Friends and Accomplishments

Happy End of 2013!

As today draws to a close, I thought I'd reflect on my accomplishments in 2013. Here is my list:

1. Chased a BAZILLION squirrels and rabbits.
2. Hung out with my BFFs more.
3. Saw Grandma, Grandpa, and Giant frequently.
4. Went to Brianne's house for FUN!
5. Learned "shake" and "leave it." I'm so smart!
6. Went to Camp Pawprint & met lots of KIDS!!! They gave me TREATS!!! I LOVE THEM!!!
7. I pestered Cymry enough that she gave me her toy. YES!
8. I met new friends through "running group."
9. Went snowshoeing with Mom & Dad!
10. Completed an official 16K.
11. Got to go to Dogtoberfest with Mom!

Ok, I probably should stop there - I feel like I missed a bunch of things, though. Mom would probably add that I "started to mature." Ha! What does SHE know? :)

Per my previous posts, you know I've had quite the exciting month. Well, it continues! I got to stay with some of my best friends again this week. My Mom & Dad take care of two fun dogs, Kaepo & Maya, multiple times a year, and us dogs have really bonded. Well, all of us but Cymry (OF COURSE!). Again, Cymry doesn't like anyone (BORING!). Anywho, we had a great time playing in the fenced yard, chasing wildlife and jumping in snow!

Here is a photo of Kaepo and me:

Aren't we the cutest? We are sitting pretty nicely, too. Mom didn't even have to use a treat. We happily sat for this photo! Then, we got to go play!

I hope you get to do lots of fun things tonight to celebrate the end of 2013! I'm about to snuggle up with Mom & Dad...couldn't convince them to take me out for hours in the below-zero temps tonight (boooooooooooo!), though. Bye!

**JIS**

Celebrations!!!

Hi again!

Oh man, it got SOOOO cold outside today. Mom is such a trooper - we went for a run and everything! Of course, my old sis, Cymry, didn't go - her paws got too cold. Whatever! (Could she get any older?!)

So...we celebrate Christmas in our family, and this year, it was pretty awesome. For starters, we got to go spend a few days at Grandma & Grandpa's, which is ALWAYS SUPER FUN!!! I mean, we get to run around outside (OFF-leash!), people feed us random yummy treats, and we get lots of snuggles. I even claimed one of the couches as my very own!

What made this year even more special, though? Meeting our new doggy family member!!! His name is Gage, and he is about 5 years old. And, guess what? He's a HUSKY, too!!! He lives with my Aunt Kara and Uncle Zach, but I get to see him when we visit. Here's a video of us playing:

Aren't we just the best of friends? OF COURSE, Cymry doesn't like him, but she doesn't like ANYONE. Boring ol' lady. Ugh, she can really ruin a fun playtime. But, I still love her - I love everyone!

Well, I just wanted to share this with you. I'm so excited for tomorrow - it's the end of 2013!! I am just super thrilled to see what 2014 brings me! Hopefully, it'll be more of my favorites, like snow, squirrels, Mom & Dad, Grandpa & Grandma, Giant, Brianne, Gage....(...drifted off into space...).

**JIS**

So...much...SNOW!

Why hello there!

Sorry I haven't written in awhile - I've been VERY busy with doggy guests, learning at doggy class, and SNOW!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, that's right, SNOW. Have I told you how much I love living in Wisconsin? Well, I do. I love it so much, especially this time of year. I just can't get enough of playing in snow - Mom taught me that word last winter. I didn't know there was a special WORD for it! Just super fun. My favorite thing to do is jump into the snow, and then start sliding around. It's best if you can bury your head into the snow first. Really makes it a different experience. I could play in the snow for HOURS...ok, who am I kidding? DAYS!!!

Here is a video of me enjoying our first big snowfall:

Doesn't it look FUN?!?!?!?!?! I just don't understand when other doggies don't enjoy the snow. Sometimes, my big sis, Cymry, starts picking up her paws, as if it's cold or something. So strange! Mom takes real good care of her paws, though, and she recommends other humans help out their doggies, too! In the wintertime, she says it's important to put coats & booties on shorter-haired dogs (and some long-haired!), and also to wash and dry off paws upon getting back inside. Something called "salt" is on the sidewalks a lot this time of year, and it can really hurt our sensitive paws! Well, everyone's but mine. I'm pretty hardcore.

Oh boy, Mom is sending me outside to play! Gotta run!!! I'll write more later...so much happens this time of year!

**JIS**

Work With Mom

Oh boy! Today has been so much FUN! I know, I know, I say that a lot. But, today really was fun! Breakfast was yummy, and then Mom had us get in the CAR!

This is what the car usually means:
1. Being outside seeing lots of wildlife
2. Seeing Brianne (my favorite person in the whole wide world...after Mom & Dad, of course)
3. Being with Mom at "work"
4. Playing with other doggy friends

Seeing that list, you can imagine why I might be a tad excited, right? I mean, just #1 and #2 are enough.

Well, guess what? I did ALL OF THEM. Holy moly, best day ever. We got to "work," and I got to see another of my favorite people, Nicole, who usually has one of my doggy friends, Dublin. Then, I bugged Mom for some pets:

She complied, of course. When you request attention, you should be this polite. I lightly rested my head on her leg, and she looked so pleased as she talked to me. Love making my human happy! You could also Sit for attention. Sometimes, Mom is standing or sitting near me, and I just get the urge for some lovin'. I put my front two paws up on her, and she ignores me! At first, I didn't get it. Eventually, though, I stepped down, and after a few moments of confusion, I tried a Sit (I had been learning a lot about Sits in doggy class!). Mom immediately starting talking excitedly to me and offering pets. WOW!!! Jackpot!!!

Anywho, shortly after I took a nap, BRIANNE showed up!!!! After chatting with Mom, they put my leash on and loaded me up in Brianne's car. Oh boy! I've really gotten lucky today!

Oh, gotta run! About to go play with my best friends...later!

**JIS**

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

I got to spend a week with some friends this Thanksgiving, and BOY, did we have a great time! On Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad made a BIG meal...it smelled SO GOOD!!!!

Here is a photo of me sneaking some yummy turkey:

Ok, I shouldn't say "sneaking." Clearly, Dad is offering me this treat. You know what he asked me to do before that? Sit! Mom and Dad always ask me to offer something before I get what I want. Smart humans!

Cymry decided to make a list of what she is thankful for this year, so I figured I'd do the same. Here is my list:
1. SQUIRRELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Mom, Dad, & Cymry
3. The cats (they can be mean!)
4. TURKEY!!!
5. RUNNING!!!
6. SNOW!!!

I feel like I'm getting off-track. Oh gosh, I had such a fun time running around in the snow with my buddies this week!

Whoops, gotta go! Mom is calling me for doggy class!

**JIS**

Whoa, IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW, what a fabulous day. Seriously. I woke up this morning not thinking I'd get to do anything fun. Mom let us outside, and THERE. WAS. MY. FAVORITE. THING. SNOW!!!! What is not to like about snow? It's fluffy...and cold...and soft! I just love to run and roll around in it! SO FUN! Cymry does not find it as magnificent, but I do not care. She's just a boring ol' woman. Ha!

Here is a video of me enjoying the snow:

Snow means something called "winter" has started. This usually means I get to see lots of snow! I really hope my friends like the snow, too.

Now that it's snowing more, Mom says it's important for me to walk nicely on leash. She's so smart! Sometimes, I get really distracted by SQUIRRELS, but when Mom stops walking, I know I need to look back at her. It's called "captured attention." Cool, huh? All my friends should get their humans to practice this with them. As my reward, I get to keep walking!

Oh, gotta run! Mom is letting me out to play in the snow again!!!

**JIS**

Weekends With Grandma & Grandpa

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I'm back!!!!! Did I tell you one of my favorite things to do? Visit my Grandma, Grandpa, and GIANT! Every once in a while, Mom and Dad load up the car, and we travel a couple hours up north.

Why do I love to visit them? Well, here's my list:
1. OUTSIDE - as you can see in the video, I get to run around in a HUGE yard. Lots of smells, wildlife, space, etc.
2. Giant - the really tall human; Mom calls him her brother
3. Grandpa & Grandma - so loving!
4. OUTSIDE - did I say that already? Whoops!
5. Food - people sneak me treats ALL the time! (Shhh, don't tell Mom!)

Grandpa likes to let me outside off-leash, and that makes him pretty much the coolest human ever. Thankfully, Mom has taught me to listen for my name and the word "Come!," so when he calls me, it might take me a few more seconds than my sister, but I still head back.

How did I learn to respond to my name? EASY! Mom called my name in this SUPER exciting voice. As soon as I heard how excited she was, I looked over at her - VERY curious to see what she was up to! The instant I looked at her, she gave me this incredibly yummy treat. How awesome is THAT?!?! That continues whenever I respond to my name - Mom makes it such a cool party.

Here's a fun video of us running around in the yard:

Well, that's all I have for now! Gotta go watch out the window for SQUIRRELS!!!!

**JIS**

HOWL-o-Ween!

Have I said how much I LOVE when I meet new people? Which means that yesterday was pretty much the BEST DAY EVER. My Dad said it's called Halloween. To me, Halloween means that kids are walking around the neighborhood having a good time! As you can see, I was pretty happy to watch the happenings:

My sister, Cymry, doesn't like Halloween. She kept yelling loudly at the kid approaching. I tried to tell her they were fine, but she was still nervous. Mom says it's fairly normal for dogs to be scared on Halloween. See, even though they were kids, they looked STRANGE! Some were wearing masks, some paint, some flowing capes. It was wild!

Mom and Dad were talking about how to make it less scary for Cymry (what a BABY!). Dad said he'd feed Cymry yummy treats when she looked calmly and quietly at the "kids." Eventually, she should start to show some happier signals when seeing them. Happy like when I see a kid! My tail starts to wag in a really loose way, my body is wiggly & goofy, and my ears are flopping & relaxed. Usually, I can't help but jump up a little, but that's a whole other story :).

Oh, Mom's calling me for dinner! Gotta go!

**JIS**

First Official 16K

WHEW! It's been awhile since I've had time to write. WHAT WAS THAT???? Oops, sorry, distracted. My sister had a toy. Anywho!

Mom and I have been training hard for the Black Hawk Ridge 16K Trail Run. Did you KNOW that 16K is 9.9 MILES!?!? It was sooooooooooooo fun! We successfully completed it in Mom's time goal. Not only that, but we got to spend all morning out in the sunshine! What a great experience! The race volunteers quickly became my best friends forever - they gave me water. I love them!

Oh...and, while on the run, I got my first taste of a rare delicacy. It was pretty incredible. But, OF COURSE, Mom told me to "drop it!" Because I like to hear my special word, I dropped it immediately. Supposedly, it is something called "horse poop"? Wish I could've had the whole thing.

Eek - I gotta go! Cymry is tossing a toy into my face - and I want to play!!!

**JIS**

Lazy Monday

You know what the BEST part of today is? It's a new day! And, I got to do all my favorite things: eat, run, be outside, sleep, play with my toy. Oh, and Mom said I get to go to "training" class tonight! YES! In preparation for class, I took a lot of naps:

At class, I'm sure I'll get to hear lots of my special word, followed by yummy food or playtime. Oh, and I get to learn new things! For example, last week, I learned that humans like me to Sit when they approach. Before class, I would just leap at their face! Humans are so exciting, and I truly thought it was impolite NOT to be close to their faces. Thankfully, Mom helps me remember that humans really don't appreciate it. She's usually ready with a "Sit" and a treat when I'm approaching a person. What a good Mommy! Now, I can't say I'm always polite. Sometimes, I see a human that I just get so happy to see that I kinda lose my mind. Example: My Grandpa & Grandma, my Giant, my running buddies, Brianne. Basically, all my friends and family - I like to show them how much I love them.

Oh, look at the time! Mom is getting ready to go, so better run...I can't WAIT to see what tomorrow brings!

***JIS***

Best Day EVER

I...hit...the...MOTHERLODE! I thought yesterday was the best day ever. No. I woke up hopeful that today would be awesome. Imagine my surprise when it turned into the BEST DAY EVER.

Upon waking up, I realized both Mom and Dad would be home all day. Eek, that freaked me out just a bit. I wasn't sure what to expect. Then, Mom got out some yummy treats and left the house, and Dad took me OUTSIDE. Holy  moly!!! SQUIRRELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got outside and stopped in the middle of the driveway. I seriously thought Dad had lost his mind. We stood there for an ETERNITY before I saw this super fun-looking dog with Mom. I can't lie, I got really excited. I just wanted to show this potential friend how much I love to play!

After another ETERNITY, Mom approached with the dog. Dad kept feeding me treats, which is super cool of him. Eventually, I got to sniff the other dog, and then he (the dog) was very rude to me. I looked at Dad for help, and he called me away and fed me more yummy treats. Oh wow, Dad's so awesome! Eventually, I got to play a little with this new friend. I just LOVE meeting new friends!

I didn't think much more fun could happen in one day. SURPRISE! Mom dressed in her clothes that smell icky (it ALWAYS means we get to RUN!), grabbed our leashes, and had us get in the car. OH...MY...GOSH. Could we be going to "trail"?!?!?!?!?!?! Whenever Mom says "trail," it means being outside with TONS of neat smells, like SQUIRRELS, birds, poop, and trees. Mom, Cymry, and I went for a looooooooooooooooooong run. It...was...amazing. At one point, I smelled this interesting pile of poop, and Mom said, "Leave It." Since I know it means to leave something alone, I quickly looked up at Mom. It was pretty satisfying to hear her say I was a good girl. YAY!

Here is a photo of Cymry and I after our run:

Look at Cymry - what an old lady! Sometimes, it would be better not to be slowed down by her and Mom. They are soooooooo SLOW. I mean, they like to WALK up hills. What's WRONG with them? Ugh. Oh well, I'd rather run with them than anyone else...or worse, not running at all!

Ok - Mom just called for dinner! Gotta go! What a GREAT day!!!!!!

***JIS***

SQUIRRELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, hello! SQUIRREL!!!!!! Oh, sorry, got distracted for a moment. I'm gonna be real, that's probably going to happen a lot. You see, I'm a Siberian Husky mix, and I get pretty excited about the little things in life. SQUIRREL?! I'm back. I've been chatty lately, so my Mom suggested I start a blog. Apparently, she doesn't like to hear "big girl" barking that often. Whatever that means. (eye roll)

Here is a proper introduction to me. My Mom and Dad adopted me from Dane County Humane Society in November 2009. I was a mere 6 months old. Previously, I had been running around as a stray - I remember getting distracted (chasing some squirrels), and then couldn't find my way home. No worries! I found my forever family, and couldn't imagine anywhere more FUN! BIRD!!!?

Since finding my Mom and Dad, I've learned so much about them, the world, my furry siblings, and being a good dog. For example, my New Year's resolution for 2013 was to learn "shake." At first, I didn't understand why my Mom held out a fist in front of me. Even worse, she had tucked a really smelly treat inside that I couldn't get by using my mouth gently. SQUIRREL! Whoops. Anyway, I eventually tried smacking it with my paw, and she GAVE ME THE TREAT! I am still shocked that it worked. I love to hear my Mom and Dad tell me I'm a good dog. Even more, I love to hear my special word, "Yes!" It always means I get something SUPER amazing.

Oh, I didn't tell you my name! My name is Jisa ("Gee-za"). I have lots of energy, and I like to have FUN! I like candles, chocolate-covered strawberries, classical music, and romance...BLAH! NOT! That's my sister, Cymry - she's so odd. I like longs runs, trails, wildlife, jumping, playing with other doggies, chasing the cats, chewing on toys, and snuggling with Mom or Dad (not both at the same time - ewww!)!

My life is pretty awesome. I'm excited to share more with you! Gotta run, though - I thought I saw a pack of squirrels outside the window!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

****JIS****