Maggie Dog

2012 - Noir Doggie… "Cinematic B&W Filter"

2006-11 November 03 (Days Left: 4,693) Friday, November 03, 2006 This is one of those times that I wish I had a video camera. Maggie would get so happy to see me every time. She would come and nudge me for scratches. If I sat on the floor she would dance all around and smother me. On my lap! Off my lap! Aound in a circle! Now again! She would sit on me!! ...and smooch on me. So full of love.

2006-08 August 10 (Days Left: 4,778) Monday, August 10, 2006 For some reason I was finding it very funny to look at pictures of Maggie turned sideways! I would sometimes lay in front of her and give her some scratches. This was the view. She discovered that she really enjoyed laying there and getting her ears scratched.

Just Watching You Sleep...

Just Watching You Sleep... (Days Left: 0) 2019/09/09 Monday, September 09, 2019 I was already very sad. I knew that poor old Maggie didn't have long to go. I'd been giving her as much love and affection as she would allow from me. While she was resting earlier I had gotten a warm wet washcloth and gave her a little duck-bath. I didn't do her head or ears because she really hates that. I didn't know any better when she was younger and ended-up with an ear infection that we had to treat with "goop" and "drops." I washed one side and part of her belly but she didn't feel like rolling over for the rest. After a few minutes, I gave her a BIG HUG and told her "Nice clean dog. Smells so good. What a pretty girl." When I recorded this video I had a feeling it might be the last one. It was after midnight and I was ready for bed. I was getting tired and knew that I'd end up sleeping sooner or later. Maggie had gone into the room where I had set up her doggie-bed and doggie-blanky near where I sit to work. This was somewhat strange because her bed and blanket had been there for awhile but she usually preferred to sleed right next to it in the hole she was digging in the carpet! But this night she was all snuggled up and sleeping peacefully. Her little legs were twitching like they do when she's dreaming about chasing squirrels (or "The Cat"). I imagine she was remembering the glory days when she was so fast and probably could have caught the squirrels or cat, ...given the opportunity. I went in to check on her and make sure she was doing alright. I saw how comfortable she looked and it warmed my heart. I just stood there and watched her for several minutes. I didn't want to wake her up because she would think something was going on or we needed to do something. I just wanted her to get some good rest. She seemed very tired and exhausted but adorable too! I don't like the idea of filming people while they're sleeping but I decided to make an exception. It was a precious m

Is Somebody Out There?

Is Somebody Out There? (Days Left: 1) 2019/09/08 Sunday, September 08, 2019 This was the night before she left. She was always really good about letting me know when someone was coming. So much so that she would "alert" for cars driving down the street! It did get annoying sometimes. We would try to sneak past her so she wouldn't start barking. Although it wasn't easy when she was younger, it did get quite a bit easier as she got old. Even so, a friend was stopping by and Maggie saw or heard something and got up to try and alert me. Bless her amazing heart, she was trying to watch out for me less than a day before she would be gone forever. What a trooper!

Who wants Chicken For Dinner?

Who wants Chicken For Dinner? (Days Left: 27) 2019/08/13 Tuesday, August 13, 2019 I had been meaning to make a video with Maggie eating chicken because it was even more hilarious than watching her eat a hotdog! I never shared this video because she would normally get WAY more excited! I was also remembering how she would do laps around the living room at the mere mention of [The "C" Word]. Bounce off the couch and behind the table, into the other room and then back again like a little thunderbolt. I was meaning to try again but never did. It always seemed somewhat rude for me to be filming someone eating, especially for entertainment value. By the time I made this video, my precious darling only had 28 days left. Not only was she suffering from the normal effects of aging (blurry vision, hard of hearing, hard to stand for long periods, naps a lot) but also her body was already starting to shut down. It was getting harder do breath and the muscles just didn't have a lot of energy. My point is, imagine your grandma getting this excited over anything. One way to tell just how excited she is, would be to listen to her talk! Maggie would whine when I was gone and bark when a stranger was at the door, but she rarely carried-on that way where she was vocalizing so much. Chicken is a dog's favorite thing!

Who wants a Hotdog, Too?

Who wants a Hotdog, Too? (Days Left: 29) 2019/08/11 Wednesday, August 11, 2019 "Nobody wants to watch a five minute video about a dog eating a hotdog, so hurry it up!" Well, that's not entirely true. The Papa wants to watch it! I knew we were almost finished but it never really sank in. Sure, she's been getting older and has a hard time seeing, hearing, and moving, but she still does all the things that she's been doing her whole life, ...only slower. On this day I was laughing to myself about just how funny and cute it was to watch Maggie react to a hotdog. I wanted other people to see it and laugh too because even the people who know Maggie, have probably not seen her eat a hotdog. then I realized that I had a camera in my pocket and should make a video. I thought this was a great idea but then realized that I had waited over fourteen years to record a video of my dog!! What was I thinking?!? SPOILER ALERT: She eats the hotdog!

Who wants a Hotdog?

Who wants a Hotdog? (Days Left: 33) 2019/08/07 Wednesday, August 07, 2019 Hotdogs are the perfect treat! Real meat, not messy, break into pieces, cheaper than any other meat, cheaper that some dog-treats! Boy was it a happy day when we discovered the miracle that is hotdogs. Sometimes Maggie would lay out basking in the sun and I would ask "Are you a hot dog?" and she would say "No Papa, I'm not a hotdog. I'm a good-dog." but if I asked, "Do you WANT a hotdog?" ...then game on! I teased her like this every day. Every day for at least the last year of her life, I gave her one or more hotdogs. Sometimes I would slice them up and she would get "hotdog doggie-food" or "hotdog doggie-food soup" for dinner. There were certain foods that I would let her have and she would play with them like this. Garlic bread for example she would throw in the air, go get it, and throw it in the air again. Eventually she would eat it. If I asked "Do you like that? Is it delicious?" she would bounce around "Oh yeah it's good. It's awesome!" This dog really loved food. Certain food. "Good" food. Your food.

Sniffin Around...

Sniffin Around... (Days Left: 629) 2017/12/19 Sunday, December 18, 2017 While we were at the beach, we were camped back in a corner that had a fence around two sides and walkways to follow. Maggie would usually get me up at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning to "find a spot" (use the bathroom). Since nobody else was up at that time, I could let her off the leash and just follow her around from twenty feet back. If I saw anyone coming, I would hook up her leash. Later in the day I would take her for a much longer walk around that same area and also bigger walks throughout the day. We took a minimum of three walks each day and sometimes more. We got to spend a bunch of time outside and sniffing around just there around our truck as well. Lots of things to investigate and people or other dogs to meet. We were there during the off-season so it wasn't crowded, the weather was great, and most of the people were locals. It was an epic adventure for the dog for sure! She loved every minute of that trip.

Maggie-Dog at the Beach!

Maggie-Dog at the Beach! (Days Left: 630) 2017/12/18 Saturday, December 18, 2017 This beach was less than a mile from where I lived for over ten years. I lived there when I got Maggie that first year. I would go to the beaches near here as often as I could. I would always see people running or biking with their dogs and think it would be great. As it turns out, I don't want to run and she can't seem to learn to run alongside a bicycle and not in front of it, ...and not to suddenly stop to smell something or pee on something (doggie-internet). We decided that we would BOTH ride on the bike and BOTH would go for WALKS. It was shortly after Maggie first joined me that we moved away from the beach and out into the desert. I had been thinking about a larger house and saving money. The plan SEEMED solid. We eventually found ourselves living somewhat near a different beach and we would ride the bike to get there to walk along the boardwalk with all the other people and dogs. It was good times! Lots of people would always approach Maggie and ask my permission to pet or play with her. I would almost always let them because that's what we were there to do! Meet people. See things. Have fun. Enjoy the day. Whenever possible I would take Maggie to the type of place where I could let her off the leash to run and jump and play! That particular little spot is just such a place. It's a secret spot that everyone knows about where you can take your dog "...to the beach!" She didn't go very far or fast but she made her way down to the water and splashed around in the mud. She found all types of things and smells to investigate and I just stood back and let her do it. "I'm busy right now" she would tell me when I called for her. That afternoon she spent about an hour down there before she started to get tired. We came back to that same area several times while we were there. In total, we spent about a month "living at the beach" and had an epic time!

Is Free Water Fun?

Is Free Water Fun? (Days Left: 639) 2017/12/09 Saturday, December 09, 2017 This was during the shakedown run of our new expedition vehicle. We were going to the lake and we were going to stay overnight for the first time! Maggie was very excited just to be taking a "ride in the truck" but she knew it would be something more because of all the packing we had done. When we got near she started squirming around a lot very excited. "Do you see it??" When we finally parked (at the water's edge sideways) and I let her out, she was ready to start doing back-flips! "Is that what I think it is?!? Free water?? IT'S HUGE, OMG, OMG!! Can I get some?? Can I, can I?? Huh, huh?" I told her "Yes, you can get some, GO!" and she ran into it and belly-flopped on in. She had only been to a lake one other time that I can recall. It was around ten years earlier. At the time, that was the greatest moment of her life! She loved it. I'll have to write about how she got us kicked out. That was something she often asked me about. "Papa, why don't we spend all our time having fun at the lake?? Let's go back. Why don't we ever go there again??" and I would tell her, "I'm working on it." This time she was already too old to go swimming around like she had before. She walked in about neck deep and kinda bounce-float-doggie-paddled along the shoreline for 20-30 feet. Then got out, shook dry, ...then belly-flopped right back in. It was adorable. That is the face of one very happy dog!

Do Dogs Like Pizza?

Do Dogs Like Pizza? (Days Left: 947) 2017/04/02 Sunday, April 02, 2017 I was eating pizza on the patio when Maggie came by and started hinting-around that she was somewhat interested in what I was doing. I started teasing her and it was hilarious. "What, this?https://www.facebook.com/maggiebestdog/?modal=admin_todo_tour#? You want to know more about this??" and she became increasingly excited. By the time I got out my camera she was almost yelling at me, "YES!! THAT!! I want to know more about that delicious-smelling thing in your hand that you've been eating!! Am I NOT being clear?!?! PLEASE LET ME ...at least smell it closer???" I told her "Dogs don't like pizza." and she really went off with "YES THEY DO. You're wrong I think. CAN WE FIND OUT??" She had pizza throughout her entire life, ...but not too often. I learned a hard lesson once when I was trying to be nice and good and rewarding. When I woke-up in the morning I almost barfed. I ended-up having to just throw the area-rug away. An extension cord was permanently stained. I was cleaning floors all morning. The house had to be aired-out with fans for hours. No amount of Frabreeze or Lysol was going to help. Nasty business. Pizza was always a rare treat and I usually teased her about it to some degree.