My mom is not a morning person

so I work hard at being especially helpful in the mornings:

Mom always complains that I get her up too early, but better safe than sorry is my motto!

Good weekend

The weekend was a very exciting one. When my mom got home from work on Friday, she got out my harness so I knew we would have an adventure. I figured we were going to the park, the pet store, or maybe even the beach, but instead we went on a very short drive to our new house.

My mom was a little surprised that I trotted immediately up to the door and sat nicely while she opened it. Then I ran in and checked out all the rooms and did a little dance in each room to show my approval. I went out into the backyard and immediately began marking my territory while my mom brought in a bunch of stuff from the car, but unfortunately big thunderstorms rolled in quickly and I wasn't able to use my new wading pool.

But once I got inside my mom had a special treat for me - a raw, meaty lamb bone! This was deliciousness on a level I had never before encountered! I feasted on my bone and my mom put funny tape on the walls of all the bedrooms. There was lots of thunder and lightning so I made sure to stay close by my mom in case she got scared. I'm not even a little bit scared of such things.

My mom didn't take me back over to the new house for the rest of the weekend because of some excuse about "paint," so I hung out at the apartment. It was okay, though, because that "paint" thing really tired my mom out so we had some quality nap time on the human sleeping crate when she got home. I also was be "Have" like Big Pupi and played with my Everlasting Fun Ball while my mom did that strange thing with string that she calls "knitting" (and I call obsessive compulsive disorder). That made Mom very happy.

I sure am looking forward to living in our new house all the time, even though my mom keeps mentioning that since there's a hose I can have a B-A-T-H. Jeez, Mom, I can spell!

Establishing some guidelines regarding apparel

Dear Mom,

After last night's Bellhorn t-shirt incident, I think we need to establish some guidelines regarding the wearing of apparel. I think it's ridiculous that you humans lack the sense to have fur, but as such I have no objections to your wearing of what you call "clothing," although I really do think your Hello Kitty pajama pants need to be retired.

However, since I possess a very fine coat of fur, and furthermore since we live along the Gulf Coast, I do not need to wear clothing. I am willing to make the following exceptions:

1. My backpack, suitable for long hikes, since it shows that I am a serious, working dog:
   
   
2. The occasional bandanna, for formal occasions:
   

I hope we are clear on this matter.

Love, Beckett

If looks could kill...

Everlasting Fun Ball

My buddy Fenway told me about the Everlasting Fun Ball, and last night my mom and I went to the pet store (my favorite) to get one for me. This thing is awesome! It's so satisfying to chew, and it's fun to try to get the treats out. I like it so much I actually let my mom knit without my help.

Here's a video of the fun. (I sure hope my mom learns to edit these things sometime so I can have flashy videos like my buddies Stanislaw and Big Pupi.) In the background, you can see that I helped my mom get ready for moving by shredding some newspaper for her. She was so pleased!

Pizza for Pitchers!

My mom and I are big Red Sox fans. I'm trying to convince her that we need to pig out on pizza tonight, to provide moral support and good juju to Bartolo Colon. After all, he can't feast while he's on the mound so we in Red Sox Nation need to pick up the slack while he is out there. Am I right or am I right?

My mom is still weird

My mom has a weird compulsion. She calls it a hobby, but really, I think she needs help. First she leaves me at home and goes someplace where she buys stuff called fabric. When she comes home, she takes the big piece of fabric and cuts it up into little pieces. I understand this impulse - I like to shred things myself. But here's where it gets weird - then she takes the pieces and sews them back together until they're a big piece of fabric again. What's the point? If she wants a big piece of fabric, why does she cut it up in the first place? I tried to solve this mystery by chewing up some of her fabric but I am still completely confused. Even worse, when she's not engaged in this weird compulsion, she's reading about it on the internet, or even blogging about it. What gives?

My mom is being weird

My mom is being really weird lately. She keeps talking about something called "closing." I don't know what the big deal is, because she closes stuff after I open it all the time. But she seems really stressed out about it. She says we're going to have a new house, and I'll have my own room. Why on earth would I want my own room? I want to be wherever she is!

She's also started putting stuff in boxes. So far she's packed all her books - including my favorite tasty treat, her knitting books. I think she may have lost her mind.

I do have to admit, though, the idea of a back yard all my own is intriguing... so maybe this "closing" and "moving" thing will work out for the best.

Such a helpful boy am I

Sometimes people think I'm just a pretty face. While I am exceptionally handsome, I am also a hard-working boy. I don't know what my mom would do without me. Here, for example, I am helping her make the bed:

On Dog Toys

I really think my mom needs to take a more ecumenical approach to what constitutes a dog toy. In the last 48 hours, I have been told the following things are not dog toys:

• Mom's green shirt
• Mom's dental nightguard
• The delicious trash
• The delightfully chewy bath mat

How closed-minded of her!

Tips for Proper Napping

Make sure you turn down the covers.
More pillows means more comfort.
Keep your toys nearby.
Ignore your mom when she takes your picture.

How I met my mom

Today I thought I'd tell you the story of how I met my mom.

My mom moved to Alabama last August, and she knew she wanted to adopt a dog once she had settled in to her new home. Her family's first dog was a black Labrador Retriever, so that is what she was hoping to adopt, until she saw this picture on Petfinder:

I was staying with the nice people at the Haven for Animals in Fairhope, Alabama. They treated me well, but I was hoping to find a good forever home. One Monday in January, my mom showed up. We went for a walk and I showed her how fast I can run and what big hugs I can give. She talked to Ashley and Michael and they agreed that she would provide a good forever home for me, so the next Saturday, January 19th, my mom came and took me home. Here's what I thought of that:

I like pizza!

One of my favorite feasts is pizza. Whenever I hear a knock on the door, I start doing my pizza dance, because chances are good that a tasty pizza is on the other side. Here is a video my mom took a few nights ago.

Hi!

Hi! My name is Beckett. I live in Mobile, Alabama, with my mom. She adopted me from the Haven for Animals in January 2008. As you can see, I am a very handsome yellow Labrador Retriever. I am about 2 years old.

My favorite things to do are play, chew, walk, run, dance, bounce, swim and spend time with my mom.