snow's here!

At the first sign of a snowflake I start refusing to go outside. When I do take a potty break, I move so fast that I can't even be captured on film...

happy howloween

Boo!

Did everyone have a spooky evening? I know I did. I finally got a chance to wear my pumpkin costume. I modelled it for all of the neighborhood kids to see and they sure did get a kick out of it...



Aren't I adorable?

fall colours

Yesterday I explored new terrain with the humans. We went out for a big hike at a new place renowned for it's fall colours, dog-friendliness and great hiking. It's called Duffin's Creek Education Centre...

There was so much to explore. We walked through paved roads, dirt trails, open fields, bridges, a forest, and a sand pit...


The trees were beeeeeautiful...

We had no idea just how big this conservation area was. There were no maps at all, so we just kept following directions to a Pioneer cabin. We hiked for over an hour and our shadows were starting to get long...

Finally we came to the cabin. It was very isolated and the humans thought it was pretty creepy. We thought THIS was the cabin, but it is just a shed. The cabin was tucked back further in the woods....

We explored the cabin and the fire pits and then realized it was already starting to get dark. We didn't know if we should continue on the trail we were travelling and hope it went back to the entrance of the place or turn and go back the way we came. We decided to continue on a little bit more...

This is the part where we ended up in the forest. We were totally off the trails, so of course - I had a blast! There were so many smells to smell and I liked running over the logs and checking out the creek. It was so deep and wide and I hear there are sometimes brown trout in there! When we were deep in the forest we heard traffic, which meant we were so close to the road, but we couldn't cross that creek so we realized we would have to walk all the way back the way we came. It was a long way!

We hiked out of the conservation area just before it got dark. I was getting tired...

What a great day. I slept really well last night!

cold days

It's that time of year again. The temperature has dropped and I have demanded the fires be put on. I love having a nice wool area rug to snuggle into this year...

And hey - did you notice that little boston terrier in the background? He's actually an antique door stop that my mom got for my dad last Christmas. But I'll let you in on a little secret....at first, I thought he was real! I barked at him and sometimes I still sniff his bum, just to be sure.

who...wha...me?!?!?!?

Yesterday my dad came home and found me running wild in the house instead of in my crate. I don't know what happened....honest! All I know is that there seemed to be a Kleenex explosion, someone took all the toilet paper off the roles and there was a sticker massacre in the craft room. Oh yeah...and 8 balls of yarn that were planned for a sweater were found mysteriously knotted in a big ball on the floor...

I was so shocked I couldn't make eye contact with the humans. I mean, who would do such a thing?....

summer vacation

This goofy life jacket is a little too tight, lady...


Ah vacation - first I'll catch up on my naps...


Love that July heat! The humans hit the patio, while I prefer to saddle up to the water bar...



Overseeing the job site...


Who dare disturbs The Tito...?!?!

je m'appelle

My name is Tito but I have a lot of different names. I know that it's normal to have nickname or two, but my mom and dad have taken it a little too far. I have more nicknames than I can count. This is what I get called ALL THE TIME...
Pup Star
Flapjack
Bandito
Chompsy
Licky Lou
Muffin Top
Hot Stepper

Once in a while I get called...
Pork Pie
Snorebot
Toe tapper
Whack-a-mole
Corn chipper
Little Juan
Hot Tamale
Trap Jaw
Gap Tooth
Mister Tito

And I also get called...
Snort stacker
Huff n Puff
Hooligan

But that's not all! My grandma and grampa call me 'grand dog', too

How many nicknames do you have?

independent me

Now that I'm maturing I have found a new independent nature. I like walking off on my own from time to time to play or explore or nap. Sometimes I get into trouble when I go off on my own by chewing shoes or licking the furniture, but usually I'm a good boy.

The other day my mom was looking high and low for me. I heard her calling me but I didn't want to make a peep in case she made me leave my new special place. You see, it was still pretty early in the morning...at most 7am....and I learned an important lesson: the sun is at the back of the house in the afternoon, but you can find it in the bedroom in the morning! That's right! I discovered it by accident. This is what my mom saw when she found me...


I tucked my legs in tight so that I could fit in the sun spot. "I'm being good...honest!"

heaven scent

Sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses...




Aren't they beautiful? I was mesmirized by them for hours. Honest. I kept coming back to smell them all evening long. The humans thought it was funny, but that's okay. They don't know about my softer side.

black flies

Dang black flies bit my belly....

skinny dip

Summer is here! It's so nice to get back outdoors and enjoy long summer walks. Now that the weather is nicer I get to spend time with my dog walking pack, I get to lounge in the sun, and of course, I get frozen yoghurt kongs.

The exciting news is that I have learned how to get a drink from the hose. Well...kinda. You see, I'm a little intimidated by the end of the hose (when it's on full force), so I tend to lick the leaky parts instead...


It was so warm a few weeks ago that the humans put out my splash pad!


I wanted to cool myself off in the water, but first I had to bark at the grass blades and splash them out of my pool. It was hard work, but it was worth it. Just look at that crystal clear water...

i'm one

Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Happy biiiiiiiiirthday, lil' Tito...happy birthday to me.

I've had a really busy weekend. Not only was it Easter, but I celebrated my very first birthday. Wow - there was so much excitement to be had.

First, I went to Port Perry to see my grandparents & aunt & uncle on Friday. I got to chase plastic eggs all over the house. I had so much fun...it was go, go, go! I got so exhausted from all the excitement that I came home at 5pm and slept ALL through the evening and ALL through the night. I almost never sleep that long.

On Saturday I heard my mom and dad talking about my upcoming birthday and saying something about 'meat cake'. Mom was in the kitchen for a while, and I managed to steal the best treat from her. Check out the size of this carrot! I was in heaven. I managed to get a few bites before mom took it away from me...


On Sunday it was finally my birthday and the humans sang me a birthday song. And even better, the Easter bunny came to my house. I love the Easter bunny....

But don't let this picture fool you. You see, as soon as I got my teeth around that bunny, I grabbed him and shook him with all my might. Then I chewed out his eyes. I didn't like those beady little eyes looking at me. Within 5 minutes I had taken off his face and pulled out his stuffing. Sweet satisfaction!

After playing with my bunny we all packed up and went to see my other grandparents & aunt & uncle & cousins & great grandma & great uncle in Paris. There were a lot of people there. Mom and dad were happy because I was really well behaved and played nice with all my cousins. I even licked a baby! What can I say - she smelled like milk and poo, can you blame me?

Anyways, the highlight of the weekend was that I got my very own meat cupcake with mashed potato frosting and a carrot candle! Everyone sang to me while I digged in. It was fabulous! I didn't hesitate to eat it...


I had to put the meat cake in my bowl so that it didn't get too messy...


I was a good boy and shared my extra meatcake with my cousin Cleo...


Can I let you in on a little secret? I'm a little bit afraid of my cousin Cleo. You see, she's an old lady who is really quite crusty. She doesn't know how to play with other dogs and she likes to snap at me when I try to sniff her butt or get too close to her humans. She's also really territorial. She peed on the rug when I came over and she got in trouble. Uh oh....I thought I should keep my distance. Just look at those teeth - it's like a barracuda coming at you!

healthy chops

Some people have noticed that I've got great pearly whites, so I thought I'd let you in on a little secret. My great teeth come from chewing. The more I chew, the more my teeth get cleaned. A few weeks ago I even got something called a Dentastick from the humans.

At first I wasn't so sure I'd like it, but I decided to investigate....


Well, it was love at first bite...


The only thing better than getting a treat to chew on is chewing on a treat IN the SUN! Now we're talking! Can life get any better than this? I don't think so.....

i heart sun

here's henrietta

I got an early birthday present from my grandparents and I just had to show you how much fun I'm having with it....er.....her.

My dad took me over for a visit a couple of weeks ago and grandma couldn't wait to give me my prize. It is a chicken called Henrietta. This was perfect timing because I have ripped the crotch out of my old chicken. Don't get me wrong. I still love my old chicken 'cause it's dirty and floppy and stinks, but let's be honest - it has no squeaker and it has been dragged in the mud. Anyway, my new chicken is shiny and pillowy and best of all she makes all kinds of squeaks and squaks when I shake her. Here she is:

She even matches my beloved pink bone that Rob & Kristin got me when I was a new baby.

I like her so much that I learned the word "chicken" and now I really impress the humans cause when they say "Tito, get your chicken" I know that they want me to get Henrietta and not just any toy. Hey - I amaze myself sometimes.

happy st.paddy's day

lazy days

Ever have one of those days when you don't feel like getting out of bed?


I'd move, but there's some sun on my butt...

sub zero

We've had some cold weather lately. I think I mentioned it already, but I really don't like going out in the cold. Sometimes I've even been known to get all sucky and refuse to walk. Or lift my paw and try to look really sad and desperate so that I don't have to stay out too long.

Well, the other day, my mom bundled me up in a red parka to help keep me warm on my walks. I wasn't too sure about it at first. I felt a little embarassed and thought I resembled a sausage. I thought the other dogs would laugh.

Do I look fat in this?...


Ready to brace the cold....


I made it all the way down the front steps....


And then....hey! Wait a minute. Did mom get a picture of me sucking up already? Nooooo...that wouldn't be me picking up my paw would it? Trying to look pathetic and mooch a ride in my dad's coat?? Oh no....here it comes....a close up!!!!


BUSTED!!!!

eclipse excitement

Last night my mom and dad decided to put on their coats and boots and go out into the cold night around 10:30pm. It was very unusual. Now, normally I don't go into the cold - especially so close to my bed time - but I followed them out into the front yard where we stopped and looked at the sky. There was a lunar eclipse! I got to see the moon being shadowed by the earth and I think I even saw Saturn and Orion.

Mom's friend Colette got some good pics of it:






Thanks for sharing so that I could blog about it, Colette!

I was so excited (or maybe it was confused/stressed about going out in the cold so late) that I puked on my mom's rug when I got back in the house. But don't worry about me. It was just a few pieces of kibble and I ate them before the humans had to pick them up.