This always makes Mommy and Daddy smile…

Right after Preston moved to Cambridge, Puggle Penny told Preston about the Canine Cognition Lab at Harvard University. It is great to know that there are researchers like Dr. Marc Hauser, who is interested in understanding what dogs are thinking ?

Mommy signed Preston up to help with their research. His first session started this week. Preston can not share the details about the research (since it hasn’t been published) but he encourages all the doggies around Boston area to participate. He enjoyed every minute of it and came home with a full stomach!
Preston made Mommy proud for being the first dog tested that could read the owner’s (mommy’s) facial expression. After the study, he was rewarded with a certificate.

Preston is lucky to be a Cambridge resident. His favorite place here is Fresh Pond, a water reservoir supplying the city’s drinking water. There is a 2.5-mile fenced trail around the pond. Dogs licensed in Cambridge can be legally off-leash here (Sorry, out-of-towners!). While no swimming is allowed in Fresh Pond, the adjacent Little Fresh Pond is open to dogs who like swimming. All of Preston’s Californian friends knew Preston did not like the water at all. He could swim but only if mommy was also in the pool. For weeks since Preston started coming to Fresh Pond, he would only stand on the shore and watch other doggies play in the water with frustration. Last weekend, he suddenly walked into the water on his own and started swimming as if he had been doing that all his life. Mommy and Daddy were quite amazed.

He might not be the fastest swimmer but definitely the cutest one in the pond!

09/25/2009 update: see what Preston’s typical visit to Fresh Pond is like- Fresh Pond

What is Boston’s best ice cream? Preston’s vote goes to JP Licks!
Preston had their doggie ice cream, “Cow Paw”.

Preston might not be a big fan of the water but he is not going to miss out on having fun on Charles River. 

Preston went to a special puggle meetup today.
Animal Planet’s DOGS 101 is going to feature “Puggles” in their upcoming season. The camera crew was filming today’s puggle meetup in Boston. There were at least 40 puggles showing up for a fun day and the possibility of being on TV.
Luckily, Mommy put Preston’s “Cool-it” bandana on him; otherwise, he could have been easily lost in the crowd. Preston was not shy about getting attention. He was the only puggle that “spoke” to the camera.
It was such a fun day for Preston (Mommy and Daddy too!).

11/29/2009 update: The puggle episode of Dogs 101 was aired on thanksgiving weekend. Preston made three short appearances on the show. See the update and online version of the show.

Preston knows how to communicate with Mommy and Daddy. That’s why he always gets what he wants.

When hungry…

When nature calls…

Preston visited Plymouth, MA this weekend (about 40 miles south of Boston).
Mayflower II, a full-size replica of the Mayflower, the ship which brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620.

Preston was admiring the famous “Plymouth Rock”, the landing place of the Pilgrims.

Preston is going green with the eco-friendly Skooperbox®.

When Preston is going on his daily walk along Charles River, Mommy uses the Skooperbox® to clean up after him.

FYI update 08/2010: As much as we like the idea behind the Skooperbox, we are sorry to say the box is not very practical to use. The lid doesn’t seal the smell and is not secure (we learned this the hard way). It is almost impossible to pick up soft poops. We are sticking to the degradable poop bags. Mutt Mitts are our favorite!

Blue Giraffe was the only plush toy that flew with Preston to his new home. The rest of his toys were delivered by the moving company.

He missed his toys so very much, when they arrived Preston couldn’t wait to get them out of the box.

The house was in chaos when Mommy was unpacking. Preston managed to find himself some peace.