Maui at Home with the Gosevii

The peeps and I used to have the same conversation every time they got an invite to the Gosevitz cottage:

Me: Can I come this time? I'm a great cottage dog. I'm cute. I'm quiet. I'll warm their hearts during the day and their feet at night. 

Them: We told them. No dice.

Me: Well, then out of solidarity, I think you should decline the invite. 

Them: Are you kidding? Have you seen their place?

Me: Really? 

I'm pleased to report that I have a feeling that I'm pretty sure there's a really good chance I'll probably never have to have that conversation again. Out of the blue, Mrs. G decided to let me join the Peacock Road party and it was everything I always imagined it to be: plush carpets to sleep on, warm wooden floors to lie on and a beautiful view to wake up to. I think I fit right in.

Now that I've been to this lovely home, I can see why Mrs. G was hesitant all these years. Mrs. G, you should know that I took the honour of being invited very seriously. I didn't hop up on any pieces of furniture, not even the super plush den couches. I made sure Dan wiped my feet down every time I came back in from the snow. And because I was sharing space with your beautiful granddaughter, I barked at every stranger who came to the door to make sure they were on the up and up. All good.

Thank you so much for letting me visit. It made my weekend. It made every one of those conversations with Dan and Tiia worth it. And it's given my mission to create a dog-friendly world a real shot in the arm. As Rocky Balboa said to the people of Moscow after knocking out Ivan Drago: if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change.

Snuggles

Milo's a cuddler.

It took a while for him to get to this point — a lot of ear pulling, the smacking-me-in-the-face phase and of course the day he took a particular interest in my back side.

He still pokes me in the eye from time to time, but I know it's out of love so I let it go. I'm hoping Dan teaches him to scrape off my eye gunk and feed it to me. And I really hope he doesn't find it as gobsmackingly yummy as I do. But then again, how could he not.

And...back to snuggling.

Ask The Maui Monster

Dear Maui Monster,

My people feel bad about not taking me for long walks in the winter. How do I let them know I really don't mind?

Love your blog,
Wonderfully Warm

Dear WW...

My people are the same way. They even go so far as to apologize when I come back inside after a bio break in the backyard. Sure, it's a break from snuggling up in bed, but as you know, looking cute is hard work. Here's what I broke out this morning. I call it 'Relaxed Bear'.

As for the guilt your people feel, I think you just have to let them own it and reap the benefits. I've used it to get more treats from the goodie jar (the liver treats are on rotation now — mmm.) You'll also have a little more leeway to push the boundaries. If you haven't read my guide to getting bed privileges, this is a good time.

Another benefit to more time inside is that you can try out different sleeping nooks. For example, I've rediscovered the brown couch and started taking advantage of the playroom carpet. Wherever you choose, make sure there's window. You want a bit of a cold air source so going out isn't quite as jarring. It's also nice to see how blustery it is so you can prepare yourself mentally. I hum the theme from Rocky.

It's like the TV isn't even there.

Every Sunday, when Tiia goes to the gym, Dan, Milo and I have Boys Time in the Basement. We wrestle (me and Dan), crawl through the psychedelic tunnel (Dan and Milo) snuggle (Milo and me) and yes — we watch TV. It's the only time during the week Milo gets to space out in front of the tube, but he doesn't do that.

Instead, he plays with his blocks, bangs on the bongo, takes his socks off and pulls at my ears. I guess it's a good thing he's not mesmerized by the bright talking box like three certain couch potatoes I know. Right now, we're binge-watching Suits. Only four episodes tonight. Progress.

You say it's your birthday?

Rigby lives in Philadelphia with Dan's friend Jackie. I wonder if he was named after Elenor Rigby? If I could be named after a Beatles character, it'd be Maxwell. I want a silver hammer for my next birthday. April 27. Just sayin.

Happy first Rigby!

A New Year's Surprise

I named Dan's parents Helsi and BenevolEd. I thought they were great grandparent names at the time. They prefer Bubbika and Zeddy. So do I.

Anyway, Milo slept at Bubbika and Zeddy's place on New Year's Eve.  I hear it's nice. I have fond memories of the basement in their old house. I peed on the floor the first time Dan and I went down there. I was young and experimenting with boundaries. I also liked the backyard.

Another reason I liked it was that there was no rule prohibiting dogs from visiting. Can't say the same for their new place, but I've made it my 2015 mission to change the condo board's mind.

I started on New Year's Eve by hanging out in the lobby while Dan and Tiia dropped Milo off. I made friends with the concierge (Happy New Year, Lawrence!) and met a lovely South African couple on their way to a party. 

Like in the basement at 146, I experimented with boundaries (Relax Zeddy, I didn't pee). I ventured to the far end of the carpet by the elevator bay. From there, you can't see the front doors anymore, which I'd argue means you're officially inside. Truth be told, I had no interest in moving off the plush fancy carpet anyway. Would you? 

Lawrence watched me the whole time and even asked what kind of dog I was. He'd heard of a Portuguese Water Dog, but never a French. Dan gave him the line. It never gets old.

I had Lawrence smiling the whole time, and not the nervous "I hope no one sees this" kind. It was more of a "I would let you up if I could".  

Step One – Endear Myself to the Gatekeeper: √ 

In case you're wondering, Step Two is getting caught in the lobby by an anti-puppy board member, and getting Dan and/or Tiia momentarily chewed out in the process. If they're smart, they'll say they're there to visit the Feingolds in 602 and hope it checks out. 

As the earful is being delivered, I'll throw my best cute-face on and actually make the deliverer feel silly about banning beautiful creatures like me.

He'll walk across to the Manulife Centre (where they allow dogs, by the way), grab a coffee, and realize that the rule makes no sense. He'll add it as a discussion point in the next newsletter and open the door for Step Three: The Surprise Visit.

Right...surprises. I knew I was going somewhere with this.

When I woke up in 2015, Milo wasn't there. It was back to the Yurkenbaum Three. I thought it'd be heavenly, but it wasn't, despite evidence to the contrary. I miss him when he's not around. He hugs me now. Can't beat that.