Week In The Life, Part 5

Yep, you know it. I was totally saving the best for last in this, my fifth and final installment, Living the Life of Riley:

 Spoiled? Who, me? What?

If you look up the term on Wikipedia, it says, "Living the Life of Riley suggests an ideal life of prosperity and contentment, possibly living on someone else's money, time or work. Rather than a negative, freeloading or gold-digging aspect, it instead implies that someone is kept or advantaged."

Uhmm... yeah, that about sums it up. When I first got my pup he came with personality to spare and my nephew Cooper thought it was the most hilarious thing that I had named him Riley, since he gets all "riled" up. I had neither idea in mind when I named him, but he has definitely turned out to be one crazy, temperamental, riled-up, loyal, loving and spoiled fluff of fur.

And I am telling you, I couldn't live without him.

As you can see, he's had a very hard and difficult life. And the run of the house. He has his lovely wicker kennel that you see in the first picture, as well as his own corner dog bed in the hallway with my old bathrobe that he decided should be his. I am not kidding when I say that I took my bathrobe off one morning and let it lay on the floor while I was putting on make-up and he pulled it over, bunched it up where you see it in the photo and made himself a cozy little spot where he could rest, and still see me through the bathroom door.

We might be a little attached.

The one of him in my chair is because he and I were sitting in it one night when he hopped on the floor and was whining. I couldn't figure out what he wanted so I got up... and he immediately jumped into my spot on the chair and got cozy. The little, uhm, we'll say "stinker" wanted my chair! And obviously, he got it. He'll take over any pillow, loves the one I put by the arm of the couch because it's right next to my desk chair (so I can still pet him while otherwise occupied), and his favorite spot is to sit on that blue pillow at the small of my back while I'm typing.

But he's not spoiled. Just loved. :)

And like any good ruler, the king of this castle gets hungry. For the record, he does have dog food that he decides to eat from time to time, but he really does prefer snacks. And I prefer to make him happy. :) So he gets Cheerios for doing such amazing tricks as sitting or laying down (and learning how to pose for photos). I read somewhere that Shredded Wheat was good as a snack because it helps clean tartar off their back teeth... so that one he gets because, you know, it's good for him. And the Dental Breath Tabs he LOVES, but they're really more to my benefit because I love that he has minty fresh breath.

The middle photo... that's a Nutrident bone that he gets after he's been brushed in the evening. And as much as he hates being brushed he reminds me incessantly if it gets past 8:00 and he hasn't had his bone. He's nothing if not consistent. And the bottom photo are of his go-to snacks from the fridge. He would literally do anything for a baby carrot, thinks cheese was God's gift directly to him, and loves a little white rice sprinkled on the floor for entertainment.

Ok, the white rice might be something for me to keep him occupied while I'm making a sandwich, but it works either way.

I might like him a little.

These are just a couple of my dog's regular habits. The first one of him is at the closet door in the kitchen where his bones are kept. His favorite way of saying he deserves the privilege of a bone is to stand by the door and hit it with his wagging tail, over... and over... and over...

Not that I ever give in to that. Much.

The second photo is of the greatest invention ever made: dog litter. (Isn't that a funky photo?) Did you all know that cats aren't the only litter-trained animals? This little beauty has made it possible for me to have a dog because he's completely self-sufficient. If I'm not getting up in the morning and he needs to, he doesn't pester me or wake me... when it's -20 degrees in Iowa and my dog's gotta go, we aren't going outside. I love dog litter.

And the last photo is courtesy of my friend, Susie. She was standing at the bathroom sink and he was whining, and I walk in to see this. Her response, "He was thirsty." My response... thanks, cuz we do this a lot now. Every day. Whenever I run the water in the bathroom. Apparently it's a doggy water fountain and I just hadn't been made aware yet.

So, for the record, I'm not the only one who spoils him.

Now, when I was looking for a breed of dog to get, I had a certain criteria. It needed to be small enough to use a litter box, had to be hypoallergenic, I didn't want any hair shed in my house, and it couldn't smell like a dog. Not that I was particular or anything.

Maltese fit the bill on all counts, and I took care of the last one with the supplies in the first photo. Riley actually hasn't had a full-on bath in almost two years (crazy, I know). But number one, it's a lot of work for me, and number two he never gets dirty because we never go outside. But every night he gets sprayed down with the Fast Bath waterless spray, has a great baby-powder smelling conditioning spray and has his teeth cleaned with dental wipes. I'm just saying, he's most likely cleaner than your kids.

The second photo goes to show... like-owner-like-dog. Riley has his very own old lady pill case for his morning and nighttime anti-depressant medications. In case you're new to the blog, Riley has developed some anxiety problems as I have gotten sicker and got a little too protective of me for awhile. And because I really love it when he doesn't bite people that dare to sit too close to me, and I really love it when he doesn't mark in the house, he's on antidepressants. A really large dose. I actually think it would make a great title for my memoir someday: My Life's So Crazy My Dog Is On Antidepressants! Kinda catchy, don't you think? :)

And the third photo is a product I would volunteer to do an infomercial for: If you have a dog... get a Pedi-Paws. It takes two seconds to file their nails and they aren't sharp. Some things are just worth the money.

This is Riley while watching me blog:

#1: "I'm bored."
#2: "Seriously? I could have finished that entry an hour ago." 
#3: "I'm so not kidding. If I don't get a carrot in the next twenty seconds I'm going to tell the raccoons where to find you."

And these are the daily faces of Riley: 

#1: "Sigh. It's not easy being King."
#2: "Are you sure you don't have another bone for me?"
#3: Yeah, there are no words for this one. That's just the
       he-loves-me look.

And this last one sums up why I love my dog. Everywhere I stand he hops up on the arm of the furniture to be at my height so I can pet him. I have been down with migraines all this week and he has laid in the dark and not barked or whined or pestered. And now that the migraine is getting better he's suddenly coming to me with toys and playing hide-and-seek... this little white fluff of fur totally gets me. No week-in-the-life would be alright without him.