smart toys

Hmm, pull the food out of this end, ignore it for a few hours, and the food reappears.... I bet if I hide upstairs long enough, they'll even carry it up for me next time.... Now, if only I could figure out that tv remote....

so courageous

With quick action, Marley just escaped the oncoming waves....

Now, if only we can get him to come to the other side, without having to wait for low tide...

dog beach (freedom!)

Hey Marley.... Over here....

Marley, let's go this way... No, over this way...

ok, time to go.... hey, where are you going now...

on safari

...slowly ...sneaking up .....and catching marley asleep in his natural habitat... ok, so this is actually what he does best, and in his favorite location. I think he just likes to keep the bed warm for us... now if he'd only move so we could actually find out if it is warm...

foster family

At Marley's first venture to dog beach, we ran into his foster family. He got a chance to rough house with his old foster sister, Zoe. He doesn't play with too many dogs, but they always seem to get into it a bit. Sisters....always causing trouble.....

Heather and Marley

It's never too difficult to find Marley around the house, we're just happy he's willing to share his favorite spot with us. Looks like Heather might have woken him up this time though...

Starting to get comfortable

In case anyone was worried about whether or not Marley has been getting more comfortable, rest assured he is. His three favorite spots in the house are; our bed, his brand new personalized bed, and absolutely any other spot he can fit on. Though he still doesn't play much with his toys, he has found a good use for his stuffed puppy.... seems like it makes a rather comfy pillow.

Here's a little cameo of his new little piggy squeak toy. He also has a little fat rat, but it's probably hiding somewhere ready to trip up Heather or Scott. Marley has learned a new game with his toys. It's a combination of catch and keep away. Basically we throw it, he catches it, and then runs away from us. The game ends when we get tired of chasing him, or Marley remembers he doesn't actually play with toys....

holiday antlers

The great thing about a still photograph is that two people holding an antsy dog simply look like they're petting him, and a wiggly dog can look like he's behaving like a well trained angel.... that 'sport' setting on the camera sure comes in handy to catch those two seconds when the antlers actually remained on!! Marley's first holiday with us, and I think he ended up with more gifts than both of us combined!

Graduation Day

Well, after a grueling eight weeks of strict training, lots of homework, and of course an entire package of cheese, Marley is now officially a graduate! Even though it was beginner class, Marley still felt like a senior.... since he was the oldest by about 3 years. His other classmates were all under a year old, but Marley was always happy to run and hide from each and everyone of them!

We held our breath as Marley went through the graduation test, which was not exactly a stellar success the week before. Marley seemed to be showing some nerves the week before as he waited his turn to make a practice run for what would be required to graduate. As everyone was watching the dogs taking their turns, Marley decided to relieve himself on an entire rack of little doggy coats. Of course the coats had a fur lining to ensure they would not be easily cleaned... why waste it on something that would not be much trouble I guess..... Just at that moment was Marley's turn for the practice run, which obviously started out a little frantic. He was not happy with the lack of cheese, and therefore decided he could not understand what was being said. He did manage a sit, and an eventual lay down, in which he just slid his paws slightly forward to be a tiny bit lower. We can never get Marley to even look at a toy, but he decided he would check out every toy during the 'leave it alone' portion of the test.

Needless to say, this left us a little worried about the final day. Yet for his graduation day, Marley performed each test perfectly, and even finished off with his signature catch trick! Although even more miraculous was the fact that we were able to get the graduation cap on him long enough for a couple of pictures. Not exactly the most thrilled look, but we promise we didn't make him wear it very long!

Gettin' Toasty!!

With the impending wildfires getting ever closer, our neighborhood became a mandatory evacuation area. Grabbing a few handy items, and of course all of Marley's treats, food and bed, we packed up the car and headed out.

We headed to Michelle's, Heather's best friend, in Arizona. The getaway was fairly quick, as the roads were surprisingly light. It appears as though a lot of people attempted to stay locally for the first few days. We were glad we got out quick, especially after hearing some of the problems people had with overcrowded hotels and evacuation centers.

We quickly found Marley a great dog park close to where Michelle lived, so he wouldn't miss his twice a day regiment. The dog park was huge, lots of lights and enough room for Marley to shy away from all the other dogs that were anxious to play. He started off in the 'Timid Dog Area', but the few tiny dogs that came in chased him around, so finally we thought he'd fair better in the bigger area where there was much more room for him to run...... and hide.... By the end of the week Marley was.... well not playing, but atleast brave enough to stand close by and watch the other dogs playing.

We got to take a side trip to visit Heather's grandparents who live close to Tucson Arizona. Marley enjoyed a nice run around the golf course, which was allowed since no one was there to stop us....

Marley seemed to handle the frantic adventure pretty well, and of course loved any excuse to have our non stop attention for an entire week. Luckily our neighborhood and new home was untouched by the wildfires, and we were glad to head back to San Diego.

Marley will definitely miss the high vantage point of Michelle's apartment, which gave him a good view of all that was going on. He liked to chat with anyone he could spot coming or going, though everyone seemed to just think he was barking at them.... oh well, that's 'zonies for ya!

Bed Testing

Another rough day!

At the beach

The beach is nice, but the sand is a bit hot.... Ah, this spot is a little better.....

Beauty Sleep

Another deep sleep interrupted by the camera. He can tell you how the movie started, but not much after that....

Neighborhood Watch

Marley at one of his favorite posts, ensuring the neighborhood is safe. Of course now that he knows the bathroom is where a bath could potentially happen, which is right next to this window, he usually moves past it much quicker now....

Shopping Spree

I had my first shopping spree today in La Jolla. After a bit of window shopping, I found a nice store called Muttropolis. I got to taste sample a selection of treats until I found my favorite, Duck Jerky! I picked up a few more essentials, including my own new bed which I tested out on the ride home, very comfy!

Adopted!

After a couple of months with my foster family, the Dog Squad took me to an adoption event where I found Scott & Heather. I am now living with my new parents in San Elijo Hills near Moonlight Beach! I'm already a regular at the dog park, and am thinking about trying surfing soon!

The Dog Squad

I'm a mutt, part Shar Pei and part Vizsla. I am 3-4 years old and I enjoy sniffing flowers and duck jerky treats.

After four months at a kennel, I was 24 hours away from being put to sleep.The Dog Squad came in at the last moment and was able to find me a foster home to take me in for a little while.