Brian's Birthday Post

Sometime this month is Brian's 6th birthday! Can you believe that? He is six years old.  Now, yes I'm a bad dog owner for not knowing exactly when his birthday is.  I have it in a filing cabinet in the basement somewhere. 

Ok, ok, now you're making me feel bad. I'll go look it up. 

Anyway, Brian is SIX! He's 42 in dog years.  Mid-life crisis time! No wonder he's been acting out.  

So yes, this post is for Brian.  Let's relive some fond memories...

1.) As a puppy, when we first got him we took him over to Andrew's friends' place dubbed "The Hall".  He immediately peed the floor.  Welcome home, Brian! Also at the hall, Brian discovered that he liked beer.  We let him drink it and then he repaid us by squatting to release some loose stools in the middle of a game of bags that Andrew and his friends were playing. 

Aww, he's so little!

2.) The first year of his life, we lived in an apartment in Lafayette.  We didn't tell the landlords that we got a dog but Brian let them know with his incessant barking during the day.  Thanks for the extra Pet Deposit Charge, Brian!

 Yes, he is laughing at us. 

3.) In that apartment, Brian was very destructive.  He pulled up linoleum from a corner of the kitchen.  He chewed through the drywall to make a nice little hole.  He also chewed through the carpet to the floor because he smelled pizza that I had dropped. Luckily, we are handy little geniuses and somehow got our entire deposit back! Nice.

4.) Brian would go on runs with Andrew and one day he cut his paw on something while running around the complex.  He bled all over the apartment.  $100 Vet visit and a band-aid later, he was all better.  :)

The only picture I have from this incident, I printed on paper and had to scan it. Poor pup.

5.) When we moved into our first house, Brian was pretty destructive there too.  We would keep him in the pantry/laundry room during the day.  He scratched the crap out of the door in that room. Also, whenever we would have parties, Brian would find deserted beer bottles, knock them over and drink what came out.  He really likes beer. 

Brian will take what is his.

6.) Brian also liked to escape from our house.  During both our bachelorette and bachelor parties, Brian got out and our friends were forced to run after him.  It took a VERY long time at my bachelorette party.  Probably because we were dressed in 80s sequined dresses with bright blue eye shadow up to our eyebrows.  The woman that found him that night asked my friend Meeghan if she was going to prom.  HAHA!

Why yes, in fact, we were going to prom! 

 

7.) At Andrew's bachelor party, Brian's dried up yard poop was used as a weapon.  I don't think I want to go into any more detail on that.

I thought this picture of Brian's poop partially cleaned up was appropriate. You can see more turds in the back ground.

8.) After we sold that house, we transitioned between two more apartments before I was finally placed in my job in SB and we purchased our current home.  In our new home with the TV mounted on the wall, we discovered Brian has a new trick. During Cubs games, there is always an Aflac trivia question.  Before the question, the Aflac duck walks across the screen while saying AFLAC! We've always known Brian to find and bark at all animal on the tv screen.  Well now, Brian thinks that any time the word Aflac is said in the right tone of voice, that that damn duck will go walking across the TV screen, EVEN WHEN THE TV IS OFF! Anyone can say it and as long as it somewhat sounds like the duck, he go running to the TV and barking his head off.  It's pretty amazing.  I wish I had it on tape. 

Brian after a long hard day of work.

9.)  Brian has enjoyed the new house very much.  Lots of room to run.  Lots of neighbor dogs.  Lots of squirrels to bark at during the day.  He doesn't destroy as much anymore.  Still marks his territory occasionally. But he still likes to escape.  We live next to a multi-million dollar compound of people related to a former Senator for Indiana.  He likes to go over there.  I've been caught by the wife a couple different times carrying Brian back to our house after he ran like a Wyld Stallyn all over their 80 acre property.  She gives very dirty looks.  Thanks Brian. 

Yes, he cut his paw and we had to go to the Vet more than once.

10.) Brian is definitely getting older and much calmer.  He still sheds like the dickens but he really has become quite a good dog, despite what all the above shows.  I can't imagine our life without him and I'm sad that our son won't get to know the old Brian... the Wyld Stallyn Brian... the puppy days that taught us more about patience and raising a child than any birthing class could. 

Sweet, lovable dog.

Here's to you Brian.  We appreciate that day back in November of 2004 when some wily pug got out of his cage and snuck into a beagle's cage and created you.  (That's the story we always told you anyway.)
Happy Birthday and we wish you many more.

 

Classic bath video...


Finally, his video debut... Brian swims...