A Tail of Two Brothers

I haven’t seen my brother Oakley in over 6 months, so I was thrilled when I learned that he was going to fly up to the chalet for a quick weekend getaway together!

Of course a single weekend is hardly enough time for not seeing each other in so long, but we got a lot accomplished – as you’re about to see!

So it Begins

Firstly, it’s worth mentioning that this was Oakley’s first ever plane ride.

He texted me this pic before taking off, looking a little unsure of the whole ordeal if you ask me!

But as it turned out, he did very well, not making a sound and barely an anxious shake!

He is the brother of a well-traveled celebrity after all!

It was a great reunion like always, but I couldn’t help but immediately notice how he had gained weight! Seriously, this was the chubbiest I had ever seen him, and as shallow as it may be, I couldn’t help but be concerned how this would reflect on my own image.

And the babes… oh, the babes! What would they think of my “wing man” now?

It was safe to say he had my sincerest concerns.

I know Oakley is quite sensitive about his weight though, so I didn’t bring it up right away. I had a lot planned for the weekend, so I decided it best to put aside for now.

And first item on my agenda… enjoy a bit of that sweet fresh air and warm sunshine.

Here we are “chillin’ like some villains” – er, superdogs…

Next we decided to have some fun around the yard as Mum, Dad, and family took care of some gardening and yard work.

And this whiskey barrel flower bed gave me just the idea…

I suggested to Oakley we play a little “trick” on the fans; you know, a slight of hand – an illusion!

Thus, I give you a “loooooong dog”.

The doctor says you need to eat an apple a day to stay healthy.

Well, Dr. Crusoe says you need to eat a banana a day to stay long!

And if there were a blooper reel for this video, you would see us both standing behind the barrel, with my tail wagging, smacking Oakley back and forth across the face as he stood there confused as to what exactly we were trying to accomplish.

But you got to admit, he’s a trooper for stickin’ through it!

My concerns of Oakley’s weight were especially realized when my photographer took this picture of me that I later discovered had been “photo bombed” by his big butt.

Or should I say “photo bummed”?

Now I’m thinking I need to take this situation into my own hands paws. I decided to “impress upon him” the benefits of having a lean and mean physique.

So I made a spectacle of my iconic “hunter’s hop” around the yard as I pretended to be in search of a chipmunk.  

“Boing, boing, boing!“ (I do it so I have an elevated look).

Oakley followed suit – save the hop.

Then I tested his balance by standing up on this walkway arch.

I gave him the lower position though, as he didn’t seem to be too stable there. But he passed the test.

So then I was like “hey Oakley, why don’t we run through a few fire drills? You know, just for fun, and hey, it might be good excercise”.

He was more than willing, if not for the prospect of improving his stamina but just for the thrill of being on his big bro’s team.

And well, this is how the first (and only) drill went…

I’ve always said that Oakley is goofy, and this is exactly why! Now I’m wondering if he’s even fit enough to ensure public safety!

But Oakley blamed it on the poor turning radius of the truck. And I may have to give him that one, because it really looked like he thought he was going to make that turn…

I would have liked for us to run through a few more drills, but after taking a hard crash into the cupboard, the fire truck was out of commission and in need of repairs.

Plus Oakley was feeling down after that, which I can’t blame him for. After all, his little mishap has been shared over 50,000 times now across Facebook, Vine & Instagram.

Thus I asked him if he might be up for a quick Buzz & Woody photo shoot? Just something fun for the fans, and something which involved no special physical skills.

I already knew what his answer would be…

One thing that’s admirable about Oakley, is that he lets nothing get to him – he can brush anything off!

Once we were dressed up and having fun as two classic animated characters, he forgot all about the fire truck incident.

After building up his spirits, it was time for a nice epic walk expedition.

I was happy to see Oakley kept up well, and even led a few chipmunk chases through the underbrush.

Determination. That’s another one of his great qualities!

Once we were back at the house and had exhausted all our energy, I decide to bring up the sensitive subject while out on the deck.

“Oakley, have you looked in a mirror recently?” I asked.

“Nah I don’t really look in mirrors”, he responded.

I was flabbergasted. As someone who looks in the mirror multiple times a day, I found this shocking. “Well I got to break it to you bro, you’ve got a bit too much junk in the trunk, and even in the front, them be lady lumps.”

Oakley was taken aback and quite flustered, and made an honorable attempt at an excuse, “I… I am building mass. You know, just gearing up for a big workout season”.

I gave him the questioning eyebrow lift. “Good then. So you’ll still be racing next to me at Wienerpawlooza in Ottawa July 26 then?”

“You betcha”, he responded with a forced confidence.

So I hope he does in fact mean to work out! Later we discussed it openly with the family, wherein we discovered Oakley’s parents have been feeding him twice as much as I’m fed! So there’s the issue.

Next time I see him he should be in better shape.

So getting that off my chest and setting some new goals for the future, we were free to relax and savor our remaining hours together, which were spent lazing as a couple pooped, off-duty superdogs on an Adirondack chair.

It seems the time I spend with Oakley is always short and sweet. But always worth it.

Keep truckin’,

~ Crusoe

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If you enjoyed my quick weekend with Oakley, please show it to the left! Oh, and don’t forget to nominate me at the Petties (you can nominate once per day) and pick up your Captain Crusoe tee if you haven’t already!

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