It has been awhile. It’s time for the Boss update.
Thank you for asking, he is doing well. Weighing in around 5 lbs he is a ball of cuteness and cuddles at times and yips and spunk at other times.
Boss has realized he has a voice. I was telling B the other day that I myself finally heard Boss’ voice. I sat there looking at him trying to communicate on some cosmic non-verbal level when it popped into my head. A snappy, sharp voice coming across the wavelengths in Spanish.
That explains a lot. Foremost, that I am mostly crazy. Secondly, the Boss is true to his chihuahuan roots and speaks in Spanish. I am not sure exactly what he said – probably something about biscuit or chase me or please take this sweater off.
By the way, Boss wears sweaters. Little dogs are not designed for less than 45 degrees and since our outside world is now covered in ice and snow little Boss must be prepared. His grandma has bought him a colorful wardrobe of sweaters and hoodies – and, of course, a pink shirt. While Boss cooperates with this canine game of dress me up, he often disables himself. I will find him in his crate with two front paws stuck in the sweater and a helpless look on this face.
On Thursday Boss has a date with Santa. A local organization has a picture day with Santa and I have already signed Boss up. He will wear his Christmas sweater and he will smile. I will take a picture and go to Walgreen’s to make those long Christmas postcards with catchy holiday phrases such as “Holiday Yips & Wishes from The Waterstraat’s!” then I will mail it to everyone with cute children and show them what a truly cute child looks like.
They look like Boss.
In his Christmas sweater he is dapper and smart beyond his years. And he doesn’t need a sweater to show us proof. Because the other day he taught himself to climb stairs. I knew it would be coming plus there is so much exciting stuff upstairs. Another worldly level of dirty socks and bathroom rugs to chew up. At first we didn’t realize Boss could ascend until he went missing and we heard the familiar patter of paws running at maniac speed upstairs.
It was Boss.
He is so excited he is not quite sure what to do with himself. So for now he runs from one end of the hall to the other and then runs under beds. Chris’ bathroom is the most exciting of his stops, so exciting that the other day he couldn’t help himself and on the rug took a pee.
Boss also likes the basement. Fear not the bicycle wheel it is really the pencil he is looking for. Of all the things he could consume and entertain in the basement he found….a pencil. Every time I take him downstairs he runs immediately over to this pencil and then attacks it with a charge.
Boss loves to play but sometimes it goes too far. The other night a frenetically paced game of catch with a squeaky ball left Boss careening across the wooden floors so fast that he rolled ass first right into his bowl of food spilling kibbles all over the floor. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen from a non-human species and even threw Boss for a loop. He wouldn’t catch the ball and wouldn’t go near the food. Chris says it’s because he’s a neat freak and won’t touch a mess. I said that is because I sit at home preaching to him that the mess is the enemy and he has learned well.
The other day Boss helped me put up the Christmas tree. Actually he chewed apart the foam from the new tree stand while I wrestled with the tree’s wiry green parts. Boss seems to think I just planted a lighted green tree in our living room just for him. He eyes it suspiciously, circles, and then steals a snowman ornament to take to his secret hideaway.
Which is under the ottoman. This is his favorite spot. It also helps that there is a heating vent under there. He lays under there and if you get close enough he will tease you with a paw or stick his head out before letting out a tiny yap! When I moved the ottoman the other day I found many strings and a few dead cornbugs. Things every puppy should have.
The other day I thought for sure I would get another dog. Dogs are pack animals and if you have one you might as well have two. Besides, I fear Boss will be lonely when we are not home. Finally Chris had me convinced that we did not need one more dog. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be prepared. Of course I have given her a name – Roxy.
(which breed she is and where I will get her from is TBD)
Boss keeps himself busy during the day by snuggling into his cave-like crated filled with blankets and his blue bed. He buries himself under it all along with his favorite toys – squeaky frog, the hedgehog, the stringy bone and sometimes the kong. Boss has more toys than most children but still the other day Chris said “Boss needs more T-O-Y-S.” Spelling it out because again Boss is brilliant and gifted and can spell most human words.
Last night Boss started barking at 4 am. I call it night because I sleep during the night. Boss on the other hand gets the urge. And so we were outside at 4 am walking in icy snow. Times like this you think to yourself why the heck did I get a dog. As he circled the tree about 10 times to find just the right spot you might think “why” even more. But then you wake up the next morning (or 2 hours later) find him nestled in his little cave (crate) and when his tail starts wagging the minute he sees you – you think to yourself that’s why.
Here he is in his Christmas sweater. Admit it, this is the best sweater vest you’ve ever seen:
