But other than the weather, I've got it made in this great city. I have my own house and yard now and I'm nice enough to let mom and dad live with me. I even have my own room, which dad had to spray with fabreeze every once in awhile because when I need to, I go and pee on my training pad in there. We chihuahuas are the hardest breed to house train and so every so often I need to pee in the house. I mean, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go! I have two beat up old chairs that dad took from the Paulists common room. He figured that old incontinent priests have been peeing on them for years, so it wouldn't make a difference if I did once in awhile too.
So, I have made a bunch of new friends. The first of which are students at the University who sometimes come by and stay with me when mom and dad go away. Amanda comes by most of the time and she likes playing with me. I try to be on my best behavior for her but once in awhile I just miss mom and dad and take it out on her. Why do I do that? As if, peeing on dad's pillow would make him come back any faster.
Ellen also comes by now and again. I don't mess with Ellen. She's a physical therapy student and frankly, I think she can kick my doggie ass. But she's nice and she rubs my belly on the couch and knows how to take care of me really well. Dad really likes both of them a lot and is really glad that he's their campus minister.
Another group of people I've met are the Catholic Charities Volunteers. Mom and Dad are their support couple and they really enjoy their company. Once in awhile, Leigh, Anna or Nick will come and sit for me. Like Dad, Nick is bald so once in awhile I cheat on dad and try to lick Nick's bald head too. Shhhh...don't tell Dad.
Sr. Jeremy also is one of the people I've liked meeting. She even lets me sit on her lap in the car when she goes and picks mom and dad up from the airport.
Now, OK...so I've had my share of mishaps too. I still don't like other dogs. They scare me, especially the beagle two houses away and the little cockapoo on the corner. There's an Irish setter up the block who won't shut up every time I come by. What's a dog to do?
But Dad tells me that I'm much better than I used to be. I can tolerate other dogs a bit now. Whatever that means. I think it means that I don't bark as much at them and tend to just whine a bit or even on a good day I just let them bark and I do nothing. I even get a treat when I do that, so I try to do it as much as possible.
So there's winter...We don't get as much snow as they rumored. We get more Lake Effect---a kind of dense fog that makes snow and rain really interesting and makes things really hard to see. Dad drove home in lake effect snow once and I was really worried about him and mom while I waited for them to come home. It does get pretty cold but the Hockey team here, the Buffalo Sabres gave me a nice new sweatshirt with their logo on it.
And Aunt Julianne, gave me this nifty sweater too. So I'm all set.
And the other good thing about the cold is that I can curl up with mom and dad and they are nice and warm. So I often fall asleep on the couch just sitting next to dad.
Now every once in awhile I smell another dog on dad. Ripley is Fr Jack's dog. She's an old english sheepdog and I don't like her one bit. But she keeps dad company most of the time at work, especially at lunch---so like me she's pretty smart and knows how to beg for food and attention. Maybe one day I'll feel differently about dogs, but for now I keep my distance.
So I have a campus to walk on now and dad takes me there to meet the students. He's excited about his 3rd year here and so I am I.
If you have any more questions for me...just email dad and he'll forward the questions on to me. But for now, my new trainer Marcia has got me doing all kinds of things. Watch
