Merry Christmas

Kozmo had a great Christmas. He got lots of new toys and got to spend time with family and friends.

You can see from the photo above that a LOT has changed for Kozmo over the past year. He finally wore me down and got me to be flexible on my no dogs on furniture rule. They have couches at his daycare and he learned to get on the couch. At first I was ok with this in the family room because the couch is really old. Somehow in the holiday spirit I decided it's ok if Koz gets on this chair in the living room. The cat already clawed it. So here is Kozmo enjoying one of his new toys in the living room, on his chair.

 

Over the past year with Kozmo we have made tremendous progress with my cat Sparky accepting a puppy into his home. Sparky is tolerating Kozmo more and more. Here he is inspecting the presents. My goal for 2013 is to get some really great photos of Sparky and Kozmo together.

This is not at all a good photo, but it represents a lot of hard work, progress and overall Christmas spirit. The dark blob under the tree is actually Sparky who would not turn around to look at the camera. I guess he thought he was making a statement keeping his back to me. Kozmo was so thrilled with his new nylabone that he didn't even try to chase the cat. We had a very Merry Christmas!!

Finally Someone Loves Snow as Much as I Do

If you know me or you read this blog you should know by now that I am head over heels in love with Kozmo. He's my dog so in my world he is the greatest dog ever and everything he does is awesome. That being said, one thing I really, really love about Kozmo is that he loves the snow. I love snow. LOVE SNOW!! It's the coolest thing ever to have a dog who loves the snow too. I hope we get feet and feet and feet of snow this winter.

A Whole Year

It's been an entire year since Kozmo came into my life. He was an early Christmas present on December 17, 2011 and my entire life has changed. He has grown and learned so much from that crazy little puppy at the shelter. I can not imagine life without Koz. What a difference a year makes. I think he is done growing. When I got Koz he was about 30 pounds and the shelter said he wouldn't get much bigger. He has been 65 pounds for the past six months. He is such a sweet dog and makes me smile every day.

December 17, 2011

December 17, 2012 - enjoying his adoption day Kong

Kozmo Kringle got to meet Kris Kringle

The shelter where I got Kozmo from advertised photos with Santa at the local mall. Since Kozmo Kringle was a Christmas puppy it seemed perfect that I take Kozmo to meet Santa. Almost instantly a brainstorm emerged and this not yet taken photo was to become my Christmas cards.

I was a little concerned taking Kozmo to the mall with all sorts of new sights and sounds. He walked in like he owned the place and was very well behaved. He sat with Santa and I was able to introduce Kozmo Kringle to the original Kris Kringle.

It's starting to feel like Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for all of the blessings in our lives. I am so thankful Kozmo came into my life. He makes me smile every day. Because of Kozmo I get outside everyday, whether I want to or not. Once I'm outside I am so thankful for the walk, the fresh air, the time to relax, smelling the fresh air, and noticing all of the gifts in nature. Kozmo and I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family.

Houseguest

Kozmo had a special treat last night. My best friend and her sweet dog, Paki, came to visit. We've been friends since the beginning of time, so it only makes sense our dogs would want to be best friends. Paki is a sweet, sort of shy gentleman who is approximately 11 years old. Kozmo, is much larger, much younger, and has a LOT more energy. Clearly I have a lot more to learn about dogs...

I guess if I think back on it, Pakidog's human and I weren't best friends instantly. It's been a great friendship that has grown over many years. Kozmo and Pakidog met briefly this summer. They weren't together long enough to be friends. I was determined both dogs would love each other, be calm and would cooperate for a sweet photo session.

What really happened was that Pakidog and his human arrived at our house and instantly both dogs were barking. Clearly they both had a lot to say. Kozmo just wanted to play and poor Paki just wanted to be left alone. I distracted Kozmo with his laser light. We took the dogs for a walk together. Finally after several hours there was a moment where both dogs were still and close to each other.

The thing Paki and Kozmo have in common is a love for the really great hot dog treats I make. Here they are both staring intently at the treat dish. After this photo was taken it was time for bed.

When I got up this morning and took two dogs outside I realized it was really fun to have two dogs in the house.

Voting is part of being a good citizen

Kozmo helped his humans vote earlier this morning. Koz wants to remind everyone to go out and vote.

This was Kozmo's first election. I wasn't expecting such a long line but Kozmo did great waiting patiently in line. He got a few smiles and some people wanted to pet him. The only time he wasn't perfect is as we entered the main room where we meet there was a beagle. Kozmo wanted to play with the beagle and let out a bark. He loved all of the attention he got from the women who were working at the polls. I was proud that Kozmo went to a new place and encountered tons of new people and behaved like a good citizen.

For those of you in the US, Go vote!!