Cinder wants to keep the Stray she "found"...

[Karen]

And if Stray wants to be Tray, you can tell those people who insist on a "Proper" name, that his name is really Trevor, but you just call him Trey for short! Hey, tell your two-legger you'll get into less trouble with sTray around to keep you busy!

[RachelJ]

Oh my, I hope Cinder can get to the computer soon. I am so anxious for an update. Cinder and Dad have probably been very busy, but the suspense, oh the suspense....

[Phred]

Hi All; it's Cinder with more Stray Tails~

When Dad went in to pick up The Stray the lil' dummie didn't rekonize Dad. Angel Lady said he was still buzzed up and she didn't think he could see so good right then. They started talkin' to Dad and DopeHead decided he knew that voice and then started bangin' his tail into the jail bars. They said that was the first time his tail had moved since he got back from the White Coat's place. They let him out and he stumbled over to Dad and kinda fell down in a heap and put his head on Dad's foot. Next thing they discover he'd walked through the door into Kat Country and is sniffin' kats. Got him back into Dog Land and he pees on a girl volunteer's leg . Shortly after that they came out to our car.

I checked him over right away... Wow! He was a mess! Eyes were like dinner plates and didn't seem to work right. An' he had a straight jacket on his neck! Couldn't turn his head without turnin' his whole body. The worst part was what they did to his butt - looks like he sat on a chain saw! Hurts me just to look at him...

We went straight home. Dad went up to open the door and figgured he'd come back down to the basement and carry Stray up. Nope; the Kid was upstairs in a flash and we both started doin' laps around the lining room. I noted that he ran a little funny - sorta a bowlegged back end hop with a lot of toe action, but he got up to speed pretty quick. Dad fixed the running around with a leash and told me to slow down or I'd get a time out in the basement. The Kid did his woe-is-me routine with the head on the 'kliner beside Dad's leg - next thing I know the straight jacket is off and Poor Boy is snuggled in Dad's lap. I decided to go beat up the Kat, but Boots just curled a lip and flopped down on the hearth. Nutz! I curled up on Dad's feet.

Dad followed directions and fed the Kid slow - like one nugget at a time, by hand! Yipes! And he could tell whose nose was takin' each bite! I tried to mooch in an' got *binked* on the snoot every time I tried. After I ate we got sent outside on rotating shifts to powder our noses for bed. Both of us got "lost" - I went to check the horses in their pasture (a real no-no), and The Stray took a hike up to their horsey barn. I almost got sent out to look for him, but he showed up just before Dad boiled over.

What really curled my tail was The Kid got tied to our bed for nite time! Second nite inna' house and he gets to sleep upstairs! Me an' Kat both told him to keep his torn up butt onna' floor 'cause there wasn't room for him on "our" bed. Things went real smooth (and quiet) till 'bout 6:30 when The Kid let one of his super rank whizzers loose ! Dad came outta bed like he'd been tied to a rocket - searched unner the bed for a mess but couldn't find nuttin. I said it sure wasn't ME; an' Kat was sleepin' on the typewriter in the den... I suggested maybe the Kid should be offered an "outie", but Dad mumbled something about he was gonna' do 7 hours or live in the basement and climbed back in bed. I don't think Dad slept too much after that - kept hanging his head over the edge makin sniffin' sounds. Kid started hand lickin' 20 minutes 'fore the buzzer went off, but Dad stayed glued under the covers.

We're all at the Shop now, and it's about time for brunch. Mine's in my bowl, but I decided I don't wanna eat just now. Kid's out front on the rope, all snarled up around the center overhang post, howling and whining like he was being killed by a monster. Dad keeps lookin' across the street to see if the peoples in the little plazza are watching the commotion. Dad's started out to get him a few times when he quites down, but the dummie starts up again just as Dad gets to the door. Could be a long day on the porch for the Kid at this rate...

Finally; he's in and getting fed 3 nuggets at a time, as long as he sits down for each bite. He still eats like a Hoover rug sukker - no wonder he has *gas*! Gol-lee; what a *belch*!

I'd play toss the ball with him, but he's tied to Dad's chair so we won't have a repeat of yesterday's poop-in-a-box. I wish that somebody could see him go poddy - he can't be storing it all again - I hope!! He'd be more fun to play with if he wasn't tryin' to haul the darn chair around. (Speshalee hard when Dad's butt is in it!)

We gotta work on the name thing... Dad doesn't like standing in the yard hollerin' "Stray" - says it just doesn't sound good. He wants another *fire* related name. I got "Cinder" 'cause he's a volunteer firefighter and it sorta fits my black and tan Shepherd markings. Angels put Stray down as "gray with black overlay". Dad thought of "Ashe" but thinks that's way too hard to say loud. I offered "Hose" as befitting after what he did to the Angel girl, but Dad said to get serious. I asked the Kid about a name, but he said just don't call him "Late for Dinner". He surely won't grow up to be a komik...

Nap time; wonder if he'd make it more kumfee here on the rug under the 'puter if I let him in to snuggle? Naw, let's not rush things. Anyway, he still stinks like a hopsbittle.

Later... /s/ Cinder

[karen israel]

Ok, this is wayyyy too good to pass up- I swear I am going to compile this and print "Cinder Shepard's Diary", the counterpart to "Bridget Jones's Diary"!!! Cinder, you're missing your calling!!! You absolutely MUST keep us constantly posted with your tails! (hee,hee) Go on..make my day! ;

[Sudilar]

Cinder,
You have me checkin' my 'puter for "Stray updates". Your a riot! Keep up the good work. Good luck with your new brother.
Sue

------------------
***Save a life, ADOPT***

[tatsxxx11]

Cinder Dog!! PLEASE keep a diary of all your "tails!" Honestly, you have made me laugh, and CRY harder from laughing, than anyone I can remember! Can life really be that good; and funny??!! Forget Reader's Digest, book deals, the Pulitizer, I'm seeing the big screen here..."Adventures of Cinder and Stray!" You get the idea. Otis and Milo have nothing on you two! The "Hose" name! Well, I'm gonna just pee in my pants too! Please, please get on that "puter" as often as you can! I need at least one daily "fix" of Cinder-Tails!! Love and kisses to the "kid!"

[Karen]

Hey fire-related names - how about Cole (as in the coals at the bottom of the fire? They turn back and grey when the fire goes out ... Flame might be good, if he was orangier! Match? Charcoal? A C-name would be good, I think, 'cause it'd match yours, right Cinder? Too many girls are named Ashley, Chimney's be too silly - how 'bout Smoke? Smokey?

[Phred]

Cinder's Afternoon Update~

It's been a carnival here at the Shop... Mister No-Poop has been cycled in and out so often this afternoon we hardly had time for a nap. He'd whizz, Dad would hitch him up and out he'd go. Tem minutes MAX and he's pawing at the door to come in. In he comes; out go Dad and me on poddy-patrol. Nuthin' found. Twenty minutes later, more bad air. And we repeat, and repeat, and... Thing I can't figure out is the bad air seems to have slowed down now. Did he really *poop* or is he plugged up? Runs around on the rope like he's training for the Olympics; what happened to his *limited exercise* regimen. Wouldn't the White Coat be thrilled to see this!

Dad figgures we'll go home, feed the Mutt an early dinner, and hope for something to "appear" before bed time. Problem is Dad's not much for standin' around watching, if you get my drift. I think the Kid's gonna hafta pile something up in plain sight, like under the merc light, if he wants to sleep with us in the bunkroom tonight.

The name game: Hmmm, Smokey isn't bad, but kinda common. Dad's gonna try some fire books tonight. And the Tres/Trey thing is good, but none of our friends would "get" it! Oh, and Cole/Coal is out - 'nother Firefighter has a little two-legger with that name - might not like the MuttKid getting his kid's name.

Oh, Yipes! Hey Dad, you don't have WonderKid's straight jacket on tight enough - he's under you chair lickin' his privates like a lolly-pop.

Yee-Haw! I think I like havin' him around
Sure takes the pressure to behave and fly right off of Me! What will that Boy think of next? /s/ BigSis / Cinder

[Angels3]

Thanks for your update, Cinders. You & your Dad are doing a fine job in helping Stray Dog recover from his delicate op.

For a fire-related name...how about Ashley or Ashdog? Goes with your name...cinders & ashes. Also Ashley was a leading character in Gone With the Wind...& Stray Dog has a few problems with the other kind of wind.

Keep up this great diary. It will become a classic animal tale...& the big screen will beckon & you all will become even more famous. I hope so.

[RachelJ]

Cinder Dog, we've been racking our brains for names with some relation to fire fighting. We like the Smoke one too. Kinda sounds good with Cinder. "Cinder and Smoke" Then we came up with the very obvious one, "Sparky". Gots to be lota fire house dogs with that name though.

Tell Dad not to obsess too much about Stray doing #2. It will all come out eventually and once he is on a regular feeding schedule with good food and no more upheaval in his
life, he can get his digestive tract calmed down and on a even keel. Poor guy has been through a lot.

Also I've been trying to think what kind of dog he might be. Could he have some brindle boxer in him...with the short hair and some wrinkles on his face and the flopped over ears?

Anyway, it sounds like he came through the operation okay, which is what we were waiting to hear. You've gotta to be so tired too, Cinder, with all that's been going on. We really appreciate you keeping us updated in addition!! Thanks from all your fans at Pet Talk! We do love you Cinder, like one of our own!

[Karen]

Fire-names:

Flint or Tinder

Burny (Bernie)

Flicker

Flash

[Pam]

Blaze?

[AdoreMyDogs]

Hey Cinder,

This is Graham Doggie here. I have a possible, yet hopefully not likely cause of the Kid's no poo problem...now, you might wanna sit down to hear this one, it's not very pleasent. What if, just what if the Kid is going poopie but he, and this is the part that you should be sitting down for, um....gobbels it? Some of us pooches will do this, as gross as it is. There's all kinds of stuff the doggie doctors will have to put in food for this in case he is. Now, I have seen dogs do it and they are usually very quick about it, it goes out one end and it goes right back in the other end in a flash. May want to tell your 2 legger about it JUST in case, but I am sure the Kid is just hanging on to his stinkies. Maybe he was punished by a past 2 legger for going poopie and that makes him not feel comfortable with going. I went a couple days without going poo or pee because the 2 legger that kept me before mommie busted me out of jail used to hit me alot when I made any kind of potty and so I didn't wanna go even. Well I hafta go, all this talk about potty makes me wanna go. Bye Cinder and say hi to the Kid for me please.

-Graham Doggie

[RachelJ]

Oh Graham, you poor sweetie. I'm so glad you got your precious Mommie now to make up for all that bad stuff that happened to you in the past. She really is the bestest one around.

[RachelJ]

Just saw this name on another website:

Stryker