Hey there pug peeps! Oh man, speaking of ‘peeps’ guess what I DIDN’T get to eat this weekend (no ham, bacon, cookies, or pancakes either…sigh).

But I did get something that, while not edible, is super cool. Check it out!

 It’s an EASTER EGG!  What makes it EXTRA cool is that my talented aunt made it especially for me by hand. It’s similar to my plush potatoes (that you know I’m obsessed with) but even better because it has a nubby texture that I quite enjoy.

 Plus I can get it nice and wet and mold it into a shape of my choosing. Oh, and I almost forgot, she also PUT A SQUEAKER INSIDE! Yes, this may be the ultimate dog toy. Thank you, Auntie E!!!

Now, back to work…

Well, maybe he’s not quite “in love” but he’s without doubt “deeply obsessed”. However, have no fear, Miss T-Buttz and other lady-pugs out there, the object of Sid’s desire is not another pug – it’s his little red Wigzi ball.

The main reason he totes it around everywhere is because each day at lunch time the Wigzi’s pockets are stuffed with treats and peanut butter by yours truly. This pug-distraction technique affords me the opportunity to eat my own lunch without uncomfortable staring, sneezing, and loud-sitting on the part of Sid.

However, even when the ball is clearly empty – and trust me, Sid gets EVERY MINUTE MORSEL – he still carries it around. His optimism amazes me. I guess he thinks the ball may somehow spontaneously sprout more peanut-buttery goodness and he does NOT want to miss that moment.

Sid and the little red ball are practically inseparable.

I guess the lesson here is if you are looking to catch Sid’s eye, you might want to try stuffing your ears with peanut butter. Although don’t be surprised if he FOLLOWS YOU EVERYWHERE, FOREVER!

Well, I hope everyone was as fortunate as Sid this year because he got all that his heart/stomach desired and more this Christmas.

First up was a hand-made fleece blanket from his grandmother (he’s sitting on it in the photo above). It’s extra thick so it doubles as a play mat where he can round up his toys and partake in a good chew session. The bright colors help balance out the ho-hum grey weather we’ve had all December in Chicago.

Also in the photo above you might be able to catch a glimpse of Sid’s new collar (look closely under the neck fat).

It was made by Kelly from Collars By Design. She has fantastic patterns and it was hard for me to pick out just one. The collar is really soft, sturdy, and the colors are really vibrant! I would definitely recommend her shop if you are looking for a new collar with some style.

Lastly, Sid got a Wigzi  Stuff n’ Throw ball and grain-free crunchy peanut butter treats (“Tasties“) to stuff inside the ball’s pockets. He absolutely LOVES this thing! It’s perfect for keeping him busy while I shovel down my own food.

Oh yeah, and last, but not least: Squeakers.

And by Squeakers, I mean a GIGANTIC BAG FULL OF SQUEAKERS!

Whoops – I said that too loud and now Sid is staring at me expectantly.

For those of you that might not be hip to the cutting edge of pug culture, according to Sid – “Raw squeakers are the new coolest thing among pugs“. You can read more on his obsession with “raw squeakers” here.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and all got some fun and tasty stuff!

Today, the general mood here at Pug Slope Midwest HQ took a 180-degree turn for the better. And all it took was the arrival of an enormous box from Sid’s favorite online store, Mr. Chewy.

Yep, Mr. Chewy doesn’t mess around. I think he intentially used the biggest box imaginable to make Sid flip his gourd. I mean, Sid goes berzerk whenever I bring anything home in a small grocery bag so you can imagine his excitement upon seeing a box the size of a dorm fridge.

It didn’t take long for his determined paws to shred through the layers of kraft paper to get to the real MEAT of the package: Salmon & Chick Pea food and Venison treats (both the crunchy and chewy varieties).

Thank you, Mr. Chewy, for brightening this pug’s day – I mean MONTH.

Sid did extremely well on his flight from NYC to Chicago. It actually wasn’t nearly as stressful as the first time he went on a plane. This time I was prepared! He was getting smiles left and right as he strolled through both airports and a few people even asked to get a picture of him (without even being aware of his internet fame! LOL).

Since I didn’t have room to bring the entire Sid Accessory Kit™ with me on the plane, he even managed to obtain ANOTHER brand new bed, despite just getting one for his Birthday in October. As you can see in the photo below, he approves of the new bed.

Sid’s been the center of attention since his b-day earlier this month, and amid all the craziness of 1000 Pugs weekend, he also had two special non-pug (i.e. human) visitors.

It was Payton‘s ‘rents, Tim and Christy! They were in NYC for the last leg of their multi-city Remembering Payton tour and the NY/NJ 1000 Pugs photo shoot.

As soon as T & C set foot into PugSlope HQ, Sid knew he was in for a treat. Especially when he noticed the bright-colored gift bag Christy was toting. Like most of his flat-faced bretheren, Sid assumes that any bag or box that enters his domain (our apartment) is undeniably his. This time, he was actually right.

If I get close enough, I think I can see through the wrapping paper.

The first gift was a plush IntelliBone which is one of those puzzle-type toys that Sid goes ga-ga over. Plus every little component has a sqeaker inside so his mind was definitely blown.

It didn’t take Sid very long to pull all the plush donuts off the center bone, at which point he decided to show off by coyly using the bone as a head-rest. Yes, we are now justified when referring to him as a bonehead. Wah-wah.

This is how we store our bones on Planet Cool Sid.

Of course, we couldn’t just let him sit there all smug with his little peanut head resting on that bone. So we put the donuts back on. And he took them off again and proceeded to perch his head, victorious, on the bone again. After repeating this process a few more times, Sid was losing steam. By the end of night he just laid there like this:

Every five seconds or so, he’d gently squeeze the bone, just to confirm it was still there in his mouth and that he wasn’t dreaming.

But the excitement wasn’t over just yet. Another package was pulled from the bag. Inside was a framed photo of the fabulous Miss P herself along with a very special confidence shirt.

This shirt is actually the one that Payton is wearing in the photo. We were all moved by this very thoughtful gift (even Sid blushed – though he’ll never admit it) and were so glad we got to spend some time with such a great couple.

It’s still technically Birthday Week here at Pug Slope as Sid’s 7th Birthday was just last Thursday.

About a week before the BIG DAY, he gave us a list of potential gifts he would like (and I quote):

1. Giftcard from MrChewy.com

2. Baby Carrots (like 10 bags min.)

3. Another batch of Plush Potatoes (yellow is my favorite color)

4. Jar of Peanut Butter (left on floor with lid removed)

5. Framed black-and-white portrait of T-Buttz and I looking all romantic and stuff

(NOTE: Puhleeez do not get me any more CONFIDENCE SHIRTS. I have like 2000 already and also I’ve already got enough confidence without  them – remember how I scaled Mount Couch sans shirt?!)

Much to his surprise, we actually appealed to requests #2 and #4 (though not is the requested quantities) via his Birthday cake,  which consisted of a cored & peeled apple topped with peanut butter, a crunchy venison treat, and 7 baby carrot “candles”.

Sid was even more shocked when something large and billowy was pulled out from its hiding spot and placed on the floor in front of him.

Being a gentle-pug of leisure, he knew exactly what this item was and what he was supposed to do.

This is mine.

While he was occupied with fluffing-up his new bed, we were able to covertly slip in and purloin his old, crusty, stinky bed (complete with peanut butter remains mashed into the fabric). We’re hoping he doesn’t notice.