Guest Post: A Day in the LIfe of the Pug

Hi my name is Ollie, aka Tootie and/or Tooter Butt, and I'm Jerbear's pug. I wanted to help my mom out with a blog post and thought a glimpse into my glamorous life would be the best post. It's either that or just listing off all the delicious foods I would like to eat in a day but don't get to.

Ok here goes.

I wake up around 5:30-6am and am snuggled up with my mom. I don't like when she spoons me, but if I decide it's okay, or I'm REALLY sleeping, than I'll allow it. To trick her in to sleeping longer, I'll snuggle in the cutest possible way after her alarm goes off. This will buy me an additional 15 minutes of sleep.


As soon as she reaches for her glasses I *know* that it's minutes from my favorite time of day--breakfast!

I start running around the bed (or hopping, I basically look like a bunny there's so many blankets on the bed), and whining to be put down. Mom sets me down on the floor and gives me a pat on my hiney, my morning jump start! And I'm sprinting down the hallway like Allyson Felix (what? I like following running too.... even if I'm not much of a runner myself).

I push around my food bowl so my mom knows I mean business. I'M STARVING HERE. I quickly inhale my food. Burp because I ate way too fast and swallowed a bunch of air, and realize I'm getting verrrrry sleeeeeeeepy again.



If mom is going running I get put back in bed with dad and tucked back in. Otherwise I curl up next to mom on the couch and get ready for my early-early morning nap. A full belly means I'm snoooooooring to high heaven, so mom has to shake me many times to get me to stop. Apparently this is disruptive when she's trying to read.



I *have* to go outside in the morning before they leave for work, but I'd prefer to just pee in the hallway because it's freakin' cold out there, ya know? When I decide on my own terms that I'd like to go out, I sit and drink out of my water bowl for 5-7 minutes. I figure if I'm going I might as well get hydrated first, right?

As soon as mom grabs my harness I sit on my behind and wait for her. She asks me to lift my left and then right paws, and I do, and then I spin around doing as many spins as I can while I wait for her to get ready. I like to be inspired when I'm doing my business, so I look for other dog's spots and then destroy their masterpieces. If it's really cold out, I'll stop walking, sit on my back hip and hold three of my paws in the air and demand to be carried back inside. Don't call me a diva, I'm just smart.



Once we're back inside I know it's time for my most of the day nap so I head inside my kennel and snuggle in to my favorite Packers pillow for a snooze. If I don't go in the kennel on my own, mom and dad have me trained to go in when they squeak my little hot dog chew toy. And by hot dog "chew toy" I actually mean a little piece of plastic that I let lay next to me. That thing doesn't smell or taste like a hot dog AT ALL so I'm not remotely interested.



I nap for the next four hours until dad comes home for lunch. Most days I don't even wake up to beg from his plate. This nap continues until after work when mom comes home. Occasionally I'm still sawing logs, but for the most part I'm counting down the minutes until she comes home.



As soon as I'm out of the kennel we play a quick game of chase/tag/craziness before it's time to head back outside.

Once that song and dance is over it's time for my favorite time of day AGAIN, dinner time! I scarf down my food and then head for the couch for my early evening nap.



If mom is reading or watching TV I'll curl up on her feet because they're usually freezing.



More napping will occur in the evening until it's finally time for bed. What an exhausting day! I have my dad trained to carry me in to bed, and I usually like to disrupt their snuggle time by squeezing myself in the middle of them. If that doesn't work, my next bet is to let out a nice smelly tooter to break up their party. Heh.



I fall asleep dreaming about breakfast......

A Day in the Life of Ollie

I know these "day in the life" posts used to be clever and unique approximately 5 years ago, so bear with me as I catch up to "cool."  Due to MLK day today, I get to spend a 3rd consecutive day with my little pug and I couldn't be happier.  I've also gotten her schedule memorized so I thought I'd share it with you.

7:30  Wake up.  Massive face itch/eye booger exchange on my blankets.  Prancing around my bed like a bunny or deer hops while I check twitter.  When I am finally awake enough, pug gets put down on the floor (my bed is super high, so she's too chicken to jump off.  I'm thankful for this.)

7:45  Pug freaks out about STARVING.  Clearly she has never eaten before in her life.  Insert whining, weird yipping, and really really fast spinning in a circle as I try to make my way to the kitchen.  If I should happen to use the bathroom instead of heading straight for the kitchen, I get a pug jumping up in my lap while I er.. go.  Kitchen it is.

7:50  Inhale 1/2 cup of ridiculous expensive, grain free crap free, better food than I eat.  (Pugs have a ton of allergies and issues with their digestive systems, so only the best for OLL$E.)

7:51 Check around bowl for any scraps.  Sniff out any crumbs that may be hiding on the kitchen floor.

7:52  Bathroom break.  If it's cold and mom is taking you out, decide not to go 90% of the time.  Wait until mom's fingers and toes have turned yellow due to raynaud's and then start shivering to come inside.

8:00 Watch mom get ready for work.

8-8:45 Assume position on the couch.  Wait for mom to add all blankets and pillows to the couch for a truly delightful all-day lounging experience.  Give mom a kiss for her efforts.  Watch her until she departs.

8:45-6:15  Nap

Variations--

10:15/noon/2:15  Kyle will usually come home on one of his breaks to let her out.

If in the 90% window of no potty break before work, chances are someone will leave a present in the hallway.  "But mom!  It's not cold and snowy in the hallway!  It's nice and fluffy!"

6:15  Key in the lock, Ollie jumps to attention and readies herself for freak out mode.  MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM'S HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!

6:15:30  Weird spinning, yipping, lots of licking, awkward pug butt-low-to-the-ground running while I attempt to put her harness on.

6:16   Potty break.  Lots of sniffing.  Wants to play with ALL OF THE DOGS BECAUSE THEY'RE SO LOVELY!

6:30  STARVING AGAIN.  FOOD.  MUST HAVE.

6:31  Sniffing everywhere for food that may have spilled.

6:33  Settle back on the couch for more lounging.

6:30-10pm Variations

If I have class, she likes to sit on my lap on a pillow and get her edumacationz on.  Ollie the Pugbrarian.  If no class, couch sitting positions may include, by my feet, on my feet, on my stomach, on my back/shoulder, over/on my head.

10pm  Bedtime.  Wake Ollie up.  Carry her or she follows me to the bedroom (if she's not super duper sleepy from her 4 hour nap).  Put her on the bed in her spot, cover her up, stick feet next to her warm little pug buddy since they still haven't warmed up from any of her potty breaks because my circulation blows.

10:00-10:15  Pre-bedtime itching/licking aka bathtime.

10:15pm-7am  Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeping.  As long as she's tucked in under the covers she doesn't snore, and then she gets to sleep with me.  Otherwise she gets the boot.  Poor pug.