But enough of my yapping. We have a winner, and I’m going to let my K9 reporter Leroy and his new pawl Ella announce it, since they’re the purty pooches in the picture.

P.S. I wanna wish all you pooches and people a rad National Dog Day today! Among other real important things, this special day helps raise awareness of the number of pooches needing furever homes (a number that’s way too big).

Leroy: Thanks, TJ! And same to you.

Ella: Same here too! This is my first-ever National Dog Day, and I’m liking it! A lot!

Leroy: OK, Ella Stella Bella Gazella Cinderel—

Ella: The name’s just Ella, ‘K?

Leroy: All righty then, Just Ella, let’s stop keeping everybody in suspense. Ladies and gentlemen, mutts and purebreds, we proudly present the winner of TJ’s first-ever caption contest!!

Ella: “NaNa NaNaNaaaa, You can’t get me!”

Leroy is thinking: “Oh boy, is this what I get to look forward to every day with Ella?”

Leroy: Congratulations to Susan Walls of Green Bay, Wisc., who entered the winning caption! She wins a pawsome doggie bag filled with cool i Love Dogs toys and pooch accessories, plus samples of yummy TJ’s Health Bites!

Ella: Woo hoo! And by the way, Leroy? My girl Susan is so right – this is exactly what you get to look forward to every single day with me! BOLOL! NaNa NaNaNaa–

Leroy: Ruh-roh.

Leroy is a 3-year-old “Terribull” adopted from a Carson, Calif. shelter by i Love Dogs writer Laura Goldman. When he’s happy, Leroy snorts just like a pig. He still misses his first love, Sophie, who passed to the Rainbow Bridge last year, but he adores his new pawl Ella, a Shepherd-Pit-Monkey mix rescued from a Downey, Calif. shelter in March.

That’s right, 50 years ago today, Russia sent Belka and Strelka into space. The two dogs spent a day orbiting the earth in Sputnik 5. When the spacecraft’s retrorocket was fired, the dogs were found safe and sound in the landing capsule, yay!

They were the first living creatures to travel to space and return to earth alive. Thanks to them, the first human, Yuri Gagarin, was launched safely into space just eight months later.

Belka (which means “white”) and Strelka (”little arrow”) did have some company in the capsule. Along with them for the ride were 40 mice and two rats.

A few months after the flight, Strelka gave birth to six puppies. One of them, named Pushkinka, was given by Russian President Nikita Khrushchev to President John F. Kennedy’s daughter Caroline in 1961. (Sorta like how President Kennedy’s brother Edward gave Bo to the Obamas!)

Most of the “Space Dogs” that Russia sent into orbit were small, female strays that were picked because they didn’t have to stand to pee. That’s right, the pooches had to sit still the whole trip. The dogs were trained to sit for long hours at a time, held down by harnesses, and to wear heavy space suits without trying to chew or wiggle their way out of them. I sure love to go bye-bye, but these space trips don’t sound like they were any fun at all.

Some of the other Space Dogs weren’t as lucky as Belka and Strelka. At the start of a flight just a month before theirs, pooches Bars and Lisichka were killed when the booster rocket blew up during the launch.

What really bums me out is that some of the dogs sent into space weren’t even ever meant to survive. Laika, a stray Husky mix, was the first pooch to go into orbit in Sputnik 2. (In America they called her “Muttnik,” BOL.) She was given just enough oxygen, food and water to survive for a few days. When the life support system batteries died and the capsule ran out of air, poor Laika died up there, all alone and probably really, really scared.

I’m totally proud of Belka, Strelka, Laika and all of my fellow pooches that were trailblazers in getting humans into space – but I sure am glad dogs aren’t sent into space just to die anymore.

PHOTOS: spacetoday.org

Nope, that’s not a typo. I saw on MSNBC that Cai Li and his wife, who live in Xi’an, paid $600,000 last November for a purebred Tibetan Mastiff that they named Yangtze River Number Two. They even “organized a fleet of 20 Mercedes-Benzes to bring the slobbery black-haired beast home,” MSNBC reports. (OMD, like one car wasn’t enough?!)

“I like Tibetan Mastiffs, because they’re really loyal to owners and they’re ferocious,” said Cai. When the reporter visited him, Yangtze River Number Two was kept in a cage, as were Cai’s 40 other Mastiffs. Hmm, something about these living conditions stinks like Number Two to me, and I’m not talking about Yangtze River, BOL!

In China, Tibetan Mastiffs are thought to be very holy, and bring blessings of good health and security. These pooches are no lap dogs – they’re about 2 to 3 feet tall and can weigh from 150 to 200 pounds. They were first domesticated 6,000 years ago in Tibet. The Sunday Times says they’re considered the oldest, biggest and fiercest domestic dog in the world. Marco Polo, the explorer (not to mention inspiration for that annoying swimming pool game played by young humans), described the breed as being “as tall as a donkey and with a voice like a lion.” (Yikes.)

Yangtze cost so much because of his pure bloodlines. “With their overwhelming popularity and the high prices they fetch, it’s increasingly rare to find a purebred Tibetan Mastiff,” MSNBC reports. The Sunday Times said it’s both the most expensive and rarest dog in the world, since only 100 purebred Tibetan Mastiffs are believed to exist. The price tag for the breed goes up about 500 percent each year. Even dogs whose bloodlines aren’t so pure still cost a huge chunk of change – from $10,000 to more than $100,000.

Chinese millionaires reportedly like to own the dogs because they make them feel powerful and confident. I feel really bad for these humans if they need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on one dog to feel good about themselves. Wouldn’t spending the same amount to save hundreds of thousands of shelter dogs make them feel even better?

PHOTO: msnbc.com

Rickie Roo: I’m a Canine Good Citizen!

Gigi: Me too! And so is Chili Dog! Are you a Canine Good Citizen PJpupp?

PJpupp: Oh yes, I’ve had my CGC for more than 11 years.

Gigi: How about Hobo? Does he have his CGC?

PJpupp: Not yet, but one day he will. All the dogs in our family have CGCs. I think Miss LC is the youngest to earn hers though, she’s just 6 months old. Mommy won’t let us take the CGC unless she thinks we will pass. She isn’t so sure Hobo will stay when he’s told to. She’s certain he will do the rest of it — oh wait, he might have problems with the part where you get left with a friendly stranger for three minutes while mommy goes somewhere else. He is very attached to mommy.

Gigi: When I took the CGC I passed that part. But near the end I was wondering where mom was so I said, “BARK!” and I waited 20 seconds and said, “BARK!” She didn’t hear me so I waited 20 more seconds and said, “BARK!” while sitting very politely with the stranger. Since I wasn’t upset or agitated, I passed. But that made mommy very nervous. She is quite proud that all of us have passed it on our very first attempt. Even Rickie Roo!

Rickie Roo: When I took the test at the Belgian Turv Club of Southern California show I did my sits and downs, and when I was done mommy and the evaluator looked down and there was a dead birdie right in front of my toes. I was so good taking my test that I didn’t try to eat it or play with it. Mommy said that was most impressive.

PJpupp: There are 10 parts to the test. Mommy goes to the AKC website to refresh her memory before taking the test. This time though, she was busy with raffle stuff and decided to just “go for it” and so was quite pleased with our little pup.

Gigi: I think Hobo really wants a CGC too. He looked a little bit jealous of LC.

PJpupp: He got over it fairly quickly after mommy gave him a prize he won in the raffle.

Rickie Roo: He won some cookies! He shared them with all of us.

Gigi: The match was fun. I got to run in Rally. Mommy only made two mistakes, but the judge smiled and said we did fine and even gave mommy a high-five later on!

Rickie Roo: I was gonna run in rally with Gabrielle but she got sick and so I didn’t get to have my turn. I got to walk around the show with our friend Kitty though, and she gave me some cookies.

PJpupp: We were very busy in the raffle area but it was good that we got to participate in some of the fun activities too.

Rickie Roo: We had even more fun at Amelia Bedelia’s house on Sunday morning.

Gigi: I got to lounge in the sun and take a nap. The people at the party said I looked like a diva.

Rickie Roo: Lots of our Rattie friends and relatives came. It was fun. Mommy and Mei brought Gigi, LC, Chili Dog and me to the party. LC’s gamma Lyznie brought her brothers Ike and Magnum, and our friend Jackie brought our pals Kadoo and Courage. We got to run run run, play agility, meet the horses and have snacks. It was super fun.

PJpupp: Hobo met himself a new girlfriend.

Gigi: What? I thought he just fell in love with Kokomo last Thursday.

PJpupp: He did. Apparently his heart is a bit fickle. I hope Kokomo doesn’t get too jealous. He fell in love with Rosie the Mule whom he met at the Rattie Play Day. It’s funny how he likes the reddish girls. He was climbing the fence to give Rosie kisses.

Gigi: On Thursday he couldn’t get enough of Kokomo and Koko kept hitting him with her hip and flirting with him. I guess he forgot about that.

Rickie Roo: I had to go over and remind him that he is a dog and she is a mule. I don’t know if he cared or not.

Gigi: Hobo is a silly boy!

PJpupp: Girls, we have to stop chatting now, we need to pack for your big trip to Texas for the USDAA South Central Regional event in Fort Worth, Texas. You will be going in the i Love Dogs mobile and will be driving from California to Texas starting tomorrow. There is lots to do before then. We can check back in with our friends along the way, so say bye-bye for now.

Gigi: Bye

Rickie Roo: Bye-bye for now.

My K9 reporter Leroy (on the left) has a brand-new gal pawl, a puppy named Ella who you’ll be hearing from very soon here on WWW.TJ.LA.  

In the meantime, it sure looks like the little pooch has a lot to bark about! What exactly do you think she’s saying to Leroy in this picture? Or what could Leroy be thinking? Think up a really great caption – I know you can do it!

The grand prize winner will receive a furrific poochie swag bag stuffed with totally rad dog toys and accessories!

Here are all the caption contest details. Good luck, my furiends!

How to Enter
It couldn’t be simpler, if you ask me! Just think up a really funny or cute caption for the picture of Leroy and Ella, and enter it as a comment farther down this page in the Leave a Reply box. You can enter more than one caption if you’ve got a whole bunch of good ones.

Hurry – the deadline is the stroke of midnight PST on Sunday, August 15.

How to Vote
Starting on August 17, look for the August Caption Contest album on my Facebook page. (You gotta friend me first to see the album – how cool is that?). Just click Like for your favorite caption, and the caption that gets the most “Likes” wins!

Voting ends at – you guessed it, the stroke of midnight PST – on Sunday, August 22. Grreat news: The deadline has been extended until the stroke of midnight on Tuesday, August 24!

Winner Winner Winner!
Since Leroy and Ella are both pound pups, they want to announce the contest winner on August 26, which happens to be National Dog Day. Among other real important things, this special day helps raise awareness of the number of pooches needing furever homes (a number that’s way too big). The lucky winner will be announced on both WWW.TJ.LA and Facebook, and notified via email.

The Fabulous Prize…
A doggy bag filled with cool i Love Dogs toys and accessories for your pooch, plus samples of my tasty TJ’s Health Bites! Not to mention bragging rights, of course.

Dates to Remember
Just to recap, be sure to mark these important contest dates on your canine calendar:
August 15 – Deadline to enter a caption
August 17-22 – Vote for your favorite caption on my Facebook page
August 26 – Winner announced

Legal Stuff
i Love Dogs, Inc. reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgement, winner eligibility. i Love Dogs, Inc. also reserves the right to change contest rules at any time. Inappropriate submissions will not be eligible for the contest.

Assignment of Rights – By submitting a caption, you grant the company full ownership rights for said caption, including but not limited to the perpetual, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, distribute, and otherwise exercise all copyright and publicity rights with respect to that caption at the company’s sole discretion, including incorporating it in other works in any media now known or later developed including, without limitation, published books. If you do not wish to grant i Love Dogs, Inc. these rights, it is suggested that you do not submit a caption.

Ingredients
1 cup organic, fat-free plain yogurt
1/4 cup barley flour (no gluten, nice nutty taste)
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup chicken, finely chopped
1 banana, diced
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 cup grated cheese (mozzarella is good for this and lower in calories) 

Instructions
Mix all of the ingredients together, then smish the mix into either an unlined cake pan or cupcake tins. Freeze the mix for a few hours or overnight. Turn it upside down onto plate. If it doesn’t slide out right away, just run your hands around the bottom and sides for a minute.

And voila! Yummy birthday cake for the best dog in the world. The trainer lady that works in the i Love Dogs office came up with this scrumptious recipe. She says to tell your humans, “You don’t have to tell anyone if you taste it!”

PHOTO: smallpawsdogs.blogspot.com

Rickie Roo: Mommy introduced you very first out of everyone, PJpupp!

PJpupp: That’s because she was explaining to the kids why we are called the PM2 Dog Agility Team. I’m the P for PJpupp.

Rickie Roo: And Mojo and Magi are the two Ms!

PJpupp: Yes they are. And we are the first three dogs of the team. But then mommy introduced all of you too.

Gigi: We did some tricks as we were introduced.

Rickie Roo: YES! Gigi rode her skateboard! PJpupp worked the doggie gumball machine! I did a HUPPY PUPPY (jumping up into mommy’s arms). Magi rolled over and over, and over, and he walked backwards on his hind legs too. Perry did some obedience. LC showed how fast she can run through a tunnel and Chili Dog posed like a super model. Kokomo crawled, Mason gave kisses and sneezed on command and Beau ran and caught his ball.

PJpupp: All of the dogs did very good tricks!

Gigi: Then came the fun part! AGILITY! [She's so happy she starts chasing her tail.]

Rickie Roo: YES! AGILITY! [She tries to chase her own tail too, but then realizes she doesn't have one -- only a nub. So she hops up and down instead.]

PJpupp: Calm down girls, you do agility every week.

Gigi: But not with so many kids cheering us on and having fun.

PJpupp: That’s true. I believe we had about 100 kids for each show this time. 

Rickie Roo: We did two shows!

Gigi: We got to do what mommy calls “freestyle agility.” That means our handler got to make up what we wanted to do. So if a doggie wasn’t that good at the weaves, they didn’t have to do them. They did whatever the handler wanted to do so each dog had a different demo.

Rickie Roo: I LOVE the weaves!

Gigi: They’re OK but I like the tunnels the best.

PJpupp: How about the races? We split the kids up and let them pick their dog to cheer for in a timed race.

Rickie Roo: That was fun!

Gigi: Yeah and then we did a relay. That was fun too.

PJpupp: I enjoyed it when mommy had the kids do the relay and run through the obstacles. We got to sit back and watch. 

Rickie Roo: Then we did some MORE agility! Whoo Hoo!

PJpupp: Yes, we did. We also fit in some questions and answers in the program and talked about each of our breeds and when someone answered a question correctly they got an iLoveDogs tennis ball or frisbee.

Gigi: It was a super fun day. The kids at the Kids Corner Day Camp ROCKED!

PJpupp: I couldn’t say it any better myself.

Rickie Roo: We went all the way to UTAH for a dog show!

Gigi: Yep, it was fun!

PJpupp: All of us loaded up in the i Love Dogs van and drove from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the United States Dog Agility Association’s Rocky Mountain Regional event.

Rickie Roo: Some of our friends came with us too – just to cheer us on!

PJpupp: That’s right, Roo. In our lovely pink and purple air conditioned van we had Hobo, PJpupp, Magi, Gigi, LC, Chili Dog, Bogey, Lacey Jane, you, Mom and Mei too!

Gigi: Don’t forget we took all our stuff and three big boxes of TJ’s Health Bites, i Love Dogs goodies and bags to give out to each competitor. AND we stayed in a hotel too — it was LC’s first time EVER in a hotel. She was good.

PJpupp: Our Magi did such a good job at the event that he was declared the 2010 USDAA Regional Performance Grand Prix CHAMPION and earned himself a Bye (a free pass) directly into the semi finals at the nationals event that will be held later this year in Kentucky.

Gigi: He was really surprised. Magi didn’t think he would ever, ever, EVER win such a big event.

Rickie Roo: Magi is my HERO!

PJpupp: All of you did so well; you all earned multiple blue ribbons. Don’t forget that Gigi earned High Overall Dog in the Performance Versatility Pairs classes!

Gigi: I didn’t get a trophy or a fancy ribbon like Magi did though.

PJpupp: No you didn’t, but that’s OK. We are so proud of you for doing so well!

Gigi: I got one this weekend though!

Rickie Roo: She did! She did! [Hops and twirls about.] She did! MY sister won the Performance Grand Prix!

PJpupp [Smiling like only a proud older sister can smile.]: Yes she did, Roo. She earned a Bye to the second round at the next regional event by winning her Performance Grand Prix event. That means when we go to either Texas or Northern California for a regional event, Gigi can turn that in and can automatically go into round two of the Performance Grand Prix.

Rickie Roo: How come Magi didn’t get one of those papers?

PJpupp: At a regional event, you have to have earned a qualifying score (Q) at one of the local events to participate in certain classes. The Performance Grand Prix (PGP), Grand Prix and Steeplechase are among those classes. Magi had earned a Q in the PGP but had not WON at a local event. So when we were in Utah he had to compete in round one and if he was good enough that day he would move to round two. He happened to win round one and so he then competed against all those dogs that had won in their local events in round two and since it must have been HIS day, he won! Since he is a Regional Champion, he doesn’t need one of those papers. USDAA knows he has the Bye because he got the trophy!

Rickie Roo: Someday I’m going to win a Bye too!

Gigi: It might take a while Roo-ster – Magi is 9 and I’m 8 years old. You are only 2 years old. Still a baby.

Rickie Roo: I am not a baby! LC is the baby!

Gigi: You are a baby too.

Rickie Roo: Mommy calls YOU her little baby.

PJpupp: She calls ALL of us that, Roo. Gigi means you are young and have lots to look forward to in your agility career. For now, you are making your name by being a roving reporter for the USDAA’s website. You have met many interesting dogs and people and have interviewed them for USDAA.com.

Gigi: Yes – you are famous!

Rickie Roo: I still wanna win my own trophy, just like Magi! Hey, PJpupp! Did you tell them that Mei is running our pal Beau the Bedlington Terrier in agility now?

Gigi: Beau used to compete with mommy, now he is running with Mei and they look super duper together!

Rickie Roo [whispering]: Between you and me Gigi, don’t you think Beau looks kinda like a sheep?

Gigi [whispers back]: Yep… but he must not be a sheep because if he was PJpupp would be herding him all around the show site.

PJpupp: What are you girls talking about?

Rickie Roo: We were just saying how much you like to herd sheep.

PJpupp: Oh yes, that is fun. I was never as good at it as our Glynn used to be, but all of us have our own special skills. I sure did like chasing them around in circles though. Glynn used to be able to work in a big field and listen to the whistles mommy blew, then would bring the sheep right back to where she wanted them. I just worked in a little arena, but it was fun. Mommy and Glynn won a shepherding competition together before Glynn passed away.

Rickie Roo: I sure wish I had met Glynn.

Gigi: He was super cool. He liked to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as his reward.

Rickie Roo: I like Chicken!

Gigi: So do I. In fact, after I won the other day mommy said, “Winner, winner, chicken dinner!” But she didn’t give me chicken, she gave me meatballs. That’s kinda weird, isn’t it?

Rickie Roo: She said the same thing to Magi after he won and he got meatballs too. Maybe mommy thinks meatballs are the same as chicken.

PJpupp: I don’t think so Roo, I think somehow “Winner, winner meatball dinner” just doesn’t come to her mind.

Rickie Roo: Hey! Did you tell them about the “Mojitos and Mutts” party? We went to that too! We had fun!

PJpupp: I almost forgot about that Roo! We had a fun time at the Hotel Maya and Mojitos and Mutts party hosted by our friends at i Love Dogs.

Gigi: Mushu Hu had the most fun. She was really excited.

PJpupp: That Mushu is always up for a good party!

Rickie Roo: I like parties too! I can make a party of out ANYTHING … even lunch time! I have an idea! Lets go bug mommy until she feeds us and we can have a lunch party!

Gigi: OK. I can do one bark and then tilt my head and look cute. That usually works.

Rickie Roo: Great! If that doesn’t work, I will jump up on her lap and give her kisses. She LOVES that.

PJpupp: Ok Girls, lets go get her!

What reward does your human give you when you’ve done something magnificent? Tell us about it in the Comments area below!

PHOTOS: Deb Robert Moray; Bruce McClelland, BAMfoto

Last week, two construction workers in West Palm Beach, Florida saw a skinny little male puppy – with a 20-pound chain around his neck, yikes! – start to stumble across a real busy street. His buddy, an older black Pit Bull mix, moved in and helped him cross the street.

“They seemed to be friends,” David Walesky of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control told PEOPLEPets.com. “She was nudging him, telling him to get out of the road. They were crossing traffic. He was worn out and she was in front of him saying, ‘Let’s get across this together. I’m waiting for you, buddy – let’s go.’ ”

Walesky said she was encouraging him and guiding him across the street. “He was up and moving, but it is difficult to drag that heavy of a chain,” he said.

The construction workers picked up the pooches and took them to a nearby shelter. But shelters aren’t always a great place for dogs, as I know all too well. When a super nice lady named Kay-Lynette Roca heard that the dogs might be euthanized (after all that – can you imagine?!), she rescued them and brought them to her Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary, which is the only one in South Florida that takes Pit Bulls. You know, I hear Miami is exciting and all, but since Pit Bulls and mixes like me are banned there, guess I’ll never know for sure.

BOL, the black dog was named “Brains” and the skinny puppy was named “Brawn.” Now they’re chilling together at the no-kill (yay!) sanctuary while Brawn gets treated for heartworms and puts on some weight so he lives up to his name. Then the pawls will get to stay on a 28-acre ranch, lucky dogs!

Well, I guess they’re not really lucky unless they find a furever home together. Roca said she’ll only adopt them out that way, since she doesn’t want them to ever be separated. She thinks they ran away from a terrible situation. In their neighborhood some humans put heavy chains on their dogs to bulk up their muscles. Hey, stupid people, ya ever heard of a long walk or hike?

“They seem to know one another,” Roca said. “She is protective of him, and she seems to be the leader.” She said both pooches are “very sweet” and show no aggression toward humans or other dogs. (Gosh, that sounds just like a whole lot of Pitties I know!)

If you can use a little Brain and Brawn, visit the sanctuary’s website or call 561-747-5311.

PHOTO: PEOPLEpets.com

Leroy is a 3-year-old “Terribull” adopted from a Carson, Calif. shelter by i Love Dogs writer Laura Goldman. When he’s happy, Leroy snorts just like a pig. He really misses his gal pal Sophie, who passed to the Rainbow Bridge last November. But he adores his new pawl Ella and his chew toys (a little too much). Check out Leroy’s other articles!

Rickie Roo: My sister got a MACH!

PJpupp: Yes, Gigi earned another AKC Agility Championship. She earned her MACH 2 running with Mei at the Dog Agility Racing Team trial in Rancho Cucamonga on May 16!

Gigi: Just in time for my birthday! I turned 8 on May 19.

PJpupp: Magi earned several new titles too. He finished all his AKC open classes and now is in AKC Excellent.

Rickie Roo: HA HA – he’s in the excellent classes ’cause he did so excellent on course!

PJpupp: Yep, you’re right.

Rickie Roo: I’m excellent too – in jumpers.

PJpupp: Yes Roo, you are competing in Excellent Classes in the Jumpers with Weaves Class. Sadly, you are a bit too enthusiastic in the Standard class and are still in Novice.

Gigi: Kokomo got out of AKC Novice this past weekend, when we were competing at Woodley Park.

Rickie Roo: I coulda gotten out of novice too, but Mommy wouldn’t let me run my Standard classes.

PJpupp: That’s right Roo, your back is a bit sore so Eileen the doggie chiropractor advised you to not do any contacts for two whole weeks. That means this weekend you won’t be doing any contacts either.

Rickie Roo: That sucks. I wanna do the teeter tip-tip and zoom around. And I didn’t want Kokomo to beat me out of Novice.

PJpupp: Unless Eileen says it’s OK you’re not going to, Roo. Tonight Earlene from Tailwaggers Massage is going to come to the office and work on you, so maybe by Saturday you can do some contacts again. Also, you need to be happy for Kokomo, she was a very good girl.

Gigi: I’m gonna run all my classes though, right?

PJpupp: Yes, Gigi. You are showing Thursday through Monday at the Mission Circuit events held at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. Sometimes you will run with Mommy and sometimes with Mei.

Gigi: Mei really liked that I got my MACH 2 when she was handling me!

PJpupp: She and Mommy had a deal. If Mei started you over again in Novice Preferred and worked her way up to Excellent with you, then Mommy would move you back over to the championship program and let Mei earn a MACH with you. Together the two of you worked very hard and were awarded your MACH 2.

Rickie Roo: It was fun to see everyone cheer for Mei and for Gigi when she earned her MACH 2. Someday I’m gonna have a MACH too!

PJpupp: Yes you will, Roo, and so will little LC. I’m too old now, but I enjoy watching all of you earn titles.

Gigi: PJpupp you have a championship too. Remember you are a CPE champion.

PJpupp: That’s right, and speaking of CPE, we did a CPE show May 8 and 9 and Magi won first place in every single class he was entered into. He is such a good boy!

Rickie Roo: I did good too!

Gigi: Me too.

PJpupp: Yes, everyone on our team did well. I think Mommy counted 33 Qualifying scores for the team on that weekend. AWESOME JOB!

Gigi: Did you tell everyone that Mei is running our friend Beau the Bedlington Terrier now? He used to run with Mommy and then with our friend Desiree and now he’s running with Mei!

Rickie Roo: They did GOOD over the weekend.

PJpupp: Yes, they did. We love Beau and it’s nice to see how well he works with Mei.

Gigi: Did you know that Mommy ran our friend Gremmie the Bernese Mountain Dog for the first time last weekend? She said it was fun going from running little Mason at 8 inches to running Gremmie who jumps 24 inches.

Rickie Roo: Gremmie is gonna teach me how to surf.

PJpupp: That sounds like fun Roo, but I think Gigi, Hobo and I will watch you from the sand!

Rickie Roo: Gremmie says it’s fun – as fun as agility but in a wetter way.

PJpupp: Good thing we have a doggie life jacket for you, Roo. We wouldn’t want a big wave to take you to Hawaii without us.

Gigi: I can skateboard, but there’s no way I wanna get all wet surfing. I think I’ll stick to agility.

PJpupp: Good idea, Gigi.

Rickie Roo: Did you tell them about all our company PJ?

PJpupp: Oh no, I forgot! We have lots of company this week, not only is our friend Mushu Hu staying with us, but so are Bogey and Lacey Jane!

Rickie Roo: Bogey tried to steal my spot in the bed but I wouldn’t let him, and then he tried to go over by Daddy and Mushu grrrrrrr’d at him, so then he went and snuggled with Gigi instead.

PJpupp: I do have to admit the bed is getting pretty full. Good thing everyone is little like you or there’d be no room for Daddy in the bed.

Gigi: Don’t forget that over the weekend we had Chili Dog, LC and Mei in the house too.

PJPupp: Yes, we did. Did you hear that Mei gets to do dog agility as her independent study for physical education when she starts high school next year? She’s going to meet with Desiree of Fido ‘n Friends to get a fitness routine designed just for her and her competitions in dog agility! How great is that?

Gigi: I remember Mommy met with Desiree and got a stretching routine after she tore her calf.

PJpupp: You’re right, she did. Desiree is a fitness expert and is a top competitor in agility, so she understands what stresses are put on both the human and the dog, so she is the perfect person to help design our team’s program.

Rickie Roo: I heard Mommy say that we are going to do lots of shows in June and that we have to keep fit.

Gigi: We always have lots of shows.

PJpupp: That’s true. Have you noticed how good Hobolicious and LC have been at the trials? They are practicing their dog show behavior and Mr. Chili Dog is learning how to relax and play ringside so he doesn’t get so nervous when it’s time for his run. Speaking of relaxing, how would you girls like to go outside to Hobo’s run and we can all take a nap in the sun?

Gigi: WHOO HOO! I love to sunbathe.

Rickie Roo: Are there cookies involved?

PJpupp: You never know Roo, there might be a hidden kibble or two… You wanna go look? Hey! Where’d she go?

Gigi: She’s out in the run already. She’s looking for a snack.

PJpupp: Well then, we better get out there too. We can’t leave her unsupervised – you know how your sister is! Let’s go!