Libby is the Bread Bandit!

Even though Libby is 4-years-old she still sometimes acts like a puppy. Tonight, after dinner there were two buns sitting on the counter top. My mom was cleaning up after dinner and she left the kitchen for a few minutes, and when she came back both buns were gone! Libby jumped up and ate both buns while no one was in the kitchen. She probably swallowed them whole too. She usually doesn't chew her food, especially when she's excited she'll just swallow the food whole. Now my dad calls Libby the "bread bandit"!

Luckily, the buns weren't too hot because Libby has gotten a hold of food that was too hot before and almost immediately after she eats really hot food, she gets sick. She can't handle the hot temperature of food.

Libby Puts the "Retriever" in Golden Retriever

If you know Libby or have been reading this blog, then you know that Libby loves to carry around a variety of things in her mouth including the remote control, clothes, stuffed animals and water bottles. These are the norm for her to carry around.

Libby Has No Fear...
Well, this week she brought in something brand new from outside...A WASP'S NEST! Somehow she got a hold of a wasp's nest and brought it inside. She has no fear of bees and wasps like I do. My family has to be careful when we let Libby in from outside because she often brings in rocks or sticks and she likes to chew on them and make a mess in the dining room. Unfortunately, she has also found a bird in our backyard and tried to bring that into the house too. So, whenever we let Libby in we always look in her mouth and see if it looks full or not. I guess it's just in her nature to have the desire to retrieve all these things.

Libby Wants to Play Baseball...
As you see in these pictures, Libby brought a bat and ball inside that she found in the backyard. Although, she couldn't figure out how to get the bat to fit through the door.

Libby Can't Go On Vacation with Us

My grandparents are talking about taking the whole family on a vacation for a week this summer and Libby can't go. So, my sister will most likely stay here to be with Libby so we don't have to put her in a kennel. We don't feel comfortable leaving Libby in a kennel, we know it would make her really nervous and we want to make sure she always receives the best care possible. This is why my sister does not mind staying here and taking care of Libby.

We also can't have Libby stay at someone else's house because she is really...a handful. Libby doesn't adapt well to other environments since she never travelled as a puppy. She is used to life at our house so having someone dog sit her, unfortunately, is not an option.

Libby had Company This Weekend...

My parents' friends came over to my house this weekend and they brought their six-month-old bull dog. His name is Mojo. Libby chased Mojo while they were outside but once they came inside, she wasn't too interested in him anymore. Libby didn't have to socialize much with Mojo because he isn't house trained yet and he had to stay in his crate in the living room. Libby gets a little nervous around other dogs. She isn't really interested in making friends with them. She likes to have the attention all on her. Libby prefers her friends to be people. She also likes rabbits, but that's another story.

Libby Wants a Valentine

Last night when I came home, I had my Valentine's gifts from my boyfriend, Anthony, in my hands. When I walked in the door Libby was so excited. She was jumping all over me and trying to get to my flowers and the bear stuffed animal I was holding. I know she likes carrying around stuffed animals in her mouth and I know that she likes Anthony a lot too so I'm not sure which is the reason why she was so excited about my Valentine's Day gifts...

Libby's Walk in the Park

Today my mom and sister took Libby for a walk at the park near our house. I was sad because it was so pretty outside and I really wanted to go with them! Unfortunately, I couldn't go because I had class. When my mom got Libby's leash out and told her they were going to go "Bye-bye" and "Go for a walk", Libby got so excited. She was jumping around on the furniture (even though she's not supposed to, but she does what she wants) and she was crying with excitement!

It's Lonely at Home Without Libby...
Everyone left and I stayed at home getting ready for school. It was lonely without Libby at home! I kept looking for her and talking to her and then I would remember she was gone! When I was eating lunch, I had to go downstairs to get a Mountain Dew and I instinctively pushed my pizza into the middle of the table because I'm so used to Libby jumping up and stealing my food if I leave it too close to the edge of the table!

Libby at the Park...
My mom told me about Libby's walk and it didn't go so well. My mom and sister had to leave the park and take Libby back home because she couldn't handle the hike! Libby was not properly socialized as a puppy because her behavior was too bad for us to able to take her anywhere. Therefore, Libby acts crazy while riding in the car and while taking hikes. She gets all out of breath. She tried jumping on people as they passed by and my mom decided that Libby needed to go home.

Libby Isn't Always Very Photogenic

Libby is so pretty and she does the cutest things but she doesn't always take the best pictures. Libby doesn't like to have her picture taken. When someone tries to take her picture she'll walk away. A lot of times she'll close her eyes in pictures or just make really weird faces. She even smiles. See for yourself!

Libby's Favorite Person is My Boyfriend

Libby really likes my boyfriend, Anthony. She has known him all of her life but every time he comes over to my house, it’s like the first time for Libby. She cries and jumps all over Anthony leaving him covered in her gold and white hair!

As I said before, Libby can cause stress. When Anthony comes over she is really annoying! She jumps up and down and will not leave Anthony alone. My dad has to be stern with her (because unfortunately, he’s the only she will listen to) and tell Libby to come in the living room by him and lay down.

The other day, Anthony wanted to see what Libby would do if he didn’t pet her. He was sitting on the couch and he was completely still. Libby was crying and standing on her back legs with her front legs on the couch. Anthony sat there with his hands on his legs. Libby was getting really impatient! She jumped on the couch and maneuvered herself so Anthony had no choice but to pet her! Libby stuck her long nose and big head under one of Anthony’s arms. Then she was able to put her whole body on top of Anthony’s lap! Libby was successful at getting Anthony to pet her. Libby loves Anthony.

Libby's Sleeping Preferences

Libby likes to get plenty of sleep. She snores too. It’s not too loud, but you can hear it. In the morning she only gets up to eat breakfast. If she doesn’t hear anyone moving around in the kitchen then she will keep sleeping. She usually gets up when my mom is getting my little brother ready for school because she knows my little brother is eating his daily waffles.

No More Table Scraps Libby...

Libby also likes to make sure she’s up when my sister eats breakfast because my sister was routinely feeding Libby a handful of cereal every day. Libby’s vet said that she needed to lose weight and not to eat table scraps anymore. My sister did not like hearing this. She said she likes to give Libby cereal every morning because Libby is, “So cute and she’s really hungry in the morning.” That’s my sister’s opinion. I think the vet is right and Libby needs to lose weight so she can live a long and healthy life! She is really cute but she’s a little too husky around the waist.

Libby Waits Up for Me...
Libby usually sleeps on the love seat (shh, don’t tell dad), in my parents’ bedroom, or with me. She takes up a lot of room in my full size bed. She lays so close to me and keeps me warm! One night, I came home late and Libby was asleep on the love seat. She must have been waiting up for me! She’s so considerate. Like I said, Libby likes to get plenty of sleep and when I opened the front door I saw Libby looking at me with her half open, sleepy eyes, messy hair, and her tail wagging. For some reason her hair gets messed up when she sleeps. She’s like a person.

Another night when I came home late Libby was asleep in my parents’ room and she heard me get home and sleepily came into my room happy to see me. She sat down and looked at me with her sleepy eyes while she wagged her tail. Then she went to sleep with me. She is so sweet!

Libby: Water Bottles and Stuffed Animals

Like I've mentioned before, Libby likes to carry things around in her mouth. She doesn't tear them up but she walks around the house like she's carrying a prized possession. Last night when I got home, Libby was excited to see me and she greeted me with my little brother's pajama pants in her mouth.

It Appears that Libby is Thirsty and Wants to Cuddle...

Libby is also sneaky about grabbing the things she carries around in her mouth. This morning, I had a water bottle on my night stand. After I got out of bed she came in and took the water bottle and walked around with it in her mouth. She does this a lot. There's also a stuffed animal in my room that Libby is fond of. It cracks me up how smart she is! Again, Libby will come into my room after she knows that I have gotten up and she gets the same stuffed animal. I've even hidden it under covers and watched her sneak into my room and she comes out with it every time!

Libby is Changing the Channel Again...

She does the same thing when she grabs the remote control. She doesn't take the remote control when we're all in the living room watching TV. She's sneaky about it. Last week, the family was in the kitchen and she jumped on the couch and we could hear the remote hitting her teeth as she picked it up. Then of course she showed it off. If we can't find the remote we always say, "Libby, what did you do with the remote?"

Libby Enjoyed the Snow Today!

Libby likes the cold weather. She is in and out, in and out, when it is cold outside. Libby loves to be out in the snow with my little brother, Steven, and his friends. If she's inside and sees them outside then she whines until she can join them.

Today, Libby ran around out in the snow, laid in the snow and chewed on sticks in the snow. When Libby and Steven came in from playing outside, Libby grabbed Steven's snow hat and walked around with it in her mouth. She walks with such pride when she has something in her mouth, whether it is Steven's hat or the TV remote control, or anything else she picks up. Libby gets this funny look in her eyes and walks around prancing while swaying her tail calmly back and forth. She looks like she's thinking, "Look what I have. Aren't you jealous?" With more snow coming, I think Libby will be able to enjoy the cold weather for another day!

"Life With Libby" Is About...

"Life With Libby" is about living with my 4-year-old golden retriever, Libby. Libby is very loving, affectionate, smart and at times, annoying. When Libby was a puppy she had very bad behavior but now she is better behaved, however, she is still mischievous and wild like a puppy. She really reminds me of the dog in the movie "Marley and Me". Like Marley, Libby is super cute, funny and can cause stress but she is the best friend you'll ever have!

What is Libby Thinking?
Libby does something cute, sweet, interesting and annoying every day. I wish I could know what she is thinking when she does what she does. I especially wonder this when she walks around with the TV remote control in her mouth, brings my dad's long johns into the living room, finds water bottles and carries them around in her mouth and takes stuffed animals and lays her head on them.

More Information About Libby's One of a Kind Personality!
What I love most about Libby is that she always wants to be close to everyone in my family, she is so loving. She loves people and attention. Here is a little bit more about Libby. Libby is afraid of storms and she shakes when she hears thunder, she will eat anything at anytime, if she wants your attention she will bark and playfully growl at you until you pet her, she makes weird snorting sounds like a pig, she likes to be in confined places and she sleeps on the love seat in the living room after my dad goes to bed (because he usually tells her to stay off the love seat). To learn more about living the lovely life with Libby, keep reading!