ROCKY

Rocky celebrates one year in his house

2011-11-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

Last week Rocky celebrated one year in his new house. In his four short years he's lived in 2 apartments and 3 houses. Although he still misses the doggie door he had at his other house on Bayland, he is happy that there are no prospects of a move on the horizon, largely because boxes are one of his greatest fears -- precocious little pup. To mark the first anniversary of Rocky's new home here is video of him taken the morning we closed on the house last November. In the first he is eagerly sniffing (and marking) his new terrain, obviously perplexed by the height of the porch he ponders weather to make the jump. In the second he discovers the stairs and wanders into the home through the (then) teal and pink rooms.

DLG's 31st birthday

2011-10-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

This year we had a low key celebration for David's birthday with chocolate cake from our neighborhood bakery, DaCapo's. Falene was staying with us last week and she helped us celebrate. Here is the traditional birthday photo of Rocky with David and his cake.

they are both looking at the cake!

new bandana

2011-07-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

Rocky enjoyed his vacation at Badger's house last week. They love to chase eachother around and Badger even taught Rocky how to howl! Wendi, one of Rocky's favorite people, sewed matching bandanas for Rocky and Badger. Here's a picture of Rocky in his new bandana - it even has a clasp so it's easy to put on and take off. So cute!

The Little One Said "Roll Over"

2011-07-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

Last week Rocky learned to Roll Over! It took two days of practice and several Beggin' Strips. When we got back from vacation he was excited to show us that he still remembered how to do his new trick. This video was taken before we left - his motions are even quicker and more fluid now.

the boneyard, houston

2011-06-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

Houston's greatest new addition is the new doggie bar - the Boneyard! Dogs can play in the spacious park while owners enjoy a fantastic selection of beers. Rocky enjoyed his first Marathon Oil happy hour at the Boneyard yesterday - his favorite part was jumping up on the picnic tables to lick our coworkers!

it's like thunder, lightning ...

2011-06-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

When I got home from work today the house was eerily quiet. Notably missing was one wet black little nose, no paws could be heard scratching across the hardwoods, and no cropped-tail-wiggle-butt wagged furiously as I turned off the alarm. Silence unprecedented. Assuming Rocky was comfortably waiting for me in the guest bed (which he has somewhat come to consider his own - lest it deter any readers from visiting Texas please know I do keep a blanket down and also wash the comforter before we have guests!) alas the bed was empty as, seemed to be, the entire house. I searched under beds, inside 1920's sized closets (which for the record are barely big enough to house our shoes let alone a 40lb pup) under furniture with a mere 2 inch crawl space ... nothing. I called his name over and over to no avail. Only then did I recall that Rocky had been in the yard when I left for work. I assumed David, who'd left for work after me, hadn't realized Rocky was outside and had himself left for work and that Rocky had then somehow managed to escape from the yard while we were at work, once having been locked outside. I further reasoned that he had of course been smushed by a bus while trolling the neighborhood in search of squirrels, cats, and and small children. I then frantically called David to inform him that our puppy was most likely dead and proceeded, in my greif-stricken state, to go out in search of Rocky-remains.

After about 10 minutes of driving around in a rainstorm - only the second of which Houston has had this spring as we are experiencing one of the worst droughts in history - David texted me " I think he is hiding". Shadow, my parents dog, and and intelligent collie-shepherd plays hide-and-seek, Rocky just hasn't ever mastered much more complicated than "sit" so I proceeded, circling the rain-drenched neighborhood in search of our little pup. Then David texted again "I am positive he was inside when I left". Leave it to David to maintain an even keel in the midst of catastrophe. I knew he wouldn't say that if it weren't the case, so I returned home and again searched every nook and cranny of the house, calling "Rocky", "Treat", "Park". In desperation I threw open the power room door which was closed shut and, like a jack-in-the-box, out popped the most excited looking little four-year-old puppy-face I have ever seen. I was greeted with bountiful licks and the most wiggly-butt I've ever seen.

Even as I opened the door I hadn't expected to find Rocky inside. He's never shut a door behind him before. I guess that's part of growing-up ... now that he's 4 he'd prefer a little bit of privacy! I texted David "he's alive" and he pulled into the driveway shortly thereafter. Once I'd calmed down a bit he told me that during the thunder storm yesterday Rocky had been scared and gone into the bathroom and David had closed the door locking him inside (to tease him). Maybe Rocky closed the door himself because he thought it was the right thing to do. He must have gotten scared of the thunder and gone back into the bathroom to hide-out. In any case I'll never understand why he didn't bark or scratch at the door to make his whereabouts known, but he doesn't seem to be in any way traumatized by today's events - unlike some others of us. David frequently asks me what lessons I have learned from experiences we have had, and from now on we will definitely keep Rocky's collar on (even though it causes him to scratch) and of course I will never ever become emotional and jump to worst-case-scenrario-conclusions again. never. ever. ever. ever.

Happy 4th Birthday, Rocky

2011-06-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Rocky turned 4 years old! Mabel came over and the two enjoyed a low-key celebration complete with doggie frozen yogurt and birthday biscuits from the specialty store Natural Pawz. Mabel gave Rocky a colorful rope toy which was promptly engaged in a tug-of-war.

4 year old portrait

Mabel and her ice cream

Rocky and his ice cream

taking a break to roll in in the dirt after tug-of-war

birthday treats - melted in the houston heat!

favorite spots

2011-05-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

Two of Rocky's favorite spots at home: the landing where he is perched high enough up to see out the window and monitor the foot traffic along Bayland, and right behind the driveway gate where he can bark at passers by. He was apprehensive about his new boundaries for a week or so, but now he loves to position himself at the edge of the driveway and watch for other dogs to walk by.

Rocky and Cooper

2011-04-07T06:39:00.001-07:00

Rocky stayed with Cooper and Duncan while we visited Charleston last weekend ... he had a blast and even convinced Cooper to engage in his favorite game; tug-of-war!

Stray Puppy

2011-03-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Right after I gave him a bath - still a little wet :-)

Last weekend David went out for a jog and found a little stray puppy wandering about. We fostered the puppy for a week, listing him as lost on the SPCA website as well as the Heights message boards but never found an owner. Rocky didn't mind a bit - he loved having a little friend around to play with. (And a partner to help him dig holes in the garden!)

Fortunately for the puppy we were able to find a friend to adopt him. She took him to vet and discovered that he does have heartworm but it should be treatable. He's now on antibiotics and will get his first heartworm shot in two weeks. He's a cute pup and Rocky can't wait for the next time that they get to play together!

2010-12-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

Blanket

2010-12-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

In winter Rocky carries his blue blanket all over the house with him!

Christmas Visit

2010-12-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

Rocky is staying with his friend Ellie in Houston for Christmas this year. The two are having a wonderful time wrestling and ripping apart toys.

Abbey's Visit

2010-12-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

Rocky's friend Abbey stayed with him for a week while her family traveled. The two enjoyed digging a hole under the back fence, burrying bones, and chasing one another around. At bedtime they settled down for sleep in eachother's beds!

A new home for Rocky!

2010-11-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

After weeks of patiently waiting this past Wednesday Rocky finally moved into his new house! He enjoyed inspecting the premises and sniffing around the new yard.

Happy Howl-o-ween!

2010-11-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Mabel's Visit

2010-11-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

Rocky invited Mabel over for a play date on Saturday. They wrestled for nearly five hours straight! Here are a few of the highlights from their action-packed morning.

Only 4 paws on the ground!

Tug-of-War... a classic favorite

Mabel loves to look out the window

After Mabel left Rocky collapsed!

Brazos Bend and Rashomon

2010-10-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Rocky kicked-off a fantastic weekend by attending the Houston Museum of Fine Arts sponsored movie "Rashomon" in Discovery Green downtown. Though the screening of Kurosawa's famous movie was in Japanese Rocky didn't seem to mind, he was more interested in sniffing the other attendees canine and human alike. No photo from this event as iphone doesn't have a flash :-(

The next day Rocky enjoyed a family trip to Brazos Bend to test out David's new camera. Rocky had a great time hiking the trails and trying to spot aligators (the park is home to over 300!). Here are a few of Rocky's favorite photos from the trip. He's excited about the improved resolution.

K ibble

2010-09-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Finding Rocky's kibble on a list of the worst dog food brands last night prompted me to finally make the switch to a more wholesome option. Conveniently he was almost out of food anyway. Tonight, we took a family trip to Pet Co to peruse the multitude of flavorful food options available to pups. We selected Natural Balance Ultra, in part because of great consumer report reviews I've read and in part because Rocky's tasted his friend Kady's before and seemed to enjoy it.

Rocky's never eaten his kibble when I filled his bowl in the past -- in fact I only feed him about 3 times a week because he's been in the habit of eating every other day. Tonight, however, he salivated while I snipped open the new bag, nose positioned vertically hoping to catch a whiff of the salmon-lamb-sweet potato-chicken blend. The moment his scoop hit the bowl so did his tongue. For the first time in his life he devoured his meal immediately rather than first thinking about it for 24-48 hours. Perhaps this was the moment he'd been hoping for all his life whilst letting his former kibble brand remain in his bowl until, faced with the option to starve or consume a sub-par meal, he reluctantly chose life and the promise that one day his waiting would pay-off and he'd be rewarded with a kibble he could consume with joy.

He deserves it.

Happy 30th Birthday, DLG!

2010-09-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Rocky helped DLG celebrate his 30th. Their annual birthday photo has become a family tradition! Later Rocky and I played while DLG experimented with his new camera; he's still perfecting the fuzzy-factor!

PetSmart Photo Contest

2010-09-28T04:32:00.000-07:00

Rocky has entered the PetSmart Halloween photo competition. If he wins the grand prize he will be featured in a PetSmart commercial next year! You can help Rocky to win by clicking the link below to vote for his entry each day until Halloween and encouraging your friends to vote for him too. You can vote for as many dogs each day as you would like, but only once a day per entry, so voting for Rocky doesn't prevent you from voting for your other favorite furballs too! Vote for Rocky!

Market Square

2010-09-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Rocky checked out the newly completed Market Square in downtown Houston which is furnished with a new dog run, a Niko Niko's, and a monument to the fallen heros of September 11. Read more about the planning, history and grand opening of Houston's newest park here.

MAMs House of Ice

2010-08-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Rocky enjoyed a special summer treat tonight at MAMs House of Ice on 20th and Rutland. Stephanie picked him up for an impromptu visit She cooled off with wedding cake and raspberry flavored ice while Rocky blissfully licked the chicken broth flavored doggie snow cone! If you haven't yet visited MAM's Rocky highly reccomends you tryout Houston's Original Snoball Stand!

MAMs webpage

new bed

2010-08-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

Last week Rocky finally got a long-awaited new bed! After three years his old bed had really taken a beating. With a broken zipper and busted seams it's been held together by safety pins for a while now. He seems to love his new bed equally - hopefully this one will prove to be more durable!

Rocky and Mabel

2010-08-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Rocky loves to hang out with his newest friend Mabel. She lives just up the block and always stops by on her walk for a romp in the front yard with Rocky. I'm beginning to think they were seperated at birth; can you tell who is who? !!

rocky's hill country bbq and swimming hole tour

2010-08-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Aunt Paulette came down for a visit. In order to show her some of the best of Texas Rocky took her camping in the hill country. David has had a craving for good BBQ for several months now so the first stop on the tour was Taylor, Texas home of the famed Louie Mueller BBQ. Rocky enjoyed beef rib, brisket, sausage and pork rib.

Once everyone had his fill on bbq they headed onward to Hamilton pool for a dip. Unfortunately, adorable doggies were not welcomed, so the group had to settle for swimming in the river. Rocky was so hot after a long ride in the car that he waded right on into the water and took his first ever doggie-paddle! After three years he finally "learned" to swim!!!!!

That night Rocky climbed to the top of Enchanted rock and watched the sunset (photo forthcoming from Aunt Paulette's camera.

friendly neighbor

2010-07-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

Rocky is captivated by the neighbor's backyard goings on.

dog days of summer

2010-06-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

The hot Houston summers are especially trying for furry pups like Rocky. This morning we found him sleeping in an interesting new position (perhaps in attempt to cool his belly?!)

orange tree

2010-05-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

We adopted a young orange tree to remind us of the citrus orchards we hiked through in Mallorca. Although it doesn't yet offer much shade Rocky loves to lay beside our baby tree.

Easter

2010-05-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

Rocky enjoyed an Easter egg and later lounged on the back porch while DLG cooked a delicious Easter dinner.

doggies and their favorite flowers

2010-04-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

When Rocky's cousins received his photo in the bluebonnets they were eager to show-off their own favorite spring flowers. Macaroni enjoys the fresh flowers in D.C., while Shadow sniffs around the daffodils near the compost pile in Pittsburgh.

bluebonnets

2010-03-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

crazy run

2010-03-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

In reference to the Australian Shepherd's temperament Wikipedia states:

"The Aussie is intelligent, learns quickly, and loves to play. This means that a bored, neglected, unexercised Aussie will invent its own games, activities, and jobs, which to a busy owner might appear to be hyperactivity: for example, an Aussie may go from being at rest to running at top speed for several 'laps' around the house before returning to rest. "

This video was taken after Rocky and I retuned from a 3 mile walk through the park this evening. I hope this doesn't mean he's feeling under exercised and neglected!

Chickens in the Heights

2010-02-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

Rocky investigates a neighborhood chicken on a recent outing. (Photo courtesy of Falene).

Christmas

2010-01-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

Rocky had a wonderful Christmas. This year he stayed in Houston with his friend, Kady, while we traveled to PA.

Lights in the Heights

2009-12-19T08:24:00.000-08:00

Rocky smiling at Lights in the Heights party. (Photo by Stephanie).

Snow Day in Houston!

2009-12-19T08:14:00.001-08:00

Snowy weather in Houston (and our early dismissal from work!) left lots of time for Rocky to play in the 0.25 inches of snow.

New cousins for Rocky

2009-12-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

Rocky's family recently had two new additions: cousins Roxy and Macaroni (Mack). Rocky is looking forward to meeting them both. Mac lives in DC and enjoys playing at the dog park and sneaking appetizers from the dinner table :-) Roxy lives in North Carolina, loves to play with her sock and hike in the mountains. Both are Shepherd mixes.

Roxy and Angela

Mac and his ball

Rocky learns to dry himself off

2009-10-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Rocky dries himself off after a fun afternoon at the park.

DLG turns 29 !!

2009-10-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

Rocky was excited to help David celebrate his 29th Birthday!

Victory

2009-09-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Rocky and I cheered the Steelers to victory over the Titans last Thursday -- tonight he and DLG watched as the Horns defeated Tech.

Surfside Beach

2009-09-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Rocky finally made it to the beach this summer -- just in time to bid the season farewell. A doggie who, last summer, spent his time furiously digging in the sand, Rocky has evolved his interests to now include study of the haphazard flight patterns of seagulls and the lively scurrying of children. Naturally, he remains steadfast in his desire to taste fishing bait. Here are a few photos from Rocky's first official family vacation. (Rocky after a long day at the beach, and DLG fishing)

Downtown on a Sunday

2009-08-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Rocky, DLG and I watched the sailboats in Discovery green - downtown Houston park - this afternoon.

Herb Garden

2009-08-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

DLG's latest hobby: his ever-expanding herb garden. Rocky likes to assist the happy gardener.

Rocky Represented

2009-08-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Although he couldn't travel to Pittsburgh for our wedding, Rocky was there in spirit ... and on top of our cake!

4th of July

2009-07-15T18:11:00.001-07:00

Rocky celebrated the 4th of July with some of his favorite friends: Badger and Chip.

Rocky Learns to use the Doggie Door

2009-06-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Rocky now loves having his very own door in the new house. At first though, it took some getting used to.

Rocky's Second Birthday

2009-06-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

Rocky enjoyed his second birthday while chomping on raw meaty beef ribs that DLG bought for him at the meat counter.

Rocky hangs out after our couple's shower

2009-05-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

(Photo taken by Wendi!)

Unfortunately, since Christmas it seems Rocky's blog has taken a backseat to wedding planning. Rocky is of course still having a good time and is looking forward to celebrating his second birthday in a few weeks -- we just haven't made time to document his latest adventures. Last Friday night he enjoyed partying at his friend Badger's house during our couples wedding shower. After a long night he curled up on Badger's couch to get some rest. We had a fantastic shower, thank you to our wonderful friends for hosting - ya'll are the best!

Christmas

2009-01-03T17:47:00.001-08:00

Rocky enjoyed another Christmas with his family in South Carolina and Pittsburgh. He had so much fun playing with all of his cousins he didn't want to come home! In Pittsburgh he finally got to see some real snow and hang out with his Great Grandma Sue.

Rocky's First Snow

2008-12-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

It's snowing in Houston!

The Great Pumpkin!

2008-10-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

Rocky helped us to pick out the perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween.

Rocky learns to use a Mac

2008-10-12T19:25:00.001-07:00

I finally got a new computer yesterday - mine has been broken for over a year and I've been "sharing" DLG's with him and overloading it with photos of the dog! I've never owned a Mac before --today Rocky and I discovered the web cam and many other features the imac has to offer.

Daisy Remembered

2008-10-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Montrose Vet Clinic has always provided fantastic care for Rocky and the doctors and technicians on staff were truly exceptional when caring for Daisy right down to her final moments. They involved us in the entire goodbye process - allowing me to hold Daisy while she drifted to sleep. As you may know, Hurricane Ike hit Houston less than 24 hours later and the Vet Clinic was closed down for over a week after the storm. We were surprised to find a sympathy note -without postage - in the mailbox just two days later from Dr. Dodge, Daisy's vet. It must have been hand delivered! Then yesterday we received a plaster cast of Daisy's paw print, hand painted and sent to us by the Vet Clinic. They must have taken her print just before she was put down. Although it made us so sad to touch her tiny little paw print we are so grateful to have this lasting memorial. What a wonderful surprise. I can't recommend our Vet Clinic highly enough!

Rocky's new look

2008-10-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

While David and I vacationed in Jackson Hole, Rocky spent last week at his vet. David assured him it would be just like going to summer camp. Apparently Rocky developed seasonal allergies while at "camp" and also came down with a slight staph infection right on the top of his head. We were in for a surprise when we picked Rocky up yesterday and saw his new hairdo! A portion of his head had to be shaved to expose the infection in order for it to heal. Rocky seems very happy to be back home and is spending his leisure time chasing squirrels and catching up on some much needed rawhide chewing.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Rocky experienced his first hurricane as Ike roared through Houston Friday night. He was a little bit frightened by the noise but otherwise seemed to enjoy hunkering down with his friend Kady, me, DLG, and our friend Falene who took shleter in my apartment. Here are some before, during, and after photos of Rocky's hurricane experience.

Our Little Daisy 6/24/08 - 9/11/08

2008-09-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

On Thursday September 11, 2008 we layed little Daisy to rest; she was 12 and 1/2 weeks old. Although she put up a good fight, early last week Daisy began to have seizures - one of the worst effects of canine distemper. This indicated that the sickness had spread to her brain and that she would continue to suffer from neurological complications throughout her life. Following our vet's recommendation we made the inexplicably difficult decision to put Daisy to sleep. Here are a few final photos of our little puppy taken as we said goodbye. Although our time with her was far too short we will always be grateful for the gift of Daisy in our lives.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-08-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

Rocky is enjoying a relaxing Labor Day weekend - Saturday night he snacked on a football shaped doggie pastry while watching the Clemson/Alabama game.

Daisy seems to have improved over the past week. She continues to eat and is responding well to her medication. She still lacks energy, has a bad cough and runny nose, and almost constantly sleeps.

Daisy's sickness

2008-08-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Daisy began to feel sick on Saturday morning and her condition worsened over the weekend. We thought she probably had kennel cough but when David took her to the vet this morning we learned that she has a severe upper resperatory sickness. Preliminary diagnosis is that she has pnumonia or canine Distemper. Distemper is a highly contagious viral disese which is often fatal. When an animal does survive she is often left with neurological disturbances. It is too early to tell whether Daisy is going to pull through her sickness or not but we remain optimistic. We opted to try to nurse Daisy through her sickness at home and our vet provided us with antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids, and a high-calorie food. So far Daisy is responding well to the treatments and is eating the food - a really good sign. We are keeping her in teh bathroom and running the shower to create a steamy atmosphere to help loosen her cough. We will keep you posted on her progress.
Though he has been vaccinated, Rocky and Diasy will have to be kept apart for a while for his protection. Keep Daisy in your prayers.

Heavenly Father,you created all things for your glory and made us stewards of Daisy. If it is your will, restore her to health and strength.Blessed are you, Lord God,and holy is your name for ever and ever. Amen. -- Franciscan Animal Blessing

Meet Daisy!

2008-08-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

We finally decided on a name for the new puppy: Daisy.

a little sister for Rocky!

2008-08-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Meet Rocky's new little sister - also an Australian Shepherd mix. Eight weeks old and only 7 lbs, we are fostering her as part of Houston's BARC (Bureau of Animal Control and Regulation) "foster to adopt" program under which we can fully adopt her once she has been spayed. She is feisty and fidgety and does not like to be held- just the opposite of Rocky when he was a pup!

Rocky's first tropical storm

2008-08-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Rocky experienced his first "hurricane day" last Tuesday when Tropical Storm Edouard made its way across downtown Houston. With work canceled for the day, Rocky, David, and Rocky's grandparents (who'd come down for summer vacation) and I watched the Bayou fill with water (see photo).

Rocky's 4th of July

2008-07-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

Rocky celebrated the Fourth of July at his friend Rover's s house eating hamburgers and hot dogs and relaxing by the pool. Later that night he watched fireworks from Buffalo Bayou Park in the Heights.

Friday night in H-town

2008-06-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

This Friday night David, Rocky, and I decided to explore the new Discovery Green in downtown Houston. Dedicated in April '08, the 13-acre park is complete with a large lilly-pond, fountains for children to play in, several restaurants, and Rocky's favorite: a bark park!!! You can read more about the new park at http://www.discoverygreen.com/.

Here are a few photos of Rocky on his downtown adventure ... in front of the Toyota Center and at Discovery Green.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, ROCKY!!!

2008-06-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Rocky had a wonderful first birthday! Kady, Ellie, Rover, and Badger celebrated with him - the doggies enjoyed swimming in their puppy-pool and ate delicious peanut butter flavored doggie birthday cake (with easy-cheese icing!) and Purina "frosty paws" ice cream.

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

Rocky, David, and I had a relaxing 5-day long Memorial Day weekend in and around Houston. We headed down to Surfside beach and grilled some delicious shrimp. Rocky still is not very fond of the water but he loves hanging out on the beach.

We also decided to take up a new hobby : refinishing furniture. After an exciting morning at Lowes where we obtained all the gels, goos, and gunks. that we needed, Rocky and I spent the next two days in the backyard stripping and re-staining a coffee table that David generously donated to the experiment. We're not sure Rocky completely understood, perhaps he thought we moved the furniture into the backyard just for him!

Rocky and Rover late night

2008-05-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Rocky and Rover enjoyed Stephanie and Dave's tailgate couple's shower - and especially enjoyed stealing the beer pong balls whenever they could!

1.Rocky and Rover playing. 2. Me, the bride to be, and our crazy puppies

2008-04-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Rocky on his Sunday morning jog.

2008-04-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

At David's house Rocky prefers to sleep on the couch ... with a pillow!

Rocky and DLG

2008-04-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

New Bed!!!

2008-03-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

Rocky loves his brand new bed!!!

Swimming!

2008-03-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

Today Rocky went swimming for the first time! Usually he waits on the banks of the bayou while the other dogs play but today he plunged right in after them - must have been the warm spring weather in Houston.

The dog ate my homework!

2008-02-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

Rocky is showing an interest in finance at a young age - today he munched on David's homework!

Happy Valentine's Day !!!!

2008-02-13T18:16:00.001-08:00

Happy Mardi Gras

2008-02-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

Rocky really seemed to enjoy his first Fat Tuesday.

Super Sunday

2008-02-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

On Super Bowl Sunday Rocky turned 8 months old and weighed in at 34 lbs (see updated growth chart). He celebrated with some BBQ pork rib bones as he cheered the Giants to victory!

2008-01-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

Rocky's First Christmas

2008-01-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

Rocky's first Christmas was filled with adventure! He traveled 3,361 miles visiting family in Atlanta, GA, Hartsville, SC, and Pittsburgh, PA. He met his cousins, Sonny, Ben, Cassie, Millie, Molly, Tess, and Shadow. Though he loves all of his relatives it's clear that Rocky holds a special place in his heart for Millie. David's sister, Kristen, who is in her second year of vet school met Rocky and said that he is definitely an Australian Shepherd and not Rottweilier as we had thought. Here are some photos of the highlights of Rocky's journey North.

Rocky at the New River Gorge, West Virginia.... Rocky gets "body slammed" by DLG at the river house near Clemson, SC ..... Rocky and Shadow play in Pittsburgh, PA .... Rico impersonates Jesus using Rocky as his lamb.

Christmas Lights

2007-12-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight Rocky went on a ride around Houston to look at Christmas lights. He even traveled 40 minutes outside the city to the Prestonwood subdivision, famous for it's themed Christmas light displays (http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17556112&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=532256&rfi=6) This is a picture of Rocky at one of his favorite displays "The 12 days of Christmas - Texas style".

Rocky's visit with Santa

2007-12-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

This morning Rocky and his friends Rover and Kady had their pictures taken with Santa.

New Tricks

2007-12-09T08:22:00.001-08:00

Rocky shows off his skills

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

2007-12-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

Rocky celebrated the start of Advent by helping to wrap presents!

Texas Hill Country

2007-11-24T16:32:00.000-08:00

Rocky spent his first Thanksgiving hiking and camping in the Hill country of Texas. Here are some of his favorite photos from the trip!

From the top:

1. Gorman Falls in Colorado Bend State Park -Rocky's first hike. The falls are comprised of Travertine (calcium deposits) so they will continue to grow with time.

2. Rocky on the Colorado River 3. Rocky riding in the back of the X-Terra,

4. Rocky and David in front of the waterfall

5 months old

2007-11-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Today Rocky turned 5 months old. Look how much he has grown!

Happy Halloween!!!

2007-10-31T15:42:00.000-07:00

Rocky dressed as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan for his first Halloweeen!

13 days of Halloween

2007-10-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Rocky,dressed in his new bandanna, prepares for his first Halloween by watching spooky horror movies with DLG.

Baby Geologist

2007-10-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

When David asked me if I had seen Rocky's latest project I wasn't sure what to expect - please please not my leather purse I silently pleaded. He directed me to the backyard where I came across an eight inch hole and a pile of oysters!. It seems little Rocky dog has spent the past few days practicing his paleontology and excavating molluscs from the sediment.

The hole . . . and a mollusc shell.

Problem Solved!

2007-10-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks Rocky has been exploring the area underneath the house. While I'm not sure what or who else is under there he sure is interested! This wasn't really a problem at first ... at least not until he learned that he could walk under the house all the way out to the street and freedom! Ever since he has become quite the socialite paying regular visits to all the neighbors.

Yesterday afternoon David solved the problem with a quick trip to Lowes! Now when he puts Rocky out before bed he won't have to worry that he's out on a midnight adventure!

David's handiwork!!!!

2007-10-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

At lunch today Rocky lost another tooth! This time from his lower jaw, probably another pre-molar, (P4) on diagram below.

2007-10-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

. . . carry a big stick

2007-10-13T14:12:00.001-07:00

Puppy Teeth II

2007-10-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

Last night Rocky lost his first tooth while chewing on one of David's socks.

This is a photograph of a baby Rottweiler's teeth. Although Rocky does not like to let anyone look inside his mouth, I think that the tooth he lost is a premolar (P3?)

Little Doggie in a Big City

2007-10-02T18:41:00.001-07:00

2007-10-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, DLG!!!

2007-09-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Rocky helped David celebrate his 27th!

2007-09-27T19:37:00.001-07:00

Puppy Teeth

2007-09-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Toys

2007-09-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Even though he has tons of toys ... Rocky still prefers to chew on a piece of driftwood he brought back from Galveston Island!

Bath time!

2007-09-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

After his trip to the beach Rocky definitely needed to have his first bath.