Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Today I am two years old! I am hoping for a cake, ice cream and prezzies later, we'll see if mom and dad come through!

In honor of my birthday I thought it would be nice to share my life story with you! It's been a great two years and it all started at Cher Car Kennels in St. Johns, Michigan where I was born on September 15, 2008. My mom, Shelby, had ten pups total, 7 boys and 3 girls. She has since had another litter with eleven more pups!! She deserves her own reality show on TLC, don't ya think?

My Mom Shelby. Don't we look alike??

My dad was Gamble, a big beautiful male shepherd who has fathered a whole lot of pups! He gets around that old boy! I didn't see much of my dad, he was kept in a separate kennel but he looked pretty impressive to me! My siblings and I had lots of fun with each other, play fighting, smelling each other's butts, you know, the usual dog stuff!

The Big Man Himself! My daddy, Gamble.

Me and my siblings. I am in this pile somewhere!


Just look for the cutest one, that's me!

When I was around 6 weeks old my human family paid a visit to Cher Car Kennels to pick out a pup. I would like to be able to say that they took one look at me and fell right in love and said I was THE one. But no. They picked one of my sisters instead! I was heartbroken, after all, my human mom picked me up and I peed all over her! I thought we had a connection! To be fair, later on mom did say that she had her eye on me and thought I looked like the kind of dog she wanted but she got out voted by dad and my big human sis Maddie (aka Squeezy). Thanks A LOT guys!!

Two weeks passed and then mom and dad and Squeezy came back to pick up their pup. A lot had changed in two weeks. I was still my wonderful special self, only even better. My doggie sis on the other hand had turned into a whiny, howling mess! Mom and dad took one look, or rather one earful of her and looked at each other in despair. My breeder Cheryl told them to take another look at all us pups before they made their final choice. That's when mom looked at me and said, "That one!"

I was thrilled to have been chosen! Okay, actually I had no idea what was about to happen to me and probably would have FREAKED if I'd known I was being taken away from my mom and siblings. But I was blissfully unaware as mom carried me to the car for the ride home. It wasn't long before I realized something weird was happening. Mom held me all the way home but that didn't stop me from crying and shaking all the way there. I didn't know who these people were, I just knew that suddenly I was in a big moving thing and my big black mama was nowhere in sight!

We made it home without me peeing on mom this time and they took me right outside to the big backyard. I was VERY impressed! Lots of grass, lots of trees, and lots of room to poop! My kinda yard! After a quick pee and a dump they took me back inside to show me around and introduce me to my new furry sister, Bella the cat.

Bella had just been added to the family herself, only one week before. She was four months old so she wasn't a tiny kitten but she wasn't a full grown cat by any means. Bella took one look at me and before I could even give her a friendly hello slobber that cat took off like a bat out of hell! I didn't see her again for about 4 days! Eventually we became the best of friends and she even let me sit on her and put her head in my mouth occasionally. (and I must say, back in those early days it was much easier to fit her head in my mouth. Her head has grown considerably in these last two years unfortunately).

Me and Bella, with her paw in my mouth. She loves it, really!

Mom and dad let me roam around a little but I was very nervous and scared and so I got lots of cuddles. That first night was bad, very bad! When it got dark mom gave me kisses and then put me a in big cage in the dining room. The lights went out and I was left alone!!! So I did what any normal 8 week old pup would do - I howled like a mad wolf dog! Mom came running, got me quiet then went back to bed. So I howled again. I kept up howling until finally mom let me sleep with her on the couch.

Just call me a couch potato!

The next morning I was told that would not work. I would have to learn to sleep in my kennel like a good pup. That night back into the cage I went. And that night, I howled again. This time I got to spend the entire night on mom and dad's bed! I was starting to like this bedtime business!

The next day mom read on the computer that you should put the dog's kennel next to your bed at night, so the next night I found myself back in the cage, but this time I was right next to my new mom. I could hear her, smell her, feel her pat me in the night. And I finally learned to sleep like a real dog! Until, that is, Bella the night stalker struck!

Bella the Night Stalker!

That crazy insane cat would sleep all day and prowl around all night. This is what cat's do for some ungodly reason. They don't have the sense to sleep at night like us dogs and humans do. No, at night they stay awake so they can bug the hell out of us! So there I am, this sweet little innocent pup trying to catch some shut eye in my cozy kennel when from out of nowhere, between the wires of my cage, comes this very long, very sharp cat claw!!! I nearly jumped out of my skin! I looked up into two shining creepy green eyes! That furry monster was on top of my kennel, ready to strike again!

I howled for mom and didn't stop howling until she got up and evicted that wretched kitten from the room. I tried to get back to sleep but from that point on I really wanted no part of that kennel. I much preferred to sleep on the couch or with Squeezy so I could retaliate quickly should that furry fiend attack again.

Just put your head in my mouth cat!

I'd like to be able to say my puppyhood went by without a snag, that I was a model pup, but truth be told I was a bit naughty. Actually, the term "vicious alligator" was mentioned quite a bit. You see, we pups like to bite and nip our doggy moms, it's how we show her love. And in return, she bites and nips and licks us and all is good! Only, humans don't seem to like the biting and nipping so much. Especially when it's done to your face. And your ears. And it draws blood! Mom tells me that I came verrrry close to losing my happy home when I was around 10 weeks old. I was a bit unruly, standoffish, and very very very bitey! Squeezy was afraid of me, she'd run screaming away from me when I tried to play with her because apparently my play involved biting her hard on the hand and making her bleed! Then there was the time I played with dad and bit his ear and made that bleed. And the time I jumped up to greet my mom and bit her on the nose and made that bleed! (are you understanding the vicious alligator bit by now?)

Me & Squeezy once she stopped being afraid of me!

Is this the face of an alligator??

Dad wanted to send me back to the breeder. He said there must be something wrong with me because he'd had Shepherds when he grew up and they were nothing like me. I had no way of letting dad know that what was going on was I was just struggling to get used to my new family and home. I was too young to understand yet that biting hurts and that people really don't like to bleed! Luckily for me mom had fallen head over heels in love with me and wanted to stick with me. So she and dad started working with me day after day to teach me not to bite and also to teach me who was boss. Boss was mom and dad and not me! And Squeezy was my sister and not my chew toy. And Bella was my sister, but I could still use her as a chew toy when no one was looking! (ha ha just kidding mom and dad!) *wink *wink

While I was being taught not to chew people's faces off I was also being housebroken. This I was pretty good at. I learned pretty quickly to pee and poop outside and had only a few accidents. Unless you count the numerous times I got excited when playing and piddled on Squeezy's bean bag chair. (don't worry I eventually outgrew that!)

My favorite sleeping position, which mom says is not very lady like!

Puppyhood has flown by and I can't believe I am now two whole years old! Mom and dad say I still act like a puppy and they are so glad because I am so much fun now. I don't bite anymore and I am comfortable sleeping just about anywhere in the entire house as long as it's not in a cage! I am looking forward to growing old with my dear old mom and dad and my sibs Bella, Squeezy, Happy and Screechy. I am one lucky dog!

And now for my cake and presents!!!!

Wags and kisses,
from 2 year old Lexi!