The Ball Drops Tonight!

Hello Friends!

We are just a few hours away from the start of the New Year.
At least I am here in NY. I know some of my bloggy friends are already in 2009!
How is it guys? Good, I hope!

Here I am reflecting on the past year.
(don't I look pawsitively distinguished?)
2008 has been a big year!
It's had happy and sad moments. It's the year I started my blog!
I hope I will be blogging for many years to come!
I have made so many great friends this year, and hope to make many more in the coming one! Thank you all for being my friends!

I will be celebrating at home with The Owners tonight! I'm sure we will have a great time!
I heard Owner Girl say something about a ball dropping tonight! Is it a tennis ball?
I sure hope it lands near me! I want to chase that ball!
I hope you all have a safe and Happy New Year's!

My 9 New Year's Resolutions for 2009 are:

1. Not get soo excited and bark when I meet new dogs!
2. Write on my blog at least 5 days a week!
3. Give The Owners smoochie kisses everyday!
4. Not take up quite so much of the bed so Owner Boy doesn't get pinned against the wall!
5. Eat less table scraps.
6. Improve on my stellar modeling skills! (I'm not even sure if this one is possible!)
7. Learn more great tricks that I can teach to all my pals!
8. Do some fun new things with my bloggy and make a ton of new friends!
9. Have lots of fun and continue being silly, wonderful, adorable ME!

That's a lot of stuff! No way am I having 10 resolutions for 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tibby's Not-So-Tricky Tuesday

Hello Friends!

I know today is supposed to be Tibby's Tricky Tuesday but Owner Girl was too lazy busy to get a picture of me doing this weeks trick! Or maybe it was that I wasn't being cooperative enough for her to get a picture of this weeks trick... I can't remember!
So, we are rescheduling our trickiness for Thursday (not nearly as cool, I know). In the meantime enjoy these funny pics of me and Chip!

Owner Girl just got lucky with these, maybe someday she will teach me to stick out my tongue as a trick! And then I can teach it to all my friends!

Oh! And speaking of friends, I have added a few more to my list!
CoCo
Dozer & Cooper
Mona
Prince Jiro & Princess Ayako
Princess Isis
Roxy
and last but not least my new friend Boomer!
He started his own blog and Owner Girl helped design his spiffy new layout!
I have soo many friends now! You can see all of them on my sidebar!
If you're not my friend but want to be please let me know! I may have forgotten a few pals on accident!

The Fun in the Snow

Hello Friends!

Last week before all the snow melted, The Owners took their niece Emmaleigh outside to play. Chip and I got to join in on the fun too! I guess I had fun but the snow was soo cold! I wish there was some different white fluffy stuff to play in that doesn't freeze my little toes!
Here's Em in her nice warm snow suit.Looks like she was having fun!Here's me and Chip playing bitey-face in the snow!Em thought we were pretty funny!"Look at me go! I'm a super fast snow dog!"
"Umm, guys....I think I might be stuck!"
Chip with snow on her face!
I think Owner Boy was confused, I'm pretty sure that thing is meant for snow!
After all that fun and running around, we were pretty tuckered out!
Here's me and Chip taking a nap.
Well, I can't say I'm sad that all the snow melted but I did have a good time playing in it!
Owner Girl says she's sure there will be more before long!
Stop back tomorrow to learn about one of the super cool tricks I know!

The New Dog in the House

Hello Friends!
Our internet has been down and we've been unable to post the last few days! Good news though, we're back! Owner Girl posted our entries from Christmas Eve and Christmas so be sure you read them below!
As you may have noticed in my pictures from Christmas, there is a new dog in the house!
His name is Boomer! His owners are Lawrence and Ashley!
Boomer is a boxer! I bet he is having a great time today on Boxing Day!
Anyways, maybe you will see him in some of my future adventures, hopefully we will become good friends!

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

Hello Friends!
Merry Christmas to all of you!
I hope you had a wonderful holiday and got lots of fun presents and yummy treats!

We had a great day!
We started the day at home and opened presents with Owner Boy's family!
Here is Owner Boy's niece, Emmaleigh opening a present!I got this super cool Christmas bone to chew on! It's shaped like a candy cane!

Lawrence and Ashley got me a cute new outfit to wear, I'll have to show it off soon!
I wore my casual Christmas dress in the morning, so I would be a little more comfortable!
Owner Girl got a new lens for her fancy camera but is still learning how to use it so most of her pictures from Christmas didn't turn out that great. Silly Owner Girl should have kept her old lens on at least part of the time so she could have captured all those memories!

After we ate breakfast we loaded up the car and went to Owner Boy's Dad's House!
Here is a picture of Chad, OB's Dad (Joe), Owner Boy and Amanda!Everyone love my Christmas dress (of course!).
We spent a few hours there exchanging gifts and eating cookies.
Owner Boy and Chad got new helmets!
Emmaleigh got a new sled and OB's Dad ran her around the yard in it! She had a lot of fun!

When we were done there, we headed back home and relaxed for a few hours before Christmas dinner! Here are us dogs waiting for someone to drop something supervising the dinner preparation! Boomer, Chip, Gunner and Me
(You may notice a dog you haven't met before here, I will tell you about him tomorrow!)
As you can see I changed into my formal Christmas dress!
Owner Girl's Dad joined us for dinner! After a great meal we were all stuffed!
Here's Lawrence, Chad and Ashley in their matching spoungebob pjs! Here is a picture of Amanda, OB's Mom (Patty), Owner Boy and Chad!Owner Girl meant to get a picture of her and Owner Boy but they never got one, oh well, she didn't even get many good pics of me! I have a feeling we'll be having some photo shoots with this new lens...
Merry Christmas everyone!

The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house

the people were hustling and bustling about.

Owner Girl did her hair and makeup with care,

in the hopes that Owner Boy soon would be there.

I was quietly nestled all snug in my bed,

while visions of rawhides danced in my head.

When out in the driveway there rose such a clatter!
I sprung from my bed to see what was the matter!
Away to the window I flew like a flash,

I jumped on the presents and made a big crash!

I looked out the window and saw through the snow,

they started the car and they're leaving, "Oh No!"

I barked and I barked but they couldn't hear,

they left with their presents, some food and holiday cheer.

I tried to stop them but they left so very quick,

I didn't even get a hug or one little lick!

Where could they be going? I thought to myself,

Were they visiting Santa, or maybe an elf?

They left just us dogs, Chip, Gunner and I,

We slept on the couch, we waited and sighed.

We gaurded the house and all of the gifts,

the wind was a howling, making snow drifts.

The wind got so strong that it opened the door!

We ran to the kitchen, the wind it did roar!

It blew napkins and papers and more all about!

But the people weren't home, we shouldn't go out!

Chip and then Gunner ran outside to play,

I was scared at first and wanted to stay.

"Come back in guys", I barked at the two,

"you don't even have your leashes on you!"

The people aren't home, this just isn't right!

I sure hope they won't be gone through the night!

In search of The Owners I ventured outside,

there were plenty of places out there to hide!

I looked all around without any luck,

I wondered if the car got broken or stuck!

I couldn't believe we were outside alone.

I hoped that Gunner knew the way home.

We sniffed at the snow and looked at the stars,

and then in the driveway, in pulled a car!

"We're finally saved" I happily thought,

I ran to the person, so very distraught!

It was Amanda and niece Emmaleigh,

I barked and I told them what'd happened to me!

They got us inside and picked up the mess,

I settled down on the couch for some much needed rest.

A little while later The Owners pulled in,

they were worried and happy to see me again!

"Oh yay!" I barked "I'm so glad that you're home!"

"And oh, by the way did you bring me a bone?"

I was so excited, I did dance, I did leap!

A few hours later we all went to sleep.

Thankfully knowing everything was alright,

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Tibby's Tricky Tuesday!

Thanks so much for your thoughts and kind words on Owner Girl's Grandma's passing. It makes us feel a little better knowing we have such great friends!

Now we will return to our regularly scheduled programming and that means...
Tibby's Tricky Tuesday!
Today I will teach you a trick that is very useful in photo shoots!

WATCH ME(Owner Girl didn't get a very good picture
but at least I was doing my part: looking cute for the camera!)

Here's what your owner should do:

1. First and foremost, get some super duper delicious treats!

2. Have your dog sit, hold a treat in your hand around your chest or shoulder level.

3. Most dogs will probably be staring at the treat but if not try to draw your dog's attention to it.

4. Once she is focused on the treat, move it up to your eye level. When your dog looks at you, give her the treat!

5. At first, use the command "watch me" right when your dog looks at you. Once she starts to catch on you can say it before moving the treat to your eyes.

6. When your dog is getting the hang of it, try starting the treat in a few different spots (at arms length, at floor, etc) You can also try using other things to distract your dog so that she learns she should look at you regardless of what has her attention at the moment.

7. As your dog improves at this trick, you can phase out the treats.

This is a great trick because it not only helps you get your dogs attention, it also teaches her to focus on you. If your dog seems reluctant to look at you, don't push it. Some dogs can feel threatened or scared by eye contact. These are just the steps that worked for me! If they don't seem to be working on your dog, there are many professionals out there that can help you find the best way for your dog!

Good luck and happy training!

The Return of Tibby Tales

Hello friends.

Thank you so much for your patience and kind words while I was away.

I am sad to tell you that Owner Girl's Grandma passed away on Monday, December 15, 2008.

It has been a hard week for The Owners and OG's family. They take peace in the fact that she was ready and passed peacefully with her loving family around her.

We love and miss her very much and always will.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you a little about Owner Girl's Grandma Bev.

She was a wonderful person, who loved to laugh. In Owner Boy's words, "she made family functions fun." Even in the last days of her life she was laughing at the stories her children and grandchildren told her. Owner Girl told her about my Christmas cards and how pretty I looked in my Christmas dress!

She loved to shop on QVC and this was frequently a source of jokes from the family, although we often had a good laugh at her I can't think of many people who would spend so much of their time just looking for things to buy for friends and family.

She always said your name when saying hello or thank you, making you feel recognized and appreciated.

She loved to tell stories about her life to anyone who would listen, looking back now, Owner Girl says she wished she had listened a little more closely.

She was a dedicated advocate for Al-Anon (support for friends and family of alcoholics).

She wasn't afraid to say much and often times shocked us all with the things she said.

She was funny, caring, kind and so many other things!

As the days go on it is harder to pretend that she is not gone. The reality is starting to sink in and we can only take comfort in the fact that she knew how much she was loved and we know how much she loved all of us.

Thanks again for all the kind words, prayers and thoughts. Although it has been a tough week and there have been moments of sadness we know that Grandma Bev would want us to laugh and be happy, so we will. We will relish in the moments of happiness that come our way, and when something is funny, we will laugh a little louder, and a little longer and know that she is laughing too.

The Short Break (Maybe)

Hello friends.

Just logging on today to let you know that we may be on a short blogging break for a few days or so.
Owner Girl's Grandma is very sick and not doing well.
Please keep her and Owner Girl's Family in your thoughts.
We hope to be back very soon and will miss you all while we're gone.

The Pets of the Week!

Happy Saturday my friends! I hope everyone is doing well!
I'm so glad you stopped by to see our Pets of the Week!
I sure hope Santa is bringing them forever families for Christmas!

The Pets of the Week!

This is Butters.

He lives in Mississippi.

He is super sweet and very loving. He gets along with other dogs and loves people!
I almost thought we were talking about me for a second but then I remembered, I'm a girl!

If you live near Butters and are looking for a puppy pal, you can find out more about him on his page at petfinder.com
BUTTERS UPDATE: When we went to double check Butters' page address, we discovered he has found a home! Congrats to Butters and his new forever family!

This is Missie.
She lives in Missouri.

She loves toys, bones and snuggles! Her favorite thing to do is spend time with people!
I love all those things too! And she is a Mini Schnauzer so you know she's adorable like me!

If you live near Missie and are looking for a pretty pup, you can find out more about her on her page at petfinder.com

Are you looking for a new forever friend but don't live near Butters or Missie? Don't worry!

Just go to petfinder.com and search for pets in your area!

The Lemonade Award! & New Friends

I got an award the other day!

The Lemonade Award

This award is passed to bloggers for showing great Attitude and/or Gratitude.

Thanks so much to Thor for giving me this award! You are a great friend!

The rules of this award:
Put the logo on your blog or post.
Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I'd like to pass this award along to all of my friends!
You can find them on the right hand side of my blog!

And speaking of friends...
I've added a few new ones to my list!
Molly
Scruffy, Stan & Lacie
The 4 B's
Hana
Persephone & Buster
Clover
Izzie
Moose

If you have a minute stop by their blogs and say hello!
If I don't have you on my list and you want to be my friend let me know!
I might have missed a few!

Owner Girl is getting jealous, she says I have way more friends than she does!
How could I not?! Just LOOK at how adorable I am!
I am such a lucky dog to have soo many great pals! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and don't forget to stop back tomorrow to see my Pets of the Week!

The Christmas Card!

Hello my friends!
Since I joined DWB too late to do the card exchange,
I am posting my card here on my blog for all my friends to see!

I finally convinced Owner Girl that I should have my own Christmas card for just me. After all, it's not called The Owners Tales, or The Cat/"Beta" Tales. It's TIBBY Tales! It's all about me!
So Owner Girl made me my very own card! Here it is!

And just in case you wanted to see our family cards that Owner Girl will be
sending out to family and friends here they are.

I have to say I think mine is by far the best! I mean, just look at how small my picture is in the other two! Plus I'm right next to The Cat and her picture is bigger! But I could use a little help... Owner Girl thinks there is something wrong with her screen since my pictures are printing way darker than they look to us,
do my pictures look dark on your screen?

Anyways, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

And let me know if you want me to send you one of my cards in the mail by writing to me at tibbytales@hotmail.com

The Cards I Got!

I am such a lucky dog to have so many great friends! Even though I couldn't join the card exchange this year a few friends sent me cards anyways!
I got this special card and a treat from Addie!Thanks Addie! - You and Zoe look great in your picture!
Here I am longing to eat my yummy treat! I just ate my lunch before we got the mail so I just couldn't eat another bite! Plus it's soo pretty that I don't want to eat it!

Then today I got this e-card from Ruby! Thanks so much Ruby you are looking adorable as always!

OH! And my Christmas card is just about done and I will post it soon for all my friends to see!

Tibby's Tricky Tuesday!

Hello friends!
Sorry this post is so late! Owner Girl has been slacking today and hasn't been helping me do my blog! For the love of dog it's almost Tibby's Tricky Wednesday at this point and that doesn't sound nearly as cool!
Oh well, here's today's trick:

STICK 'EM UPHere's what your owner should do:

1. As always have some yummy treats on hand.

2. Have your dog sit and then beg. When your dog goes into the beg position, move the treat higher above his head. If he move his paws up, that's great give him the treat when his paws are in the air.

3. If your dog stands up or jumps for the treat, have him sit and beg again. This time use your hand to gently guide his paws up to the "stick 'em up" position. While his paws are up there, give him the treat and say the command "stick 'em up".

4. Once your dog is putting his paws up without your help, you can add in a hand motion (like a pretend gun with your hand) as well as the command.

5. When your dog is performing consistently with the hand motion and command you can phase out the treats.

6. If this move seems uncomfortable for your dog, don't push it, I know lots of dogs that just can't get this trick because they are too big or can't balance that well. Also, there are many professional dog trainers that can help you find the best way for your dog to learn.

Keep training sessions short and fun, and if your dog seems to be stuck or not getting something move on to a trick he already knows well! Always end on a positive note with some praise or playtime!
Happy training everyone!