24 January is a special day in our household!

1. It’s my Birthday!!!!!!! I turned 7 this year. I don’t feel like a 7 year old. Mom took me out for a turn with a frisbee and I got some special time with her. That was awesome. Here’s to another fantastic year!

2. Beer Can Appreciation Day: on 24 Jan 1935 the first beer cans from Krueger’s Beers are sold in Richmond VA and are a huge success!!!!

Of course our canned beer of choice comes from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co!

Happy New Year!!!!!

The one night a year when mom drinks something other then beer…New Years!!!!

It seems like 2011 went by really quickly. I had a set of resolutions and I think I actually kept to all of them! I was able to adventure and explore into new areas of the Richmond VA area. Mom, Frappy and I traveled to GA, WI, NJ and OH to see friends. The business was so out of control busy that mom hardly had time to work with Frappy and I. We learned about some awesome new brews and breweries. It was a good year.

I’m ready for an even better year full of fun and friends.

Hoppy New Years!!! If you go out drinking be sure to have someone else drive you home! Cheers

Dear Santa,

Mom, Frappy, and I came early to grandma’s house because mom hasn’t decorated for Christmas. Of course that means a couple dozen pictures needed to be taken…just a side note, I was the good dog in posing for the pictures Frappy was more interested in the squirrels in the back yard..mom doesn’t have a big sliding glass door for us to look through.

I found an elf on the shelf this morning and it reminded me I needed to get a letter out to you. I let him go when he told me he was spying for you. I really really want a stocking full of tennis balls! I’m hoping catching that elf won’t discourage you from filling up the stocking for me. We all know I am better then Frappy.

On Christmas the whole family will be over for dinner except for Meiko the German Shepherd Dog. He is old and cranky..but still deserves a big rawhide bone in his stocking. That means Frappy and I will have to entertain 9 humans…some of them small and into pulling ears and tails. I have a feeling mom may save our big present for while they are here. Both Frappy and I are hoping we get a new Premier Bouncy Bone to gnaw on.

Mom experienced a Christmas Miracle and found Leinenkugel Red Lager at a store here in Maryland and she is already enjoying that, I will make sure she leaves a couple for you.

Grandpa is already putting the food together for Christmas dinner. I think Frappy thinks that is her own Christmas Miracle because he keeps dropping stuff for her and that never happens at home since we all know that the only thing in mom’s kitchen is Beer!

Frappy did help grandma decorate one of the trees when we first got here.

Grandma showed us the Irish Terrier decorations in memory of Maggie and Pepper. And then pointed at our stockings that are hung by the fireplace with care. My stocking has beer mugs all over it, grandma made it special for me!

This year I decided that for Christmas I wish for peace on Earth, goodwill towards dogs and that all of our Military Men, Women and K9′s are safe and come home soon! A few tennis balls wouldn’t hurt either….

Have a safe trip around the world Santa. Keep in mind we will be in MD for the holidays! I won’t bark at you when you come down the chimney and I will make sure Frappy doesn’t eat the cookies we are leaving for you. The Leinie’s will be cold!

Woofs and hugs from your favorite Malinois!

Leinie

PS Frappy is disputing the fact that she is on the naughty list after capturing that robin and chasing the squirrel across the yard and making the rabbits duck under the fence…I will let you deal with her as you may.

Dubs Goes To Washington And Discovers the Greatness of America… by Dick Morris, Eileen McGann and Clayton J. Liotta

This book is about a Golden Retriever named Dubs who travels to Washington D.C. It is a tragic tale wherein he looses his ball….only a Golden Retriever would loose a ball for so long.  Any good Malinois like myself would hold onto it with dear life giving it only to those that would throw it for them at least a dozen times…

In searching for his ball he visits a bunch of historic landmarks and monuments in Washington D.C. It makes a great gift for everyone in my opinion.

Mom says we should write a book about Frappy and Leinie in Richmond VA… Although I kind of already do this with our challenge over at Follow Me Dog Training LLC called Where’s Leinie?

If you are looking for a last minute gift, check out this book. I give it four paws up!

DONE!!!!!

Although I have a feeling she meant a Keg of Leinenkugel’s…..

PS…keep an eye out for my annual letter to Santa!

Small Business Saturday is upon us! The weekend after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping weekend of the year. The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday wants people to shop locally! So I think that if you are going to shop locally, you should drink locally as well! Mom told me that Richmond Virginia has a strong brewing history and that there are more and more local Virginia Breweries popping up all the time!

Since coming to Richmond, mom and I have both been fans of Legend Brewery!

There is another new brewery in Richmond VA that mom has been to but I haven’t had a chance to visit. She says their Singel is pretty amazing and wants to go back…I think a visit with me to Hardywood Park Craft Brewery  is in order!

But lets not forget about the other Virginia breweries..soooo many to list them all but we’ll list a few and as you are out shopping, check what is on tap at local pubs and restaurants ! A great tip from this savvy Malinois is to check the window for a sticker that looks like this:

If you see one, it means there is a local Virginia brew in bottle or on tap in that establishment.

TASTE THE LOCAL is an advocacy group set up to promote local beer in the city of Richmond, Virginia. We work with local breweries, businesses, and charities to increase the presence of local beer culture within the river city.

Our goal is to make Richmond the heart of Virginia craft beer. To intertwine local beer with RVA’s rich local art, music, and food culture. We believe that we can make Richmond a destination spot for beer lovers in VA through the promotion of local breweries.

So check out some of these Virginia Breweries and keep yourself sane during the holiday season!

• Wolf Hills Brewing Co.
• Devils Backbone Brewing Company
• Roanoke Railhouse Brewery
• Blue Mountain Brewery
• Wild Wolf Brewing Company
• Williamsburg AleWerks
• Starr Hill Brewery

Happy Oktoberfest!!!!

Mom said she is going to the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ festival on 4 June at the Richmond Raceway Complex! It is inside and no dogs are allowed….but I think it might be a must go for everyone. they are bringing in 60 Beers, 40 Bourbons and plenty of BBQ for everyone. I’m sure mom will tell me all about it when she come home.

Taking a moment to honor our fallen Men, Women and Military War Dogs on Memorial Day 2011.

I went to visit the Virginia War Memorial with my mom a couple months ago and it was a powerful reminder of the sacrifices the United States has made through it’s men, women and MWD’s.

So at the very least take a break from your holiday weekend activities and at 3pm on Memorial Day, pause for the Moment of Remembrance. Reflect on the sacrifices big and small of those that have served our country so that we may stay free.

Then you can raise a Leinie’s in memory to those that have passed and in thanks to those that are serving! Hey CSM James Hamm, I’ll make sure mom raises a couple for you and come home safe so we can toss a frisbee together sometime soon!

Hoppy Easter everyone!!!

I’m not sure where I went wrong, but woke up this Easter morning and was met with a note from the Easter Bunny again. He did leave a basket for mom and a new Premier Bouncy Bone for me and Frappy…but another year goes by without meeting the elusive rabbit!

Here is what the note said:

Dear Leinie,

Although I truly believe you may have out done yourself this year, I just couldn’t risk meeting with you and your friends. Blame it on the squirrels they showed me this video and I couldn’t help but wonder if you had ulterior motives then just wanting to meet me.

I think you are smarter then that but I have to tell you the squirrels painted a not so pretty picture. Then I saw that German Shorthair Pointer, Bull, chasing me down and I just knew I needed to be safe.

Anyway Leinie, I wish you, Frappy and your mom a happy Easter. You know what is in the Easter Basket that is yours. It goes without saying that Chocolate and other Easter Candies are dangerous for dogs. Stay away from that grass stuff they put in alot of baskets! Tell Bull, MacIver and Austin they had me on the look out this year.

Be good Leinie and see you in another year…maybe! Happy Easter!

The Easter Bunny

Bull did mention that he had managed to chase the Easter Bunny out of the yard and that the bunny has some serious speed.

Frappy and I inspected the basket for any clues that might help us next year.

Austin tried to follow the Easter Bunny’s trail but he couldn’t figure out anything either.

MacIver suggested that we all camp out next year wearing our bunny ears…I think he thinks he can pull off the bunny look…maybe when laying down…

Frappy said next year she won’t be injured so there is no way she’ll wear the ears to catch some stupid Bunny Rabbit! She is all about the squirrels anyway…

Happy Easter Everyone!!!!!