We LOVE going to the Mud Bay pet store:

There’s a branch of Mud Bay just a few blocks away. So every few weeks my mom loads up her wheelie backpack and off we go.

“It’s convenient and we get to combine Gracie’s walk with an important errand,” my mom says.

“And I always get a treat,” I have to add. “Plus those Mud Bay employees know how to give a good dog massage.”

Hey, it’s only fair. The mom discovered the joys of massage with her awesome massage therapist, Larry Swanson. She’s not allowed to take me and frankly I’d be bored. Larry just works on humans and my stressed-out mom makes a good challenge for him. I take my own back rubs where I can get them.

People have trigger points where massaging one spot makes a huge difference to a whole muscle group. Here’s someone who understands a dog’s trigger point. And don’t forget those treats. I usually manage to talk them into at least three per visit even when we’re just buying cat food.

Meeting an old friend

A few days ago we were walking to the park when we heard someone calling us: “Gracie! How are you? You look great!”

Of course i look great. Why wouldn’t I?

It was our old friend Cynthia, from the old Downtown Dog Lounge on Bell Street. We loved going there. They always fussed over me. I never had to hang out in the pen with the other dogs; I was the assistant receptionist and my photo was on the wall as a staff member. Then the place closed.

Cynthia was one of the managers. Now she has another job and she’s probably doing well. But she remembers when Cathy first adopted me. “Gracie is so much more confident,” she said, giving me a scratch in that special spot on my tummy. That feels SO good. Can you tell I was thrilled to see Cynthia?

Snow in Seattle

We went out for our walk Tuesday evening – yesterday. I wasn’t crazy about getting my paws into the snow so for once I did my business fast.

Usually my mom is thrilled – she’s ready for bed! But she couldn’t resist taking out her cell phone for a photo op. “Belltown is so beautiful in snow,” she said. Here’s the entrance to the freeway, usually affording a nice view of cruise ships. Not that I care much for ships: I’m more into what’s on the ground nearby than what’s out on the sea. Nevertheless…

Dog getting a ride

My mom and I came back from our walk and there was our neighbor, Janet. I adore Janet, even though she’s much too nice to our feline housemates. When my mom went out of town, while I was boarding, Janet came over to sit with the cats. She sketched them and brushed them and… good grief. Those felines are spoiled rotten.

We hadn’t seen Janet for while. She has a nice big dog named Emma. I was so happy to see Janet I jumped up.

“Gracie! Off!” my mom yelled.

Janet picked me up in her arms. I love being held. I always relax and look very pleased with myself. Can you tell?

“Gracie thinks she’s a cat,” my mom sighed.

“Maybe she is part cat,” Janet said helpfully.

Yeah, right. I’m 100% royalty. I deserve this.

Decorating the doghouse for Santa at Xmas

My mom Cathy showed me this video of a dog who’s getting ready for Santa. Well, around here my Aunt Sara is my own Santa Claus. She takes me to the park and brings me toys. She makes me wear my muzzle and sit for treats, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

I suppose I could decorate my crate if my mom would let me have some milk and cookies. But she pointed out that I’d eat all the cookies, drink the milk and run up a HUGE vet bill.

Alas, she’s right. I bet we spend the holidays in the downtown dog park.

Another good reason to own a dog

Pamela with Kaylee
My mom Cathy thinks she should get a tax deduction for me: my food, treats and vet bills. She points out that I am an asset to her health and her business. I force her to take walks in the fresh air. I insist that we take regular breaks.

And I am her muse and source of inspiration.

Now my mom has yet another reason to believe dogs are good for business. Her business friend Pamela Bruner just wrote a blog post about dogs as motivators.

It seems that Pamela’s dog Kaylee needed surgery to alleviate a painful knee. (You didn’t know dogs have knees? Now you know.) Pamela realized she had a motivation to keep earning higher levels of income, so she would always be able to say “yes” when a vet asked if she could afford the surgery.

Dog surgery doesn’t come cheap. In fact, my mom sighs, there’s nothing cheap about a dog. Walking. Boarding. Feeding. And more.

“If I didn’t have a dog, my life would be simpler,” she says.

My mom’s New York friend Bill always laughs when she says this. He knows she’d have less fun and “you’d be a little old lady who lives with cats.”

Good grief. Imagine life with Ophelia as the main pet. Be thankful for me, mom!

Dog and cat keep getting along

Is this scene getting old? I think so, but the mom remains enthusiastic.

“Gracie, you and Ophelia are getting along so well!” she exclaims. “We need to capture this moment.”

Fine, mom. You just interrupted our nap. Ophelia may be a spoiled fluffball, but she knows exactly how to hook our mom. She’s mastered “cute.”

“Hard to believe Ophelia was once a miserable kitty in a small cage,” my mom says. “When she first came she waged war on Creampuff. Her fur was a mess. And now…”

Right. After hundreds of dollars of vet bills and top quality food, we have a fat, furry housemate who clearly enjoys her life with us. She jumps up in my mom’s lap. She inherited Tiger’s position as dominant cat. Luckily Creampuff is too ditzy to care.

And I don’t care who runs the household, as long as Cathy’s schedule gets dictated by my treats, walks and naps.

Another way dogs earn their keep

My mom’s been reading an interesting book, Choke by Sian Beilock. Well, she says  it’s interesting. I may write my blog but I don’t read books.

This book explains why people freeze when they’re under intense pressure. It’s why top students get low scores on big exams, like SATs.

As a dog, I rarely experience this pressure. I passed my temperament test at the Barking Lounge with flying colors. Fortunately they did not evaluate my mom’s temperament, but that’s another post.

So where do I come in?

Well, it seems that one proven strategy involves taking a break. When you feel totally pressured and stressed, give yourself some distance.

When you have a dog, you have no choice. Here’s how I earn my crunchies. Most of the time I’m lying on my cushion, watching my mom work in her office. It’s pretty boring. Luckily I get enough exercise so I am usually sleepy.

But when I sense that my mom is getting intensely frustrated, or it’s just long past time for a walk, I rise from my cushion and flap my ears.

“Uh oh,” my mom sighs. “I’ll have to take you out, won’t I? Just let me finish this one thing…”

So then I come up and rest my head on her knee. I look at her imploringly. We have to take a break.

“Okay, Gracie,” she says. “Let me just set down a plate of cat food for Ophelia. She can’t jump to the kitchen counter the way Creampuff does. She can’t eat while you’re loose around here. The poor thing is hungry.”

Yeah, right. All 15 pounds of furry feline.

Once she’s up and moving, my mom doesn’t waste any time. Now that we live in Belltown we take a fast walk to the dog park. Sometimes we run into the park regulars and hang out awhile.

By the time we’re home. Cathy is feeling refreshed and ready to hit the computer again. I am feeling good because most park regulars (and a lot of strangers) make a big fuss over me.

See? Pressure is lifted. Mom thinks more clearly. And it’s all because of me, the resident dog.