Pixie and I are good citizens

Yep - last night both Pixie and I passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. You can read all about the CGC program HERE.

I am not really sure what the big deal is. In fact, I have thought up my own test which of course I can pass in my sleep. So how do you think you would do on the Bug Good Citizen test. Here is what you have to do:

1. Make sure that everyone around you has clean ears. Good ear hygiene is of the utmost importance. Clean ears help everyone listen better. So you must spend some time each day cleaning the ears of those around you - both canine and human and even feline if you have one of those around.

2. Rescue poor worms that have been flooded out of their homes. You must find a worm and carry it inside to dry ground. The catch is that you have to carry it inside without killing it. Then you have to deposit the still wiggling worm in a safe, dry spot like the sofa.

3. Keep your area free of pinecones. Pinecones can be hazardous - they are very easy for people to trip over. You must find and destroy all pinecones. Once they are shredded into tiny pieces they cannot hurt anyone.

4. Help your owner stay fit by not fetching. Here is how it works - they throw the ball and you run after it but then you don't bring it back. This way they have to retrieve it and in doing so they get some exercise. If you bring it right back every time, they will just stand still and that is not healthy.

5. Make people smile each day by doing kooky things. There are a lot of different kooky things you can do to satisfy this part of the test. This is your chance to be creative. Extra points are given if you come up with something kooky that I haven't done yet.

There you have it. If you pass you get the coveted BGC title after your name.

Why Ladybug Is the Perfect Name for Me

Although I am a whippet I have a ton of things in common with the beetle called the ladybug.

For instance, ladybugs are red with black markings and as you can see from my photos I too am red with black markings.

Ladybug's beat their wings 85 times per second when they fly - I also can fly even if I don't have wings.

Ladybugs are called the gardener's best friend because they eat lots of aphids - I am Pixie's best friend and I am sure I would like to eat lots of aphids too if I knew what they were.

There are also some things about ladybugs that aren't exactly the same as me - they are cold-blooded and I am not. They can only go 15 mph at top flying speed and I can go twice as fast as that. They hibernate in cold weather but I love to run around in the snow.

And here are some other interesting stories about ladybugs:

In England a ladybug signifies a good harvest. In France, it means good weather is coming. In Sweden, if a ladybug lands on a girl's hand, it's said to be taking measurements for her wedding gloves.

Another popular belief is that if ladybug lands on you, you can make a wish and chant:

"Ladybird, ladybird fly away home.

Your house is on fire and your children all roam."

If the ladybug flies away, your wish will come true.

And did you know that The Ladybug is the Official State Insect of five states: New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Tennessee. And the Ladybug is the Official State "Bug" of Delaware.

Being Ladybug

Being Ladybug means enjoying the spring weather to the fullest and spending as little time inside as possible.

Being Ladybug means greeting each day with a huge smile.

Being Ladybug means knowing what is important - snuggling with friends and giving kisses.

Being Ladybug means running as fast as you can without worrying where you are headed.

Being Ladybug means savoring each morsel of food that comes your way.

Being Ladybug means throwing caution to the wind.

Being Ladybug means diving in with all 4 paws.

Being Ladybug means being generous with your gifts.

Being Ladybug means loving a broken old stick as much as an expensive store-bought toy.

Being Ladybug means knowing when to stop but keeping on going.

Being Ladybug means feeling the sunshine on your face.

Here's hoping you can be a little bit Ladybug in your life.

How many names does one puppy need???

First you have my registered name - Notorious Firekat

Then you have my call name - Ladybug

Of course nobody actually calls me Ladybug, they call me Bug. Well some folks call me Lady cause they don't like insects.

And then there are my many nicknames:

• Babybug
  
• Bugaroo
• Bugger
• Buggle
• Buglet
• Bugsy
• Kookoobug
• Lady B
• Little Momma
• Little Ms. Stretchypants
• Moomybug
• Mumbly Bumbly
  
• Nutball
• Peanut
• Wooby
  

Pixie's registered name is Catchem Trigger and she has lots of nicknames too:

• Pixaroo
• Pixel
• PixieChick
• PixRooster
• PixieSticks
• PixieWix sometimes lengthened to PixieWixieWoo
• PixieWixel
• RoosterRoo

Even my Mom has a lot of names. Her registered name is Allison but everyone calls her Allie. Here are her nicknames:

• Alibabba
• Alleycat
• Als
• Big Al
• Smitty

I am a good girl

It has recently come to my attention that my Mom is spreading lies about me and my behavior. I actually don't think my Mom means any harm, I think her statements just need to be translated into Bug-glish.

So if you hear my Mom say - Bug is stubborn - she really means - Bug is determined.

Anytime she might say - Bug is uncooperative, she really means to say that I am an independent thinker.

Perhaps you have heard her say that I am destructive - well really all that means is that I am creative.

If she says that I am cute, adorable, beautiful, special, wonderful, lovable, or fantastic - well actually those words just mean what they say cause I am all those things.

And if you hear her say something about me being a nutball or a kook - she really means to say that I am exuberant and very serious about enjoying life to the fullest.

I hope this lesson in Bug-glish was helpful. Please keep these things in mind whenever you hear my Mom say anything about me.

Look what can happen in just 9 short months

I went from this:

To this:
To this:
To this:
To this: