Living with a children's author isn't as easy as it looks!

“Education is learning what you didn’t know you didn’t know.”
~Daniel Boorstin~

I’m pretty sure Mom doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. That’s probably because she thinks she knows everything. At least that’s how she acts sometimes!

Recently she signed herself up for a webinar called Picture Books in Focus, so I think she’s ready to learn something new. Ugh. Now she’ll REALLY think she knows it all! She says she’s hoping to learn how to focus and structure her stories better. Maya Angelou says, “When you know better you do better.” So, I guess that’s what Mom is after, because who doesn’t want to do better?!

I ALWAYS learn new things. Mostly because I forget what I knew yesterday. I can sit

and stay

and come and lie down and roll over.

I can beg

and high five and give my paw and dance.

I also knock down bowling pins

and pyramids of paper cups

and sniff out hidden dental treats when Mom says, “Find it.”

Found it!

In case I accidentally forget one of my tricks,

Mom practices it with me till I remember.

….or not…

Two tricks I don’t know and can’t seem to learn are fetch and hide and seek. When Mom hides from me, she stands there quietly like an idiot and I never bother looking for her. I just wait till she gets bored and comes out on her own. When she tells me to fetch something, I usually bring it on the couch and try to hatch it like an egg.

I wonder if there’s a webinar for that!

 

 

Comments on: "Inspirational Quote of the Week" (55)

  1. Boy howdy,you know a whole bunch of tricks! Maybe if I had a tutu I could do some dancin’ too, but after sit I’m clueless. Lady Caroline

  2. Get it, don’t get it. Sometimes it’s tricky to get get it. Get it? Fetch is for other puppers according to Beary. Or for mumma. She throw, she fetch. Beary can high five and shake. And at 8:30 every night he can nag mumma until she fetches a treat from the cupboard. xxx

    • Good job training, B. I mean YOU training your mom! Moms fetching treats makes perfect sense to me. Doggies fetching balls that MOMS threw in the first place – nonsense. Not gonna happen.

      Love and licks,
      C

  3. Cupcake, sister… I hear you… every day I learn things I didn’t know I didn’t know… because the things from yesterday are dust in the wind or trashures on da street… like Mr. Adenauer said: what do I care about my chitchat from yesterday ….
    And the mama is the iciot too when we play hide&seek… but she didn’t knew that she didn’t know that to look like an idiot IS the game… it’s for entertaining the dog and not the human, right?

    • Ha! Absolutely, P. Hide and seek is hilarious. Ridiculous moms squished behind furniture while we are chillin on the couch watching TV. Best. Game. Ever.

      Love and licks,
      C

  4. we learn every single day )

  5. You’re smarter than you think and way smarter than mom gives you credit for. She puts a lot of time into teaching you. Time we’ll went far as I can tell. 🐶❤️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

    • Thanks, G! I was VERY smart this morning, when I got halfway out the apartment door and heard a dog bark about 10 doors down from INSIDE his apartment. I dashed back inside like lightning and left Mom standing in the hallway like hide and seek. I think she admired my quickness, because she called me the name of Weirdo, which I’m pretty sure is a good thing… Right…?

      Love and licks,
      C

  6. Oh Cupcake you are so darn cute! Love how one minute you “get” the pushing over the cups and the next – DUH – I do that to my Mom on purpose and make her laugh. I don’t know how to do THAT trick but other stuff I know, sometimes I pretend not to know! Kinda fun driving our humans nuts sometimes isn’t it??????

    Hugs, Teddy

    • Ha! Driving Mom mental is my favorite game, too, T. She tries hard not to laugh at me, but that DUH face gets her every time. I’m glad you’re keeping your parents on their toes, too. We don’t want them getting bored.

      Love and licks,
      C

  7. Seems like you know quite a bit, Cupcake. In fact, I think you know enough to start a series of Wagginars. The Two Orange Pups are ready to sign up!

  8. Always good to keep the uprights on their toes. Good girl, Cupcake!

  9. hello cupcake its dennis the vizsla dog hay wot a batch of triks yoo hav!!! like a ninja dog!!! i espeshly like the wun ware yoo nock down bowling pins espeshly sinse bowling alleys ar yoozhually assosheeayted with diners!!! ha ha ok bye

    • Thanks, D. I will have to check into my bowling practice more thoroughly. I mean, why am I not getting a burger, fries, and a beer like the rest of the bowlers…? It doesn’t seem right… Right?

      Love and licks,
      C

  10. chesterspaniel said:

    Obviously, in that second video, you’re waiting for a yum yum to be placed underneath one of those cups.

    • You know it, C. I mean how many times am I supposed to complete the job without getting something in return? Yum-yum – bring them on!

      Love and licks,
      C

  11. Oh Cupcake, I watched you dance, and you could star in a ballet. So you and Lexi had at least 3 things in common: a dancer, a therapy dog and a terrier. (terrorer) ❤

    • Awww. Thanks, A. I can only hope to be a fraction as talented as Lexi. She was my favorite freestyle dancer and actor – bar none!

      Love and licks,
      C

  12. WOW! You are one smart Cookie….er, I mean, CUPCAKE!!! Boomer

    • Thanks, B. Smart isn’t usually a word used to describe me, but I appreciate you saying it. AND using my favorite word of COOKIE!

      Love and licks,
      C

  13. Cupcake, I think you are good with the tricks you know – you put Choppy to shame with all those tricks!

  14. C, you know way more tricks than us. Furthermore, you’re good at them. I do know how to play hide and seek though and I love it. You maybe don’t want to play that game. I don’t fetch for mom…what a dumb game…throw the little ball and I’m suppose to run and find it so mom can throw it away again. Seems kinda absurd to me….don’t blame you for not playing.

    Shoko

    • Sounds like have figured out the root of the problem with the fetch game, S. It never ends!! My shortcut to ending it is bringing the toy on the couch. Game over! I think both our moms need a hobby….

      Love and licks,
      C

  15. It’s nice to take different courses and gain new insights. Good for you, Genevieve. Love the video, Cupcake. Archie would do the same thing. I know that stare.

    • Thanks, P. I am happy to hear that Archie has perfected his “duh” stare. I find that it comes in very handy on a lot of occasions!

      Love and licks,
      C

  16. BOL!! OMD, I never have ever been able to roll over or balance on my hindquarters! Ma has tried everythings and I just stare at her like she’s lost her ever-lovin’-mind! I’m sure if we both had more patience (aka: Ma), I would gets it, butts Ma says after a cup of drool in her hair (I likes to shake my head and fling my drool..hehehehe) she gives up. ☺ I do lots of other tricks though, butts none as FABulous as your cup trick! Hey, those look tasty…have you ever run off with one and torn it to shreds??
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

    • So great to hear that you have also mastered the HaveYourLostYourMind stare, R. I’m sure that is useful throughout the day. Ditto sprinkling around a cup of drool. Brilliant. I’m not a drooler, but my furs jumping off my body makes up for that. In answer to your question – YES, the cups are as delicious as they look. I have eaten many of them.

      Love and licks,
      C

  17. Three Pups and a Couple of Kitties said:

    Hi Cupcake! Wow, you know a lot of tricks! You can’t fool me you wanted your mom to knock over the cups. That’s really smart pretending that you dont remember how! ~nose nudges Bonnie.

    • Thanks, B. It’s always fun when Mom has to do her own tricks. It’s even fun when she starts unceremoniously throwing the cups into her storage box and saying the word, “Aargh.” and “Why do I bother?” and “Duh.” and “I need my head examined.” She’s hilarious!

      Love and licks,
      C

  18. The look you gave your mom when you didn’t want to do the pyramid trick was priceless, Cupcake. Way to assert your independence. I hear that humans really love independence and stubbornness. Oh wait . . . Mommy says I am completely mistaken about that. Never mind. 😉

    • I always thought the same thing, Miss HL. That is news to me. …and here I was feeling proud and happy every time Mom called me the name of Stubborn! Go figure…!

      Love and licks,
      C

  19. Mom says “when you know better you do better” as far as being a pet parent goes too. Your tricks are PAWSOME!!!

  20. You do lots of clever tricks, Cupcake!

    I think you’re right not to “fetch”, I won’t do it either. If you start that they’ll have you running around like a retriever in no time!

  21. Shawnee the Shepherd said:

    Thank you so much for your kind words on Shawnee’s passing. We always loved getting your comments on her blog, especially since another Cupcake frequently comments and we would always have to figure out which Cupcake was which, LOL. Wish we could have come around to visit more often but you know how life gets in the way. Thanks again.

    Daniela

    • Thanks, D. We will miss Shawnee. Both of you were such an inspiration. She will be with you on your next hike and the one after that and the one after that…..

      Love and licks,
      C

  22. Great videos, Cupcake. The training seems to be going well. Good ploy ‘forgetting’ how to find the treat. More training = more treats. Clever girl!
    Monty and Chicken 🐾

  23. Wow, Cupcake, you sure know a lot of good tricks. We like the one, knocking down the cups. Good job. Hope all of you have a super day.

    • Thanks, M. Mom teaches me all the time so I don’t just sit around and act like a piece of furniture. She’s afraid my brain will turn to pudding if I don’t study.

      Love and licks,
      C

  24. Katie Isabella said:

    CUPCAKE! How did I miss this! There you are with all your skills to display and I was off meowing somewhere. What a maroon I am!

  25. MOL…I think we can make our own webinar, Cupcake, as I act and react just like you…MOL 😀 Have I told you…lately…that you are overcute ❤ Double Pawkisses for a wonderful Day 🙂 ❤

  26. I believe as humans it is our job to always try and do better. I applaud mom for always looking for ways to better her writing.

    I don’t think you need classes to be better Cupcake, you are perfect just the way you are.

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