Happy Birthday Tino

Tino- Happy Birthday! You are one year old today. You still look like a frisky, little six month-old to me, though.

Our first six months together have had some ups and downs, no? There was that whole broken leg thing, which cost your Daddy and me so much money that I gave you the nickname “Million Dollar Baby.” Don’t tell anyone, but that month when I carried you around everywhere in your Bean was one of my favorites. If you weren’t right next to my heart, you got this terribly anxious look on your face. If you were sitting on your Daddy’s lap and I was in the kitchen, you’d whine and wiggle until he gave up and brought you to me. You’ve since become quite attached to your Daddy, too, but for that first month, it was like you were my newborn baby.

We also moved three times during our first six months, which has really confused you about the whole potty thing. When you first came to us, you were doggy door trained, and you knew that Potty happened Outside. Then, we moved in with Mom and Dad, and all the other pet smells in the house made you want to leave a few of your own. Now that we’re in an apartment, you can only go on a leash, and sometimes you get impatient with us and go behind the couch. But that’s okay, because now we’re going to try and train you to go on a potty pad when you’re in the house.

One of the funniest things you do is run around the apartment in Greyhound Mode, meaning as fast as your skinny legs can carry you- which is astonishingly fast. You do this when you’re really excited or want to play. You make these funny, little growling noises when you do it, like you’re chasing an invisible foe. If there is a piece of furniture in your way, you simply jump over it- going around is for wimps. At first, I was terrified that you were going to break your leg again- and Daddy said if you do, we’re going to amputate- but you seem to be able to handle yourself quite well now.
You’ve also firmly established that You Sleep in the Bed. None of this sleeping in a crate business. You are a pack animal, plain and simple, and you want to be curled up with someone’s arms around you at night. This took a while for Daddy to accept, and he still keeps hinting about you sleeping somewhere else when we ever get another dog, but I know better.

You are obviously spoiled. I feed you a special brand of canned dog food with names like Grammie’s Pot Pie and Wing-a-ling (your favorite) and Campfire Trout Feast. When we have to go out of town, you stay at the Lucky Dog Lodge. I can’t help myself- you’re my baby, and you’re so darn fragile!

The cutest thing you do is our greeting ritual: you put your little arms on my shoulders and rub your face all over mine, nuzzling to your heart’s content. You do this to Daddy too. I think it’s your way of giving hugs and kisses.

Tino, I can’t even remember what life was like before you- my constant lap warmer, my snuggle partner, my big credit card balance, my Bubby. You are truly the best bribe ever. Happy Birthday!