an accident. No luck with the parking though, I don't think she will ever learn.

We have had a bit of a blue this morning, so thought I should get in first with the news. She decided that I needed a bath, as if. Anyway she washed me and dried me off to the best of her ability, then let me loose in her flat and I ran around like a demented mutt, just to show her how I felt.

Then, and this is the best part, I tore into the "Little Champ" and let her know that if I were as big as she is she would have been torn apart for the indignity.

Have calmed down a bit after the liver treats, and I have to admit that I am sweet smelling and quite fluffy again, so perhaps it's not such a bad thing. Don't think she'll be doing it again in a hurry though!

Big sloppy kiss for you and Aunty Rosie!

Dora

Today was the Dogs Day Out Event put on by Leichhardt Council, not far from home at Hawthorne Canal Park in Leichhardt, Sydney.

As usual, it was difficult getting Dad outta bed on a Sunday morning, but I told him I was keen to go, so we hooked up with Granny (the soft touch she is) and Aunty Rosie and we headed over.

Thankfully today, they left me as nature intended, and there was respite from the dodgy doggy clothes for me for a change.

The event was great - there were heaps of stalls, prizes, races, demonstrations, animal behavior and training advice, free vet checks and dog chipping. Dad even managed to get himself a BBQ sausage sandwich so he can continue piling on the kilos.

I chatted to a few of my fellow mutts, and we exchanged a few tales about how easy it is to keep our owners on a tight leash, so to speak.

Dad met up with a few stallholders who run doggy friendly businesses, including Beverley from THATsLOVE.

Bev runs really cool LOVE you(r) pet PARTIES, where owners can pamper their furkids by holding catered private pet parties for 10-12 paw guests, with proceeds helping RSPCA NSW. Be sure to check out their website - it sounds great - we will be having one soon!

A really nice lady from Messy Mutts Dog Grooming Salon (239 Parramatta Road, Annandale - 95645010) gave me a cute bow ribbon to wear. No surprises at what colour Rosie chose for me, was there?

DORA SAYS: MMM...BEEF & CAROB GELATO?

After checking out all the stalls and events, Granny grabbed some free doggy gelato for me, courtesy of Gelataria De Luca.

Now I must say that I turned my nose up a bit when they told me it was beef and carob gelato - seriously, would you be excited at that? After some prompting I gave it a go and it was really good stuff. I must try the salmon alternative next time!

DORA SAYS: THANKS LEICHHARDT COUNCIL, I REALLY ENJOYED THE DOGS DAY OUT!

Happy Tails at Five Dock also gave me a free gift - some medicinal treats that will help keep me strong and supple.

All in all, another fab dog event in Sydney. Thanks Leichhardt Council - we'll be back in 2008, and I promise I'll be more excited by the doggy gelato next time! 

Your humble and hairy scribe is about to spend two weeks looking after Granny. Mmmmm.....

Mum has jumped on the plane on Friday and is headed over to Europe for a few months. Dad and Aunty Rosie have just moved into their new pet friendly house.

I've spent most of the week so far marking my territory around the new place, sleeping in the new king size bed they brought for me (I'm not greedy, I let them sleep on too), and drinking from the new filtered water thing they got me.

On Tuesday, they are heading over to the Philippines for two weeks holiday. I'm hoping that they don't find any more of those nasty pink doggy outfits for me, and Rosie doesn't bring me any more surprises.....

While I am sad to see Mum, Dad and Aunty Rosie go, I am excited that I will be in charge (again), and Granny has volunteered to look after me (yeah, right) until they get back.

I am already plotting what I can get away with. 

As pack leader, I'll be running MUTTS4US, and as you can tell by the photo below, I have already assumed command. You can expect things to be a lot more exciting around MUTTS4US for a few weeks anyway.....

DORA SAYS: BACK OFF, I'M THE BOSS!

I love Granny, but I really do have her wrapped around my little finger. When she parks her car, I get to hang my head out the car window (its OK, she only lets me do this when shes parking, the rest of the time I'm in my doggy seatbelt).

Because she's getting a bit long in the tooth and I have much more acute sensory perception that she does, I get to direct her....

DORA SAYS: GRANNY, YOU'RE EIGHT FEET OUT FROM THE KERB AGAIN, AND THIS ISN'T A DIAGONAL PARKING ZONE, OK!

I am confident that by the time my oldies come back, Granny will have accepted Dad's moniker as my devoted servant.

DORA SAYS: YEAH GRANNY, I LOVE YOU TOO, HOW 'BOUT A BIG SLOPPY KISS?