Hi there, my name is Butler and I am the family dog. I’m 10 years old and my family rescued me when I was just a puppy, so I’ve been with these people for a very long time. I pretty much have them figured out
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My life was turned upside down three months ago when my family moved from Arizona to California. I was enjoying my life in a really expansive house with a giant backyard and all I had to do to get out there was scratch on the door and someone would let me out. Well, things have changed, so I thought I would tell you a little bit about what my life looks like now.
I did have a giant backyard in Arizona, but there was one big problem. It was HOT. For almost half the year my parents said it was too hot to take me for a walk. Apparently if it was over 90 degrees, we weren’t going anywhere. So I had a big backyard, but most of the time I was just out there by myself doing my business and coming back inside.
Things are very different here.
After the torture of a hot ride through Arizona and California to get to our new home, I am happy to report, life is good over here in sunny Laguna Beach. I start each day with a walk on the beach. I don’t even have to be on my leash which is such a nice change. I can wander about smelling everything and lifting my leg as I please. It’s fun when my friends show up and we can run around. Pixie is my favorite. She’s young and spunky and we love to play chase. I like Jelly, Sully and Woody too. Sometimes I smell treats in their owner’s pockets and I stay close to their side hoping they might give me one. It’s fun to chase the birds and when I’m really lucky, I find a little snack buried in the sand. My mom usually disagrees that it’s a snack and tries to pull me away from it.
I love what happens after our beach walk. I get to eat! This new food we have is my favorite thing in the world. I love it. Freshpet had me in mind when they made their food.
Now for a long nap. If I can’t get comfortable on the bed, the couch, the loveseat or the floor, I’ll go lay outside on the couch in the sun. This is the life, snoozing away to the sound of the waves crashing. I can see everything from this perch up here so if I spot any dogs on the beach, I’ll bark at them to let them know I’m up here watching.
Usually midway through the day I go for another walk. This one is in the really expensive neighborhood by our condo. There are so many flowers and bushes to smell and lift my leg on. Every once in a while we run into another dog, Aspen is probably my favorite. She is much bigger than me, but she’s a puppy so I’m not scared of her. I also get a lot of attention when we’re out walking because I have a mohawk. People are always stopping to tell me how cute I am and asking my parents what kind of dog I am. I don’t really know what the big deal is. I’ve always had a mohawk.
Nap time again. I love to lounge. I spend my time resting and relaxing all over the place. I never sleep in the same place all the time, I like to mix it up. I like our smaller home, it makes it so much easier to keep track of my mom and dad. I always know what’s going on.
My second favorite part of the day is when I get to eat again. Even though the food is exactly the same as every other day, I still love it and eat it as fast as I can because I am a good boy, that’s what my mom and dad tell me anyway.
I usually just lay around until it’s time for a nighttime walk in the neighborhood again. I really like this one because it’s dark and there are so many things to smell. I know my parents have trouble seeing so I get to lead them on this evening walk which is really fun. I like to go super duper fast.
Then it’s time for bed. I love to sleep cuddled up close to my mom. I have my own blanket and lay almost on her head. Sometimes she rolls over onto me so then I crawl over to my dad’s side and really get a chance to sleep hard.
I did have one tragedy since living in this new place. I’m not really sure what happened but I had a lot of pain in my mouth and one day I went to the vet. They put me to sleep and when I woke up almost all of my teeth were gone. I was really tired after that and I couldn’t go on the beach for a whole week. It was torture.
My mom used to leave the house a lot more. I think she had a job. She had a lot of clothes with piles everywhere. Now she’s home. Sometimes she tries on clothes and takes pictures of herself. Other times she takes pictures of the clothes and puts them into packages. I don’t really understand what she’s doing, but I always get up and stand by her while she works.
My dad is in one room a lot of the time. He talks a lot on the phone or just to the computer. I can hear other voices I don’t know but I don’t bark because I am a good boy. He usually keeps the door closed so I can’t go in.
I really like to play king of the castle. Sometimes my mom and dad get dressed up and leave me home alone. At first when they leave I’m sad and a little scared but after a little while I realize I’m ok and I pretend I’m king of the castle. I lay on their pillows, I rub my butt on the carpet, I bark a lot. It’s fun but it wears me out so when they come home, I’m almost too tired for our walk. But I never say no because I’m a good boy.
I do miss my backyard sometimes. It was nice being able to go outside whenever I wanted. But in Arizona I mostly went outside by myself. Here my mom and dad have to come with me everywhere.
I forgot! One of the best things about this place is the door to the deck is almost always open! I can go outside and lay for awhile, then come inside, then go back out again and I don’t have to scratch to get anyone’s attention. The bad news is the deck is not a bathroom. Apparently. So if I have to go in between my walks, I still have to scratch or whine until someone figures out what I’m trying to tell them. Sometimes it takes forever. Humans aren't very smart.
So that’s pretty much my life now. I don’t have my giant backyard anymore and I have almost no teeth. But I get three walks a day, I have friends on the beach, my food is delicious, the door to the deck is almost always open and my mom is home a lot more than she used to be.
I think California is working out pretty well for me.