Last Day for My Poodles!

Well, they are not really MY poodles, but they are here quite a bit and for long stays. Now that they are going back home to their REAL owner, I am not going to get to see them.

See, Grandpa and Grandma have been babysitting the grand dogs during a divorce. They head back to Dad this weekend.

No more ricocheting around the kennel, two fluffy projectiles, as I try to make it to the dog door and remove it. No more Fetch with Max. He brings the ball back and lets me take it out of his mouth each time. You do have to throw to where Max decides to run to, or he can't find the ball, but that is a small price to pay for a dog that does all the work in a game of Fetch.

I wish I had the camera last night. They were both staring at me with dog biscuits hanging half way out of their mouths. It would have been a lovely portrait.

At least, I get to keep BB.

Misplaced Guilt

I had two Bailey's this weekend. Bailey the Beagel, who along with his brother Max, spent the weekend wrestling with anyone and everyone. Mostly they played with Ziggy, but they don't limit their pestering to dogs that actually want to play with them, everyone is fair game.

The other Bailey is a Corgi, my first Corgi. She was a cutie-pie that only wanted for me to love on her. So much so that she kinda beat a whole into my upper thigh in the request of said loving.

Now, Bailey and Max get scolded on occasion, as you might imagine. Only problem is that when I yell at Bailey the Beagle, Bailey the Corgi, looks guilty. Bailey the Beagle is completely unfazed by any disappointment I might voice over his behavior.

I was worried about giving Bailey the Corgi a complex so I stuck to yelling at Max whenever he or Bailey got too rough. Max doesn't listen to me either.

Missed the Shot, Yet Again!

I remembered the camera, finally. I remembered to bring a camera with dying batteries, finally.

I was hoping to get some video of this great group of dogs doing some amazing dashes around the play yard with Ziggy in the lead. Ziggy has come into his own and clearly has left his skittish days behind him. Behind him this weekend was a group of dogs panting hard to keep up. Bailey and Max were always close behind with Tessie, never in the group, but always running along side barking the whole long way. She is our orange and white referee. Even the old ladies, Dusty and Emma would try a lap or two. The one dog that could never really keep up would be Ziggy's brother, Buddy. Buddy is a Dachshund. He doesn't seem to realize that is legs are only 2 inches long, but the fact is that they are and he will never be able to keep up with the big dogs.

Buddy, like many little brothers before him, only joins the fight after Ziggy stops to take a break. As soon as the running stops, Buddy starts lunging for Ziggy's neck. With a high degree of skill and determination.

Ziggy doesn't seem to mind and it does keep Buddy out of the herd during the stampede where I worry that he might just become a little furry speed bump.

Well, call me Impressed!

Max just out smarted BB out of a tennis ball!

Max has a very bad habit. He eats rocks when he gets bored. I know this from past visits to the ranch. I was a bit worried about this visit. After the first weekend most of the other dogs would be going home. This would leave Max with only his sister, Pepper, and his cousin, BB, to play with. I had to find something to keep Max busy with or it would be back to the rocks. And as bad as eating rocks sounds, it is the pooping rocks that you have to worry about.

Fetch, yeah! Max plays fetch and he even brings the ball back. Max returning the ball means a somewhat risky venture into to removing it from his mouth, but with my winter gloves on, I am willing to go for it. This was working out really well. Much running, much returning, and no rock eating. So far, so good. Some new dogs arrived on Wednesday and they decided to join the game of fetch. Not so good. The new Max also likes fetch and also returns the ball. Only getting the ball back from the new Max doesn't include prying it out of his teeth. He just dropped it at my feet. That was all BB needed to swoop in and steal the ball.

As we all know, fetch is a game of limit iterations with BB. One to be exact, because once she gets the ball, she can't give the ball back.

Well, along with liking tennis balls, BB also likes apples. We happen to have quite the collection of apples on the ground this year and for most of this stay BB has been carrying around apples and not tennis balls. I thought I was only one who noticed this. Turns out Max was aware of BB's new favorite.

When the new Max, I hate when I have more than one dog with the same name, dropped the ball and BB took off with it, Max went a got and apple. He dropped it about 3 feet from BB and then walked away. I immediately thought he was trying to trick BB, but I couldn't believe it. I mean, really, are dogs that sneaky? Max is and it did work. BB zeroed in on that apple, leaving the tennis ball behind. Max whipped over got the ball and brought it back to me.

We were back on for a game of fetch.

Now, I am a bit worried about when they will be able to out smart me.

No, Really I am Just Fine All By Myself

You don't have to include me in your playtime, my feelings will not be hurt. The rest of me will be hurt if you don't take this wrestling match to somewhere other than between my knees.


The only one missing from these shots is Max. He is a small and white Westie. Picture the mix, one tiny white blur mixed with three large caramel colored dogs. I can't believe I missed that photo.

The Super Balls of the Dog World

Big and Bouncy just met with Big and Bouncy. Smokey vs Max.

It is like they are made out of rubber the way they ricochet around the play yard. No, maybe more like Flubber - the more they bounce, the MORE they bounce.

DUCK and COVER! Save yourself! They aren't big on steering.

The Dynamic Duo verses The Mighty Mights

Finally, they are having some fun.

The Magic of Snow!

I really wish I had my camera with me today. The five dogs that I have had all week have just not been getting it together. They chase each other for the first few seconds, but after that they just wander around not playing much.


Not today, the snow was falling and it turned them all back into puppies. That was a very fun play time.

Ritz

This is how I most commonly see Ritz, semi-attached to my left knee. She is quite the love-bug, but she has the softest fur so I don't mind.


















Max, on the other hand, isn't looking for my attention. He is to busy slathering his attention on all the other dogs. Ritz is not interested at all, as you can see.

Finally, Someone to Play with Pogi

Pogi has mostly been making a pain of himself with all the other dogs. He bugs and and bugs until they are sick of him. Now, he is getting that same treatment from Max. Unlike the dogs that were trying to avoid him, Pogi seems to be enjoying all the attention.






























































































Maggie, on the other hand, does not want any attention from Max. Whenever he gives up on Pogi and sets his sights on Maggie, she runs over to me and we have a game of 'Ring Around the Dog Sitter'. Around and around she goes...

There Must Be Something Interesting on the Other Side of the Fence

Taffy started this and soon she had all the dogs lined up with their noses in the fence. I still don't know what was so darn interesting in my yard.

I am MAX'ed out this weekend

MAX,

MAX, this might be Buster and not Max, I can't tell them apart.

Max,

It is not that I have too many dogs, just too many Max's.

Shilo is the Life of the Party!

And the center of attention.

Maybe too much attention. It takes a very confident dog to stand still when this crowd come in for a 'Meet and Greet'.

When Shilo decided that was enough and started to run, the play time really started.

I am so glad Shilo came today.

It is Tough being the Newest of the New

Scotty was causing a dog pile-up wherever he went.

Max is a Love Bug

Meaning that he loves to be loved and is willing to bug you to get love and more love.

Max is capable of being scratched until my arm falls off at the shoulder and then will bug for more until the other one falls off. It hasn't gotten that far, so far, as I am pretty worn out after about 15 minutes of vigorous scratching.

Max will even roll over for a tummy scratch in the presence of other dogs. That shows a high level of confidence or a higher level of need for tummy love than worry about acting submissive in a group setting.