The White House is not only gaining a new family but also new pets - Obama had promised that whether or not he won the White House, his daughters Sasha and Malia could get a dog.

“Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us,” Obama said at the start of his victory speech.

Let's hope it's a rescue dog and a mutt to boot....

Judging from the video, Barney Bush clearly isn't relishing returning to the Texas ranch with George and Laura, after spending so much time in the White House...

We heard that John Decker got some shots from the White House MD, but let's hope Barney got some antibiotics too.... 

Good luck Barney & Miss Beazley! 

Aunty Rosie was out shopping last weekend, and she thought of me yet again.

I wish she hadn't.

A pink babies jacket, size 000, and she forgot to buy the matching trousers.

I'll spare you from viewing the logo at the front, but it says "SWEETIE" (sickening, really).

Hardly the type of image I want to project at the local dog park, is it?

 DORA SAYS: STRIKE 1: YOU CAN TELL I'M THRILLED, CAN'T YOU?

Friday night comes around, and I'm really happy cause that silly work thing the humans all have to do during the week is over, and they'll be able to lavish attention on me all weekend.

Wrong!

Dad gets back and tells me we're off to see the Phantom of the Opera in the Lyric Theatre at Star City Casino. Goodo - I'll get to see Anthony Warlow while sitting on Dad's shoulders and then bark when he loses playing a few hands of blackjack - this is shaping out to be a fun night out.

I start to look as though I actually wanted to get dressed up in my silly little doggy clothes and come along too. Ah no, says Dad, you have to hang out with Granny - no dogs allowed. 

Granny? She's no fun - she still has her leg in plaster - she can't even get me food & water, I have to run after her every time I go there!

Bottom line - Dad & Rosie get to see this:

and I got to spend a night at home nursing Granny, watching Stateline on the ABC, and eating this:

 DORA SAYS: STRIKE 2, FOR GRANNY'S SELECTION OF TREATS & FOR WATCHING STATELINE ON ABC!

Midnight comes around - Granny's been snoring and drooling for hours - me sitting on the lounge enduring painful late night ABC TV. Come on Gran, be fair, you could have at least put the SBS on (its a lot more entertaining)!

Dad and Rosie stroll in and they reckon they have a present for me, to make up for not taking me to the Phantom.

I glare suspiciously and wonder if they have brought me a white mask that covers the Phantom's deformed face?

Out of the bag and there it was - a big hairy goofy looking Monkey, in a red and gold vest, with cymbals......

DORA SAYS: STRIKE 3 - YOU'RE OUT!

  DORA SAYS: MY BED, NOT YOURS - HOW ABOUT YOU GET "OFF" AND GO AND SLEEP IN THE DOGHOUSE!

Woof! 

My dimwitted Dad is at it again.

After my great escape earlier in the year, he sat me down and started to lecture me about dog obedience and training, who the boss is (I told you he's a bit silly), and something called "commands" and why I need to start abiding by them.

As I'm six or so in human years (that's about 42 years old in canine birthdays), I thought to myself "you can't teach an old dog new tricks", but I decided to play along anyway....there are probably some tasty treats involved if I joke along with him...even if he has his serious face on.....

After a week of "dog training", during which I enjoyed lots of roo bits and many laughs along the way, I'll give you the scoop on the best ways to dodge these obedience "commands" and how clever doggies can "have their cake (or in my case liver treat) and eat it too".....

Command: "What's This?"

In the canine world, this is the exclamation that owners make when they come home and find a fresh poop on their brand new carpet.

Just like Dad and Rosie did last week, except it was in their bedroom and Dad managed to walk through it in his socks, again.....

This can be a difficult one to manage upwards. I find the best way to avoid anything is to scrunch up in a really submissive way, crawl, and then roll over and look up at them imploringly.

Like in my picture below:

This makes Dad and Rosie feel a little bit foolish, because they reconsider the "what's this" question, don't they......

We all know what it is - its a poop!

After about ten seconds, they reward me with a treat because they now think I know that this is a bad thing and it won't happen again. Yeah right...silly silly humans......

 DORA SAYS: NO NEED TO ASK "WHAT'S THIS?", I KNOW IT'S A CAMERA, YOU DILL! 

Command: "Follow me and Let's Go!"

Dad thinks this is cool because it is a really cheesy lyric from a recent techno song, and it also makes him feel like he's the boss! 

Play along with this one - it's a winner!

This is a green flag to get out of the house, to meet other doggies and get some exercise.

It also allows you to attach a leash to Dad, drag him wherever and for as long as you want, and get away with just about anything...  

Command: "Off"

Universally known as a poor command for dogs, it's Dad's favourite (which says something about him, doesn't it?)

After all, unless we are flying off the ground, we're always attached to something, which makes this command an absolute loser.

I find this command best dealt with by a very subtle shift in body position in just any about direction, which usually is rewarded with a pat and treat.

Look at what? Enough said. Move on. 

 DORA SAYS: HEY DAD, WHY DON'T YOU "LOOK" WHERE YOU'RE GOING (AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT,  GET "OFF" THE FOOTPATH WHEN PARKING THE CAR!)

Command: "Fetch"

 DORA SAYS: FETCH IS A GREAT GAME TO MAKE HUMANS LOOK SILLY! 

All canines are clever enough to know this is a control game with no real practical purpose - except to make dog owners feel good about themselves by bossing their pooch around.

Funnily enough, this is rarely played when the owner and dog are alone - most of the time it's attempted at a crowded local park when Dad is trying to impress.

For dogs, this is fantastic - a game where you get to play humiliate the human!

Regardless of any rewards on offer (respect, after all, is worth much more than processed meat off-cuts), make sure when they throw that ball 25 metres away and cry out "FETCH" that you stand your ground.

Ignore any other commands and pretend to be hard of hearing (even though we all know dogs have much better hearing than humans, wink, wink).

Don't flinch and look as arrogant as a Shih Tzu should.

Enjoy yourself - as I always do - when Dad ends up having to fetch himself, usually right through the middle of the off-leash park with many dog owners looking on and laughing, and more often than not spoiling his shoes in the process.....

Hours of fun to be had here at Dad's expense.....

Later...

Dora XX

Dad and Rosie went to movies tonight (in my spare time I'm still looking after Gran with the dodgy leg), and when they picked me up Dad starts telling me about a movie called "Marley & Me" which will be showing at the flicks later in the year.

Initially, I was pretty non-plussed - Marley who?

Dad has apparently read a great book by the American journalist John Grogan, which tells the story of his family's life during the thirteen years that they lived with their Labrador Retriever, Marley.

Marley himself is portrayed, in line with his Labrador nature, as a highly strung, boisterous, and somewhat uncontrolled dog. He is strong, powerful, endlessly hungry, eager to be active (sounds familar).

He routinely fails to "get the idea" of what humans expect of him. His acts and behaviors are forgiven, however, since it is clear that he has a heart of gold and is merely living within his nature.

DORA SAYS: RUN MARLEY RUN....I'D BOLT FROM OWEN WILSON AS WELL! 

As Dad's telling me this, I pricked up my ears and wagged my tail a lot - perhaps I am really half Labrador (rather than half Terrier, as I'm led to believe)?

Sadly, Marley was put down at age 13 after a short illness. Marley was deeply mourned by his owners, who saw in him a role model and mentor of unconditional love, devotion, and the art of enjoying and living life to the full.

Despite crashing through screen doors, flinging drool on guests, stealing women's undergarments, and eating nearly everything he could get his mouth around (including couches and jewelry), he was a model of devotion, even when his family was at wits' end.

Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms. A great story about a great dog.

I'm loving this - Dad explaining to me about Marley and getting all sentimental - Aunty Rosie looking at Dad like he's bonkers (she stills reckons I don't know what he's saying) - and me getting lots of pats, treats and affection, and wondering what I can get away with tomorrow (like Marley)?

Dad says he's going to sneak me into the cinema to see "Marley and Me" - if I behave.

Looks like I'll be watching it on DVD :)

To read more about Marley, check out the great website.

Dora XX