PJpupp: Since our last blog, we have been very busy. You may not know this, but Gigi, Rickie Roo, Hobo and I are at work with Mommy every day. We each have our very own important jobs to do. I am in charge of keeping the rug under the desk arranged just right and I am the play police. If the ratties play a bit too roughly, I run out and remind them to play a bit nicer.
Hobo: I’m in charge of barking loudly if someone suspicious comes in. Sometimes the UPS man looks suspicious. Sometimes he’s fine. Other times its a customer that I need to bark about. I do my best and get rewarded if I do a good alarm bark that Mommy deems warranted. If I bark for no reason she isn’t so happy with me and I don’t get a reward. Usually she defers to my judgement on who is a nice person and who isn’t. She says I know more than she does in that department.
Rickie Roo: I’m in charge of picking up papers and shredding them. I also grab parts off the low shelves and bring them in to mommy. Sometimes I bring her a mouse that I caught outside. Other than that, I just have to look cute and be ready to go run agility out back whenever mommy wants me to.
Gigi: Rickie Roo – that is NOT your job. You are just being naughty when you shred the papers and steal parts. You are supposed to just rest up for your next training session and help Hobo bark when help is needed.
Rickie Roo: Hey, you might be older than me, but I KNOW what my job is. I’m supposed to tear stuff up and hide it in MY bed. It’s called RECYCLING.
Gigi: It’s called being naughty.
Rickie Roo: RECYCLING.
Gigi: NAUGHTY.
Rickie Roo: Grrrrrrrrr.
Gigi: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
PJpupp: KNOCK IT OFF you two! [She proceeds to circle around them and herds them over into a corner.] You better start behaving RIGHT NOW! [She lays down and glares at them both.]
Gigi [She hangs her head and looks oh so sad]: Sorry PJ …
Rickie Roo [Looks very defiant.]: SHE STARTED IT!
Hobo: You guys are making me nervous. Can’t we just go take a nap?
PJpupp: Gigi, you may go back to your bed. Rickie Roo, you SIT.
Rickie Roo: NO! [She tries to run out of the corner, but is stopped by PJpupp.]
PJpupp: Are you sure you want to do that, Rickie Roo?
Rickie Roo [Tilts her head ... then bows down, runs over and licks PJ's teeth.] I love you, Pup-Per-Roni.
PJpupp: Stop licking my teeth! That’s not gonna get you out of trouble.
Gigi: Sure it is, PJ. She is always out of trouble once she licks your teeth. You always forget what she was in trouble for in the first place.
Hobo: Hey PJ, I think the people are waiting to hear the rest of your story.
PJpupp [Stands up and goes back to her bed.]: Oh yes, sorry all. Besides coming to work with mommy every day, we are busy doing doggie photo sessions, agility demos, library programs, and sometimes films or commercials. This week we got to give out samples of TJ’s Health Bites and Active Care Dog Food at the dog show.
Hobo: Don’t forget to tell them about how much we train.
Gigi: Yes PJ, that’s work too! 
Rickie Roo: I don’t think it’s work at all. I think it’s fun.
Gigi: Just because it’s fun doesn’t mean it’s not work.
PJpupp: Girls, don’t start up again. Rickie, sometimes work is fun and if you are lucky, you get to have a job that you love. Just like all of us. Besides our jobs are at daddy’s business. We also have dog agility classes either here with Mommy and her students, or at Robert’s in Torrance, or at Noriko’s in Gardena, Calif. We have some kind of class every day. Sometimes they are before work, sometimes after work and sometimes even during lunch time!
Rickie Roo: Is getting a massage work? We got massages and aromatherapy last week and are getting one today from Earlene at Tail Wagger’s Massage.
Gigi: I LOVE Earlene!
PJpupp: Me too, Gigi. Rickie Roo, getting a massage is nice, and I suppose since you get them to keep you in tip-top shape they are work. But then again, they feel so good they are just fun, so I’m not quite sure how to answer that.
Hobo: I heard mommy ask Earlene if she could get a massage too. Earlene told her she could only get a massage if she grew fur and had a tail!
Gigi: I don’t want Mommy to be furry! That would be YUCKY. And just plain embarrassing at trials.
Rickie Roo: Ha ha! Mommy might have to get a tail! Mommy might have to get a tail! [She starts spinning around and jumping about.] HA HA ha HA! [She stops and tilts her head.] I wonder if she would get a long tail like you three or a little nubbin tail like me?
Gigi: I bet she’d like a tail like PJpupp’s. She loves that PJ has a white tip on the end that she calls a shepherd’s lantern. Lots of Border Collies have that and mommy thinks it’s really cool.
PJpupp: Girls, Mommy is NOT going to get a tail. She will just have to go to a massage place for people.
Rickie Roo: But we don’t go to a massage place for doggies. Earlene comes to our office.
Gigi: That’s because that’s what Earlene does. She drives to the doggies and gives them massages at home or at work.
PJpupp: We get ours at work because that’s where we are. And those massages help keep you in tip-top shape for the agility trials.
Rickie Roo: We go to lots of trials! Last weekend was fun and I think we are going this weekend too!
PJpupp: Yes, last weekend Mommy took you Rickie Roo, Gigi, Magi, Kokomo, Mason, Bogey and Hobo to the trial. I stayed at Mojo’s house and we had a turtle watching party in the back yard.
Rickie Roo: Why do you watch turtles, PJpupp?
PJpupp: I just like them. Those box turtles and desert tortoises pique my interest. I could watch them all day. And sometimes when you guys are at dog shows I do.
Gigi: I miss you at the trials, PJpupp. You must really miss running the agility course.
PJpupp: One day, when you are 12 like me and Mojo you will understand Gigi. We still enjoy our classes, but we really like lounging and taking naps a bit better. But we are so proud of all of you when you do well at the trials and we are so happy to see you when you get home.
Rickie Roo: I didn’t get so many ribbons last week. But everyone else did. Magi and Kokomo got lots of new titles and ribbons, too!
Gigi: You can’t be perfect all the time, Rickie Roo. Sometimes you get ribbons, sometimes you don’t.
Rickie Roo: I had lots of fun!
PJpupp: That’s the important part of dog agility, Roo – having fun!
Rickie Roo: I’m gonna have fun this weekend! We are going to a USDAA trial and I get to be partners with my friend Cricket, the Pumi! And guess what? Magi and Gigi are gonna be partners, and Chili Dog is gonna partner up with Stormy the Poodle and Kokomo’s gonna pair up with Stroller the Border Collie! It’s gonna be fun!
Gigi: If we run clean and make no mistakes we should be able to qualify to compete at the Cynosport World Games again. It will be so much fun!
Rickie Roo: Hey! I see Earlene’s car! [She starts barking and jumping up and down like a kangaroo.]
Gigi: ME TOO! ME TOO!
Hobo: IT IS HER!! WOW oh WOW!
PJpupp: Time to get off the computer then! We can’t miss our massage! BYE!
