Happy Easter!

He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

 

Happy Easter!  We had a fun afternoon a few weeks ago shooting these pictures to celebrate the holiday.  Admittedly, some of us had more fun than others.  Each of us had moments of greatness, as well as not-so-great moments (including the photographer and her dutiful assistant).  If only we could have had these moments at the same time!  Usually we averaged two out of three dawgs at any given time.  We hope you enjoy them.

 

 

 

Everyone look at Mommy . . . PLEASE!!

 

 

 

Wanna eat the ears on this chocolate bunny?

 

 

 

Jenna was all ears during the photo shoot!

(Seriously, the best of the bunch at any given moment.)

 

 

 

Taking pictures has its ups and downs . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Looking this good is hard work!

 

 

 

We are also celebrating Jenna's one year anniversary today in her fur-ever home (and boy, does she shed some fur)!  It's been a great year for all of us.  We are blessed. 

 

Happy Easter!

Hunter, Dixie & Jenna



Lazy Saturday

How do you like to spend your Saturday mornings?  I personally like to sleep in for as long as my bladder can hold it.  At some point, you just gotta GO!  I hate to admit it, but I am usually the first one awake in our house.  I can't help it.  After all, I'm almost seventy-seven years old!  Surely I can be forgiven for old age??

My sisters love to run around the yard and chase each other on Saturday mornings.  They also love to roam the yard sniffing, scratching, and pawing everything within the confines of the fence.  This past weekend, the girls spent a great deal of time on their own in the yard. I think they know spring and summer are on their way. It doesn't look or feel like warmer weather is coming, but it is!

Dixie watches the world go by . . .

Jenna takes my spot on the deck . . . hmpf!  Who does she think she is?

Dixie smells something good . . .

 . . . and decides to roll around in it . . .

but is caught in the act!

Just hanging out . . .

Together!

Mommy starts spring break tomorrow, and she is seriously looking forward to it.  I am too.  She is excited that she might get to sleep in to maybe 7:00AM!  That's pretty late for her.  If she sleeps 'til eight, we know she is really tired or having a really lazy day.  We have so much fun when Mommy is home.  Just thinking about the next week and a half makes me long for summer even more . . .

Happy Spring!
Hunter

Today's Adventures

The day started off as usual: wake up, potty, eat, potty again, watch Mommy finish preparing for her day, play outside in the snow (YES, SNOW!!!), potty one more time, go to my crate and say goodbye.  When Mommy followed me to my crate, she tossed a treat inside; it went right through the "walls" of the crate and landed between the crate and the sofa.  Since her hands were full of other treats, she decided to go ahead and close my door (but not lock it yet) and put Dixie in her crate.  Mommy then came back to crawl around on the floor and fetch the treat.  Instead of opening the door, she just dropped it down through the top of the crate to me.  Yum!

I began to gnaw on my frozen peanut butter filled bone and the rest of the world faded into the background.  Yum!  I vaguely remember Mommy taking Hunter upstairs for his treats.  She then headed out the back door calling goodbye to me and Dixie.  After I finished my treat, I laid down in my crate.  Oops!  My feet tapped the crate door and it opened!!  I nudged it a bit more and I was FREE!  I promptly ran upstairs to see Daddy, wagging my tail in Dixie's face as I went.

To hear Daddy tell it, I almost gave him a heart attack.  I followed my ears to his location and found him in the shower.  While Daddy was lathering up, I pushed the bathroom door open.  Boy, was he surprised!  He called Mommy as soon as he got out of the shower to see if she could remember what she may have forgotten . . . ME and my crate!!

The other adventure taking place today was the long awaited arrival of a semi-SNOW DAY!!!!  Mommy had to drive to school in very thick, swirling snow using her four wheel drive feature for the first time.  She was a bit surprised she was even going to work, but the timing of the storm made for a difficult decision for superintendents (apparently).  Finally, after almost two years of waiting, Mommy had an early dismissal at 11:30!  She came home and we played and played!  Who-hoo!!!  Yippee!!!  Hot Dawg!!! 

Released into the snow!

 

Time to come in!

I hope you had an adventurous day as well!  I'm sure all the snow will be gone by the end of tomorrow, but it was worth it!

Wags and Snowflakes,
Jenna

Spa Day?

Today was the day.  We have only a few days before Grandma and Poppa come for Easter, so we had to have a bath.  We were starting to STINK!  Although spring hasn't arrived at our house yet, it has been warm enough for us to work up a sweat outside while playing.  (Don't worry, Mimi and Grandaddy.  We do the same preparation before your arrival too!)

Mommy really does not like bath days.  She dreads them with a passion because it means doggie hair EVERYWHERE.  She took us upstairs and into the master bathroom shower, thinking she would have to face the task alone.  She washed and semi-dried Dixie, and let her out into the bedroom.  I went second and was being lathered up when Daddy arrived on the scene.  He had heard quite a commotion from downstairs and came to see what was going on.  Apparently Dixie had been running around the bedroom air drying and making a racket!  Daddy graciously volunteered to dry off each of us.  (I think this was an effort to spare the bedroom and the rest of the house from potential air drying destruction.)  No matter what the reason, Mommy was VERY thankful!

When Mommy stopped to get gas recently, she saw something quite interesting.  I wonder who actually uses this . . .

 

There is a car wash right behind this unusual contraption. Are you supposed to bring your truck and pooch at the same time? Would I have to tuck my ears in like Daddy folds his mirrors in? Mommy has a button she can push to fold her mirrors in; do I have one of those hidden somewhere on me? This building has a place to wash and dry pets. Do you think it includes a wax job? Should I be concerned about that possibility? Is there a special feature to clean my undercarriage? Mine does tend to get pretty dirty some days.  I've heard Mommy talk about having a mud bath at a spa.  If this place has one of those, then you can count me in!   Do they give away tennis balls like the dentist gives out toothbrushes, or the bank gives out dawg bones?

 

Have you ever been to the All Paws Pet Wash?  I know some people take their doggies to a groomer, but generally labs don't need that kind of spa treatment.  Labs aren't poodles!  We don't need pampering.  We are working dawgs.  What are they going to do?  Paint my nails?  Surely not!  Put a bow in my hair?  I don't have enough hair for a bow.  I guess you could put it on my tail?  NOT!  That must be why dumb dawgs chase their tails:  to remove the dumb bow their dumb owner allowed the dumb groomer to put there!  Thank goodness we have a shower with a door, or Mommy might consider taking us to the All Paws Pet Wash!

 

Wags and Suds,

Jenna

 

PS:  Barkley, please don't take offense to the poodle comment! 

 

 

 

 



Wishful Waiting . . .

It's come to our attention the three of us spend a great deal of our lives waiting.
  

We wait for our parents to come home . . .
 

for someone to open the door to the outside world . . .
 

for treats to drop accidentally or on purpose . . .
 

 

We even have to wait for our meals!  Life would be so much easier with opposable thumbs.  If we had thumbs we could open the doors and the food and treat containers  all by ourselves.  Just think, we could move beyond our normal food and into the fridge!  Then again, thumbs probably wouldn't be conducive to any diets we might be trying out.  But wouldn't they make life easier for us and our parents?  Mommy and Daddy wouldn't have to get up and down from the sofa or wake up early in the morning when they hear us trying to tell them we need to go potty.  With a thumb, we might even be able to move the toilet lid, opening up a whole new world for us! 

We wouldn't need a thumb for each paw, maybe just the front two.  We don't want to ask for too much; Mommy says we shouldn't be greedy.  [sigh]

Wags, Waiting, and Wishes,
Hunter, Dixie, & Jenna

 

 



Spring? What Spring??

I said I wouldn't lament anymore over our lack of snow and I'm not . . . well, not exactly!  We actually had a GREAT chance for a snow day last week; the possibility came two days in a row.  Instead, the snow laughed at us and totally bypassed us.  It was a serious disappointment for Mommy. 

For most of our friends and family, spring has sprung.  That hasn't happened for us yet.  In fact we had SNOW today!!!  It's the middle of March and we had sleet and snow!  The ground didn't turn white, but it was SNOWING!!!!  Poppa called Mommy to see if the weather app on his phone was broken!  He was experiencing a 75 degree sunny day while we were chillin' in a mere 32 degrees!

I hope you have a Happy St. Patrick's Day.  Be sure to wear green so you don't get pinched!  I always wear green in the form of my camouflaged collar.  I wonder what Dix and Jen will do for a bit of green?  I'll give them a few hours to formulate a plan, but I doubt they'll be able to find anything appropriate.  They better look out!  My pinchers are primed and ready . . .

We're already looking ahead to Easter.  Grandma and Poppa are coming for a visit.  Maybe they'll bring jelly beans with them?!?!?  I thought I'd give you a little sneak peek of our Easter greetings.  We worked hard for just the right shot.  The key to taking a great photo of the three of us is to exhaust us with a million tennis ball retrievals. 

 

I think we look great as usual.  Mommy and Daddy weren't so sure about the results.  No matter what, it was a hare-raising experience (for all parties involved)!

Wags and Retrievals,
Hunter

Plotting . . .

I stare out from my crate every day.  There in my sight is the door to opportunity.  Daddy recently replaced the door handle on the laundry room from a knob to a lever.  I am quite certain I can get my paws on it.  I can't see the door handle because of the kitchen table's corner, but I know it's there.  Maybe I can convince Mommy to move the table closer to the wall by about six inches so I can study the door handle more?  Behind that door handle is the aluminum can that holds a pirate's treasure trove: MY FOOD!!!  I think about this possibility daily.   

I know the treasure is hidden in there.  When Mommy is dishing up our food, she will sometimes turn her head.  That is my chance to dive head-first into the can and grab as much as my mouth can hold.  You would be surprised at how much food that amounts to.  Unfortunately I can never chew as much as I can hold, and I drop it all over the floor giving Hunter and Dixie a chance to grab some too.  This antic has caused me to be banned from the laundry room when it's time for Mommy to prepare our meals.

The next step in my mission is to chew through the bungee cord holding the lid down tightly.  Hunter and Dixie tell me the bungee cord is there because of me.  When I arrived on the scene, I was so smart I quickly figured out how to access the food by using my nose to nudge the lid off.  I also know how to nudge the kitchen's trash can lid open, but I have to be careful with that one.  If my parents catch me doing that, I really CATCH IT!

I really want to open the food can!  There is nothing I like better in this world than FOOD!  I like dawg food, bird food, and even the few pieces of people food I have been lucky enough to nab.  Mommy should be grateful to have me around; she never has to clean up anything she drops on the floor.  I have also been known to clean up a few items she "drops" on the countertops too, but Hunter tells me I'm lucky to be alive to tell that one!

A couple weeks ago Daddy heard Mommy scream, "NO!" and he came running.  He found Mommy sprawled out on the floor trying to hold me at bay.  She had dropped almost an entire bag of M&M's on the kitchen floor and was very insistent that I not eat them.  I didn't see the problem; they didn't look like chocolate.  Instead, they were beautiful shades of pink, red, and white.  Daddy dragged me away much to my disappointment. 

Hmmmm . . . until I learn how to operate the lever door handle, maybe I should focus on how to spring myself from my crate!?!?!

Wags and Plotting,
Jenna


PS: Betcha wonder how that picture was taken, don't you?  Let's just chalk it up to doggie cam!

The Perks of Being Me (or Sock it to 'Em!)

As the oldest dawg in this house, I sometimes receive special privileges.  I might receive a few extra treats or get to go for a walk first.  But Daddy surprised me recently.  He must have had a weak moment because the leather sofa has been off limits from the moment it was delivered four years ago.  After a long lazy Saturday, he patted the spot beside him and gave me permission to hop up and join him!!!  Jenna and Dixie were sooooo jealous!  Of course, with great power came great responsibility as you will see . . .

 

 

 

 

 

Daddy sometimes takes his shoes and socks off while watching TV.  He doesn't always do a good job of picking them up, so they sit there on the floor.  Mommy is usually able to hold off her OCD for a few days, and she ignores them to the best of her ability.  (I think it helps that she can't see them from her spot on the love seat.)  Once I was settled on the sofa, Daddy proceeded to put these socks on my feet to protect the leather.  I don't even like to wear booties on the ice to protect the pads of my feet, so I wasn't totally happy about this idea.  I decided to suffer for the sake of Daddy's kindness and so I could stick my tongue out at the girls.  I pushed through my discomfort and enjoyed my new (but surely temporary??) spot.

Thank you, Daddy!
Hunter

Do Whatcha Gotta Do!

When we are outside playing, I play HARD!  I love to fetch tennis balls.  I even started carrying two in my mouth this past week.  Dixie makes it look easy, but it was tough.  Mommy usually keeps a couple water bowls for us outside, but they have been frozen up until the last week.  When I play hard, I drink hard.  I recently had to resort to extreme measures. 

As you know, Daddy recently cleaned out the garage so Mommy could park inside.  A few items in the garage had to find a new home.  One of those items was the little John Deere trailer Daddy hooks up to the mower sometimes for yard work.  Daddy moved it into the yard near the back door.  During the winter, it filled up with water and snow, and all of this became ICE!  I like snow and ice almost as much as my brother Hunter.

I couldn't help myself one day and Mommy caught me in the act!

 

 

 

What Mommy wasn't able to catch on camera since she was screaming at me was my recent "bath" in the trailer!   We had been playing fetch pretty hard and I needed a break.  It as such a pleasant surprise when I arrived at the trailer to discover all of that ice had finally melted.  It was nice and muddy too!  The temperature was consistently above freezing this past week.  Mommy might not have been so freaked out if she hadn't been about to load us up to head to the vet.  She was not a happy Mommy.  She had to dry me off and pray I didn't stink.  I think I cleaned up well.

Mommy is waiting for the right time to dump the water.  She knows if she dumps it now, it will just make a big mud puddle for us all to play in.  Hopefully warmer weather is around the corner soon!

Wags and Puddles,
Jenna


PS: Daddy recently received his most recent Wildfowl magazine.  He wishes to send a shout out to RNT-V's recent loss.  Tank (Delta's Shock and Awe MH QAA) was a black lab who passed away from GVD - Gastric Dilatation Volvulus - twisted stomach.  If you have dawgs, it's really important you read up on this condition and know its warning signs. 

Baby Hunter

In celebration of my upcoming birthday, I wanted to share a few of my favorite puppy pics with you . . . I also can't have you thinking Dixie is the only dawg in this house who was a cute puppy!

Our favorite picture of me in puppyhood

Helping Mimi make curtains for the house

Grandaddy helped me conquer my fear of the steps with cheese!

 



My best imitation of a jack rabbit

 

Sitting up for Daddy

 

Sharing secrets with Daddy

 



Licks for Mommy

 

Kisses for Daddy

 

 

 

Paws Script:  My big day is still over two months away.  I didn't intend to publish this post today, but I got carried away and here it is!  The only way to fix it would be to totally delete the post, and it took a LONG time to get these pictures just right!  I had to ask Mommy to take pictures of the original pics since my first six months weren't digital.  I think they turned out pretty well considering . . .

Me and My Big Brother

I love my big brother Hunter.  When I joined the family a few years ago, he was a bit intimidating to me because of his HUGE size.  I followed him around everywhere and stuck to him like glue.  (Even if he didn't want me to.)  Daddy called us Mutt and Jeff because of the differences in our sizes.  Hunter looked like a GIANT beside of me!

Almost three years later, I still love to follow him around and watch his every move.  If he moves from one side of the living room to the other, I follow.  If he goes outside, I want to go too.  Hunter's procedure for telling our parents he needs to go out has always been to stare them down.  Mommy decided to move into the twenty-first century when she and Daddy brought me home by teaching me to ring a bell on the door.  It worked like a charm for me, but Hunter was resistant to learning a new trick.  Jenna only rings the bell in an absolute emergency (probably because I ring it often enough for the three of us).  If Mommy and Daddy don't notice Hunter staring them down from the door, I help him out.  I go to the door and ring the bell FOR him!  Does that make me a good baby sister or what?

I don't think Hunter could say the same about Jenna.  She is so independent and always does her own thing.  Maybe it's because she wasn't here as a puppy to see how much Hunter could teach her.  Jenna pretty much ignores Hunter except when he opens his mouth to let out a ferocious bark.  When that happens, she sits up and listens!

Hunter and I are still getting along famously!  We love spending time together.  We like to lie in the same places, eat the same food, and even play with the same toys.  Life is good with my big brother! 

Dixie Doodle