World's. Worst. Beggar.

Last weekend, Tony and I celebrated the end of March break with a surf-and-turf night.  This was something we had planned all week, and we had so much fun preparing this delicious meal as a couple.  The table was set and the wine was opened.  The lobster and steak were cooked to perfection.  We were all ready to sit down for a romantic dinner, just the two of us.

But then, there was this…

Worst. Beggar. EVER. This little dog has a lot of great qualities, but his bottomless appetite is not one of them.  And with TWO meat options that night, he was especially on his worst begging behavior.  We make a habit of not feeding Butters at the table, but he seemed to have forgotten all of his training that night.  He gave multiple attempts to convince us he was worthy of a few table scraps.  He tried sitting patiently…

When that didn’t work, he went to his crate hoping we would award him with just one… or two… or three samplings of lobster.

And when these attempts didn’t work, he really put on the charm…

Who doesn't want CRAZY puppy eyes staring over the table?!  

Needless to say, while Tony and I didn’t have the peaceful candle-lit dinner we had imagined, we got a good laugh out of Butters’ desperate attempts at sharing surf-and-turf night with us.

And, we topped it off with Tony's favorite dessert... Strawberry Shortcake!

But, sorry Butters.  Your treats come later.

Doggie SOCKS!!

This past week Tony and I visited Elmwood Pet Supply, a cute pet boutique.  This was our first time there.  We were so impressed with the excellent selection of unique items for dogs to enjoy.  Butters especially enjoyed this trip.  He had a chance to meet the shop’s dog and investigate the numerous treat bins throughout the store.  Most of the things we bought were practical, including a moose antler (an odorless, long-lasting chew) and bully sticks (his all-time favorite treat).  However, we could not resist when we saw these…

Yes… doggie SOCKS! 

Of course, Butters thought these were definitely meant to be a chew toy.  

It was much to his displeasure that he learned these are to be worn… not as much fun.  

However, they did kind of grow on him after he had a chance to chew his new moose antler while wearing the socks

I realize somewhere along the line Tony and I turned into those annoying dog owners who love to torture dogs with the prospect of a new outfit… sweaters, hats, and now socks for Butters.  At least these are just for the occasional moment we need a good laugh and not an everyday thing.  However, I am pretty sure a Halloween costume will be in order after his reaction to these ridiculous socks.

The Pack

Being the only child dog in the household, Butters (our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) is used to being king of the house

He has it pretty rough being all on his own...

This weekend, we made the trip from Buffalo to Ithaca to visit with my parents.  Butters loves the extra human kisses, but gets extra excited because he gets to hang with his buds: Missy (the Brittany Spaniel), Xena (the warrior princess chihuahua), and Molson (the golden retriever).  Now that he has been visiting several times, he has really formed a close relationship with his 3 pals.

He was naturally attracted to Missy when we brought him over for the first time.  I think he thought she was his mom, as she certainly looks like a much bigger version of him.  He would follow her around the house, try to lick her ears, and pounce on her face when she was sleeping.  The old girl was not ready for this young brat.  I think they have come to a mutual understanding now... no more pouncing!

Xena was the most confusing for him... I think he didn't know for sure if she actually was a dog.  With her one remaining tooth, she certainly let Butters know that she did not appreciate him tasting her tail!  Xena is the one in the house whom usually gets first pick of the laps, so she wasn't thrilled when this lap-hogging tyrant came in to steal her humans!  She is starting to come around on the sharing bit.
















... But, I think his favorite is Molson.  They were fast made best friends from the beginning.  Butters likes to snuggle with him the most, and luckily Molson is pretty agreeable.