Foster puppy

It's been a busy start to the summer. The dogs are not crazy about the hot weather. They prefer their cushy indoor lives. And, I think they've taken note of the greatly reduced car adventures. It's too warm to leave them in the car for any period of time, so they only get to come with if we are certain we won't have to stop anywhere that they wouldn't able to enter.







We've taken in a little foster dog. She is absolutely adorable. M named her Penny. She was in the pound when the rescue group picked her up and put her into our care. We weren't really sure what to expect with this whole fostering thing, but it has been a great experience.

Ezzie and Bear adore her. I had forgotten so many things about having a toy dog around. It's the best of both worlds having big and little dogs. She has been adopted already, but we get to enjoy her through Memorial weekend. Ezzie plays with her by sitting in one spot and moving her head around. She also will take her big paw and touch Penny with it. Then Penny tries to act all vicious by growling and doing her cute little bark. It's amazing how my big crazy Aussies can be so very gentle with a five pound dog. I'm so proud of them for being so good!




Tired little girl. This is what keeping up with the big dogs looks like.







On guard!



It's going to be very, very hard to see her go. But at the same time, I'm excited to see who gets to come hang out next!

Texas!

M and I went to Texas to visit my Aunt D and Uncle S. Mom came with us. Aunt D and I love to quilt and mom seemed entertained - she's just easygoing like that! It was the best! Our Five Star Bed and Breakfast was fabulous. Thanks Aunt D for everything! And thanks Uncle S for the awesome food and great tour narratives. And most of all, thank for the new hobbies that now fill our days. Had we not doggysat Buster for you all those years back, we would never have had the opportunity to see the traits of an Aussie. We fell in love. And then, a couple of years ago the absolute love affair for quilting that Aunt D inspired in me. Between our family, our pups and our hobbies, we've pretty much got it covered.

The icing on the cake during our week in Texas included the canine family members, Buster, Jo Jo, and Annabelle. Buster is a wise old man...like 16 or some crazy number. He moves slow, but he's still guarding the ranch. Like the old sheriff. Jo Jo is the mama. She's just wandering around checking on things, making sure the order is as it should be. Annabelle is the most cautious of the three. It took a few days for her to really come out of her shell, but once she did, fun was had by all.

Buster Brown




Jo-Jo



Annie

A family's best friend

One of the best characteristics of the Aussie breed, in my opinion, is their desire to be with their people. There's just nothing better, or more comforting, than a fluffy dog that is constantly working to maintain a position by your side. I love it that two seconds after I sit down, there is at least one pup on the couch next to me. I look forward to coming home to a smiling dog that greets me with the enthusiasm of a long lost friend. I even love it that I have to perform acrobatics in the morning to get ready because my tiny bathroom can barely contain all the love.





Happy Bear!




Esmeralda, getting beautified.

Summer is so close!

Dog park!










Day well spent!



The rough life.

Just Having Fun

Modified kitty toy 

Come on Bear, let's play!

Oh fine, we'll snuggle instead

Sexy and she knows it. 

Who's my puppy wuppy!

Bear, waiting patiently for his turn.

M loves her puppies

M says, mama, I just love my Aussies.  A typical wake-up greeting:

A moment away from a big sloppy kiss. 

When it's time to go to their crate, both Ezzie and Bear listen up and follow their little human to bed.

And they love her.

Finally, a trip to the dog park!!

It was such a beautiful day out today.  We took the pups on their first trip to the dog park since before Ezzie was spayed.  They had a blast!  It was wet out though, and they got M U D D Y!

Muddy Girl!

Bear was just as bad, if not worse.

I'm quite certain they would both agree that fun was had by all.  Even if it did mean they had take a trip through the dog wash.

Wet puppy

Getting toasty warm.

Cabin Fever

We are all seriously bored with winter. It was fun when we had some snow, but now it's just cold. And boring.

Treats help pass the time, but it stinks when your very own BFF keeps stealing your bone.




Notice how Ezzie uses her paw to keep a firm grasp on BOTH treats!




It's a new weekend, and time for a new treat. I believe Ezzie approves of this particular flavor, and yet she keeps looking over at Bear. 'Cause his probably tastes much better.




Bear isn't taking any chances. He's holding on to this treat for dear life.

Business as Usual

The typical morning in our house starts with an extended game of ball tossing. Guess whose idea it usually is?






Ezzie has an amazing amount of stamina, and can play this game for quite some time. She's always a good girl though and when it's time to end the game, she'll go pick up a treat and relax for a while.



Bear is more a tug of war kinda guy. He doesn't have the typical Aussie drive. He's quite content to just lay around and chew or snuggle or snooze. It's the best of both worlds having these two pups. We have one that always wants to play an one that always wants to snuggle. M has a clear preference for Bear because of his disposition. Quite often he can be found in her room, cast as a character in her imaginary play world. He even hangs out in her fort!

It's been a long two weeks waiting for Ezzie to recover from her surgery. She was ready by day two to go full force. It was hard to look at those big brown eyes and say no to wrestling and running and tossing the ball extended distances. She has been healing so well and her incision looks great. Things are finally back to normal.

Holding down the couch

Recovering from surgery.




Heh bro? You wanna go tear up the house?



Naaaaah. Let's just chill.



In my next life I hope I'm a house pet.

Recuperating

Bear has been pacing. He really misses Ezzie. He was so happy to see her come home. She is sleeping quietly in bed...and that is making Bear a nervous Nellie!





Look at how "relaxed" Esmeralda looked when she first came hone She was groggy when I picked her up, but still managed to greet us in full wiggle butt mode. I feel so bad for her!



...a little later in the evening, we made her a bed in the living room because she was crying and didn't want to be alone Poor puppy! She's resting again now.

Update on Ezzie's surgery

Everything went well!  Ezzie is post-recovery and we're looking forward to picking her up!

The Big Day

Ezzie knew something was up right away this morning. She usually starts her day out having a bowl of chow with her buddy, Bear. But no food today. I tried to separate the two so that Bear could eat some breakfast, but he lost his appetite when he realized that Ezzie wouldn't be dining with him.







Then when Bear had to go to his crate...alone, you could almost see the apprehension creep over Ezzie. She wasn't at all excited about going for a car ride.




The exam went well. Ezzie weighed a whopping 43 pounds. In a few hours, her spay surgery will be over and she'll be microchipped and ready to go. I can't weight to see how happy Bear will be when he sees his girl come home! In the meantime, I will try to focus on other matters until I get word that Ezzie is in recovery and that everything went perfect.

Happy New Year!

It's been a busy holiday season!  It's hard to believe that we're already in the year 2012.  Usually the cold weather and snow are reminders the holidays are approaching, but it's been an uncharacteristically beautiful winter!  We still don't have any snow, but it sounds like all of that is going to change in the very near future.

Ezzy and Bear have been doing fantastic.  No residual effects whatsoever from the poison incident.  Training has been so much fun.  They have the basics down, and even a few tricks.  Ezzie still has an issue with jumping up on the kitchen counter.  It's hard to break the habit when she knows there is almost always going to be a tasty bowl of kitty food waiting for her.  The dogs adore each other, and they love being around their family.  Our little velcro dogs.

 E left to go to work. I think the pups would wait here all day for him.




May as well get comfortable while waiting.




Still waiting....




Bear is truly committed.  Ezzie always comes back after a quick prowl around the house to make sure everything's all clear, but Bear just waits by his post.  Perhaps it's time to break the news...E's not coming back until the work day is over. 





Simba suffered a tragic incident.  He has taken to sleeping on top of the refrigerator lately.  We suspect he must have jumped off the fridge and onto the ceramic stovetop while it was still hot.  J noticed that his kitty  was limping one evening.   An inspection the next morning revealed this: 





A trip to the vet confirmed our suspicions of a burn incident.   A few prescrips later, lots of love and attention, and healing time, and he's back to his old self.  As a result of this little mishap, we also discovered a new kind of litter, Yesterday's News (yeup, that's the name), and we're loving it.  Our vet recommended it because it doesn't have clay and would be easier on his little burnt toes.  Turns out it's also way less dusty, more absorbent, and doesn't make nearly the mess. 

Recooperating

 

Please give me a treat!!!  I'm sitting pretty!!

snuggletime

We've added a new addition to our family.  Her name is Gladys. Isn't she beautiful?  She moved in to help me keep up with all the dog hair.  She's a rock star.  Never complains, never forgets, and gets the job done.  I love walking in to a freshly vacuumed house after being away all day long.  I also love it that we can sit on the floor and get up again without looking like we're disguised as Australian Shepherds!

Esmeralda is scheduled to get spayed on the 18th.  I will be happy when it is over and she's all better again.  It's hard to not worry about her.  And, I bet Bear will cry all day long while she's gone.