The Adventures of Sheldon & Harry Potter

Regular readers are familiar with the occasional mini-series of The Adventures of Sheldon which started in 2008 or later the Adventures of Sheldon & Duncan which started in 2009. It has been a month or so since the last episode, so its time for a fresh installment! I can't think of a better night than to be at home relaxing with the poodles. Both Sheldon and Duncan are happiest when we're all home together. Today brings The Adventures of Sheldon & Harry Potter. It all started when I settled down in the media room to watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Mr Sheldon curled up on the black leather sofa next to me while Duncan Diggory chose to sit on the floor at my feet. As the movie started, Sheldon instantly perked up. We have surround-sound speakers in the media room that provide for excellent sound quality. Sheldon was drawn into the story in no time.

I first noticed in one of the scenes when there was a Quidditch match with kids flying around on their broom sticks. I watched Sheldon's head movie side to side as he watched the action on the big screen in front of him. I was amused by his interest in the film. 

Shortly thereafter there was a scene when Harry meets Professor Slughorn whilst snipping tentacular leaves through a window in in Professor Sprout's greenhouse. The magical tentacular plants are moving around wildly in their pots while the Professor attempts to snip a few leaves. For some reason, Sheldon was fascinated by this scene and watched intently. Maybe it was the sound and the movement of the plants. Sheldon leaned forward, to have a closer look at the screen. His ears perked up and he watched intently. I managed to snap the photo of his profile at that exact moment. I had no idea he enjoyed Harry Potter movies as much as I do. Sheldon watched the entire movie with me. When it was over, he got up, stretched out, yawned and walked to the bedroom to go to sleep. Another busy day in the life of Sheldon Gryffindor Rockhill.

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The Adventures of Sheldon: The Dog Food Roll Robber

I've been wondering how long it would be before I had some fresh material for another "Adventures" post. Then yesterday the day arrived, while at work. I present The Adventures of Sheldon: The Dog Food Roll Robber. It all started because Mr Sheldon has a slight ear infection, for which the vet prescribed an overpriced doggie-antibiotic. The dose instructions direct that the meds be given with food to avoid stomach upset. Both Sheldon and Duncan "free feed" so the notion of giving them a pill at mealtime just isn't practical. So to coerce Sheldon to eat some food at pill time, I decided to slice up one of our Natural Balance Dog Food rolls. Since my office is adjacent to our dog food roll plant, I grabbed one of our new secret test batch rolls! As Sheldon watched intently, I sliced a few pieces of the special roll, carefully inserted his antibiotic pill in one of the chunks and fed him his food rolls with the pill. Once he had gobbled it down, I decided to wash my hands, so I stepped out of my office for a moment, leaving the nearly full, newly sliced secret test batch dog food roll on my desk. When I returned, I to my office I noticed the secret test batch roll was missing from my desk. I was certain this was the handiwork of a dog food competitor who broke-in and stole our secret test batch dog food roll. Such sinister activity, I thought! I wondered if I should call the pet food police. I turned to ask the one witness who could provide a clue. I looked over to Mr Sheldon Gryffindor who was standing quite still. I asked him if he had seen anything. He gulped. I looked around, surveying the area. Finally I leaned over my desk and saw the evidence. Apparently the evil dog food competitor who had broken in to steal our secret test batch roll must have left in a hurry, as he dropped the roll on the floor during his speedy exit. Or at least that seemed to be the story Mr Sheldon was trying to lay on me. Hmmmm, I knew better. Although I wasn't away very long, apparently it was long enough for Mr Sheldon to stand up on his legs to reach the desk and help himself to the mostly-full dog secret test batch dog food roll I had left sitting on my desk.I surveyed the evidence more closely to be sure:

above: The gnaw marks in the secret test batch dog food roll had an amazing similarity to Mr Sheldon's poodle teeth. I leaned over to Sheldon and examined his doggie lips. They glistened with a few morsels of the meaty roll. I knew I had found the culprit: The Dog Food Roll Robber was Mr Sheldon himself. His eyes gazed up at me through his long black eyelashes, seemingly guilty. I gently scolded him but was privately thrilled that our new secret dog food roll was a hit with our official tester.
-Rick Rockhill

The Adventures of Sheldon: Swimming Lessons

Being a Standard Poodle, Sheldon Gryffindor Rockhill is supposed to enjoy water. Or so I thought. In truth he is less than thrilled to be in the pool, but I like to take him for a swim every so often, and more importantly to let him learn where the steps are and how to get himself out of the pool on his own. He is rarely outside alone very long, but I'd still rather he know what do do, should he ever fall in while we're not looking. Since I'd been traveling so much lately I made sure to spend a lot of time with Sheldon this weekend, playing, talking to him and generally keeping him company. Even though John was home while I've been away on business, he gets out of sorts when one of us is not around. He senses the imbalance in the family and gets a bit skittish. So a dip in the pool seemed like a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon together. After all, it was 110 degrees and HOT!

above: As we waded into the shallow end of the pool together I held Sheldon. He was enjoying the cooler water temperature after having been sitting in the hot sun for awhile watching me swim.

above: I set him in the right direction to swim and gave him a few words of encouragement...

above: ...And away he went....doing the "Poodle Paddle" as I call it.

above: Upon completing his swim lessons, Sheldon pauses poolside, laughing from all the fun. He was a big wet skinny doggie and very pleased with himself. He knew he needed to dry off before going back into the house so he ran the length of the house back and forth for a half hour, watching me continue to swim my laps in the pool. I called out to him a few times, inviting him back into the pool. He was tempted, but thought better of it and decided he was done with his swimming adventure for the day.

-Rick Rockhill

Of Cats and Dogs

I am one of those people who sincerely believe that pets make our lives better. In fact I can't imagine not sharing my space with a pet. As many of you recall, we presently have two pets, Owen, our Persian kitty (pictured here at left) and Sheldon, our Standard Poodle. It amazes me how social they both can be. Sheldon usually goes to work with one of us every day, and Owen works at home as guard-kitty. He likes to hide under the glass top table, in the middle of the base pillars that support the glass. I suppose with the chairs around the table base, it protects him from any wildebeests who could come charging in without a moments notice. Owen sure is smart about things like that. When we come home from work, Owen runs to the door to greet us. I swear that cat can tell time. Sometimes, if we are running late he will be waiting by the door, and immediately begins talking at us when we cross the threshold. Of course, Sheldon is so excited to be home again to see his brother that they soon run around and play together for awhile.

above: Sheldon loves to be outside on the patio, relaxing by the pool.

above: ...while Owen waits patiently by the door, inside wishing he could get outside to play. Aside from the heat, I don't want the cat outside, too many hungry hawks with sharp eyes.

above: Sheldon is such a social creature. He follows me around wherever I go in the house, and listens to everything I say. Sometimes I think he actually understands me.

above: Owen has a few other favorite spots in the house. This end table is handy for its proximity to the wild jungle-like plant.

above: Sheldon loves to sprawl out and relax, content with watching me blog away on my laptop.

above: When comfort comes first, Owen heads for his favorite side chair. This one has an especially comfortable spot on top, ideal for meditating and practicing mind control over humans. Funny thing is I think he is pretty good at it. I find myself mumbling "must open can of organic cat food for Owen...must open can or organic cat food for Owen...."

Well that's all for today. Hope you enjoyed this little post of Cats and Dogs.

-Rick Rockhill

The Adventures of Sheldon: All Grown Up!

I'm not sure where the last year has gone to, but Sheldon is now just over a year old, and all grown up. Well nearly grown up anyway. He still has that sweet innocence of a youngster- playful and energetic. His older brother Owen (pictured here) tolerates Sheldon's enthusiasm for life, although deep down Owen loves to play with Sheldon- provided it is on his terms! When I took this photo, Sheldon had just returned home from a visit to the groomer, looking handsome and debonair. Sheldon loves the oh-so-fresh feeling of being back from the groomer; he typically runs to the mirror in the hallway to check himself out. He even manages to catch his reflection in the glass French doors when the sun is just right. He is a smart poodle and makes me a proud parent everyday. I could go on and on, but I think you get the gist. I love my dog.
-Rick Rockhill

The Adventures of Sheldon: A Handsome Devil and He Knows It!

This past weekend Sheldon went to the groomer for his monthly wash, trim and fluff. We splurged for the full service extras: nail trim, an herbal conditioner and teeth cleaning. Sheldon loves going to the grooming salon; his groomer fawns all over him, lavishing Sheldon with praise and hearty doses of petting and belly rubs along the way. Anyway, when he finally returned home he was so excited about his haircut that he ran over to the mirror to check himself out. He is one smart poodle. As he admired himself in the mirror, I swear I could hear him thinking: "I look really handsome". You see, Sheldon looks good and he knows it! Later in the evening I sat down for a few minutes, and he ran over and posed for this picture with me, turning to the camera at just the right angle. He is a handsome devil, isn't he?
-Rick Rockhill

Adventures of Sheldon: Dressed for Success

One of the benefits of where I work is I have been able to bring Sheldon to the office regularly over the past ten months. He has put so much time in that he practically qualifies as an intern in the merchandising and e-commerce departments. So it was no surprise when he indicated that he was ready for a full time job in the office "where the pets go". In my capacity, it was easy to secure a job for Sheldon, so we prepared him for work, complete with a nice new tie. After all, being the "chief bone taster" and "toy tester" for us isn't a job for any slouch. It takes a true professional. A professional, you say? Well here I present Mr Sheldon, all spiffy and ready for a day at the office. I inspected his appearance and gave him the "thumbs up" for his first official day at work.

above: Mr Sheldon is all smiles as he waits for his ride to work. I just hope he doesn't ask for business cards on his first day. Wish him luck!

-Rick Rockhill

The Adventures of Sheldon: The Grooming Thing

One of the responsibilities of owning a standard poodle is to maintain their coat with a regimen of regular brushing and visits to the groomer. We're pretty good about taking Sheldon to the groomer every month, but not so good with the brushing in between. As a result, Sheldon looks great for two to three weeks, and then shaggy and frizzy for one to two weeks. This photo is the day Sheldon returned from the groomer, his coat looking smooth and silky. He received a good report card from the groomer for good behavior. He genuinely enjoys going to the salon and socializing with all the other dogs. What he's not so crazy about is the in-between brushings at home. Now I wouldn't say that he dislikes it, but he just tolerates it. I suppose if I kept up with the brushing it wouldn't be so difficult to run a comb or brush through his coat. So I decided to brush Sheldon a bit right away, just after his groom, so he would get used to the rhythm of the brush. Sheldon didn't think it was such a swell idea. In fact he ran away with the brush, from room to room always four steps ahead for my two.

above: After absconding with his grooming brush, Sheldon cautiously approaches me when I sternly beckoned. He sported a devilish grin with the brush in his mouth...

above: Sheldon decided to tell me what he really thought of his brush.

above: Keep in mind that Sheldon has never destroyed anything at home. He has a range of chew toys, bones, rawhide and such that he knows are his to gnaw on. But this grooming brush was another matter. If you look closely you can see his teeth marks on the handle!

above: We finally settled down and had a little chat about chewing the grooming brush. He flashes a knowing expression and agreed to a few more strokes. I just need to be a better poodle-dad and keep up with the in between brushes so it's not such an ordeal for the little guy. He may have been right after all in this adventure.

-Rick Rockhill

Adventures of Sheldon: Opposites Attract

Our young Sheldon has developed into a fine young boy, living the life of a prince-complete with the best quality natural food, organic treats, and a faux mink fur dog bed, of course! Among all of his other spoils, Sheldon has really bonded with his older brother Owen. They have really bonded and spend loads of time together- from chasing each other around the house, to "grooming" each other, to snuggling up for a nice long snooze. I managed to catch some video of them together the other day and thought it would be a fun way to end the week. Usually people think dogs and cats fight and just can't get along, claiming they are opposites. I have a different opinion. I say, "Opposites Attract" so check out this video as the "Adventures of Sheldon" continue...

(to watch the video, click the little arrow in the lower left corner of the box above. FYI- the sound is a little loud, I forgot to lower the song volume when I edited it.)
If it doesn't play, click here to watch it on You Tube
I hope you enjoyed that little video of the Adventures of Sheldon. They sure are cute, aren't they? Here is a great photo of Owen one morning when he woke up- he likes to sleep under the covers sometimes, although I can't say I blame him!
Oh, tomorrow I'm having lunch with one of my super famous friends, and by super famous I mean someone on TV. If I can write about it, you'll be the first to know, but you know how protective I am of those friendships...so stay tuned!
-Rick Rockhill