Missouri Cousins

I've been trolling around the DWB and stopped to chat with a few Huskies. Just wanted everyone to know that we have four Husky cousins in Missouri. We've never met, but they are handsome guys as you can see from the photo with one of Mom's sisters-in-law. She spends lots of time brushing them, unlike our Mom who spends her time plucking us!!

Jake

The Link for DogsAyeView

We were having trouble too figuring out how to put a link on our blog so we followed Gussie's good example and are just typing it in. Blogging for dollars it is (for an excellent cause)!!!

http://dogsayeview.blogspot.com/

When Harry Met Jake, Part Two

So there we were, Mom, and Dad, and me, and him. We all had something to eat and drink and a few cuddles and then it was time for bed. Mom looked sheepishly in my direction when she picked Harry up to talk to him, and Dad immediately did the same thing with me. I think they were trying very hard to make me feel like things were normal.

But, "Where is this guy going to sleep?" I asked myself. "Not upstairs in my bed!!" When Mom set Harry's crate down in the living room, made him comfortable inside, left the radio on the way she did when I was a puppy, and gave me my usual peanut butter bedtime treat before we went upstairs, I kind of relaxed. Fortunately, Harry was too tired to fuss, and we all had a good night's sleep.

In the morning, I ran downstairs to see if he was still there. He was. Even worse, although our kind isn't supposed to do that, he had made kind of a mess in his crate. Mom wasn't mad -- she figured this was all new to him and he needed some time to figure things out. And it was Sunday so we had lots of time to hang out and teach Harry what was what.

After the first night, however, Harry decided he didn't want to sleep in the crate. He whined and barked, and Mom decided to take a chance and let him sleep upstairs with the rest of us. She got him his own bed, so I didn't have to share, and everything was OK -- except that in the morning he ran downstairs and peed on the couch. But after that, he settled down and learned the routine --for the most part.

When Harry quickly found my squeaky toys in the living room he started playing with one of my favorites. But you know what? I took the mature approach and let him have it. And that's how it was for the next few days. I'd start to play with something and he'd find a way to steal it from me. But I just ignored him. Or we'd play tug-a-dog and I'd let him win .

Then we discovered the chase. First it started in the living room - round and round and round the coffee table -- me chasing Harry -- with an occasional humping when I caught him -- and him chasing me until we both stopped, sniffed, did the terrier shake shake shake and went off to get some water.

When we went up to bed, we discovered that we could add something new to the chase. I had forgotten that I could scoot under the folks' bed from one side to the other. But Harry figured it out. So when we got upstairs after our peanut butter kong (he soon learned that was one of the perks of living here), we'd start chasing each other until he'd "go to ground" under the bed, expecting me to follow him. It's not for nothing, though, that Dad calls me "smarter than the average dog." I soon realized that, instead of following Harry under the bed, I could run around to the other side and surprise him when he emerged. Mom and Dad thought that was pretty funny!

And that's how we spent our time until soon we had a new intruder. Her name was Hurricane Wilma and she deserves her own story, next time, in Part Three.

When "Harry Met Jake" Part One

Lots of people, when they see our family out walking, like to ask Mom what it's like to have two dogs. Mom always says it's truly fun, with twice as many laughs and tons more love. But I thought you, my fellow canines, would like to know my perspective. After all, I had the run of the house from the time I was 3 and a half months old (except for those first few months when I was crated part of the time to teach me manners). Mom and Dad played catch with me and tug-a-dog; they took me to the dog park and even on a long trip to North Florida on one of Dad's business trips. And Mom talked to me a lot while she was working. I had my own private bench next to her computer so I could help her out when she needed me.

I loved to go on rides, so one Saturday, when I was about 3 and a half years old, I wasn't surprised when we all got in the car and headed north. We drove for a few hours, with a few pit stops on the Turnpike, and then we arrived at a lady's house where two of my wire friends, Jack and Alle, lived. The three of us played for awhile, and I even got to kiss Alle.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a knock on the door and in came a lady with another foxy-looking guy. "This is Harry," she said. "Fine," I thought, and went back to chasing Alle. But everyone had a different idea, and before I knew it, Harry and I were outside with Mom and Dad in the lady's yard -- "neutral territory" they called it -- and they seemed to expect us to make nice with each other.

Well, to make a long story short, the next thing I knew, Harry was in a crate on the back seat of the car and I was in Mom's lap headed home. Harry was pretty quiet on the way home, but when we got there, he got out of the crate and simply walked into the house. My house!!! With my toys!! And my human parents whom I overheard having a long conversation about being sensitive to my feelings!!!


And that's how it all began. Stay tuned for Part Two!!

We Rescued a Turtle

Boy oh boy, is my Dad great or what? Yesterday afternoon, we were out walking along the main road in our development when all of a sudden ahead of us I saw this large slow-moving blob. It was about twice the size of my head, I think. I started to go over to it when my Dad said, no Jakey, sit, that's a turtle who looks like he's lost. He's definitely going in the opposite direction from the nearby lake.

I was on my long flexible leash, so Dad pulled me in. Then he realized this was a two-handed job and one hand was occupied holding my leash. What to do? Could I help? Well, Dad decided my paws weren't strong enough to help carry (although that would have been a sight) -- but if I would be still and just follow along as he picked up the turtle and took him back to the lake, that would be a really big help.

So that's what we did. He picked up the turtle with both hands and I followed along to reassure the turtle that he'd be fine. From time to time, the turtle would pop his head out to see what was going on, but when he saw me looking at him, he popped it right back in. And as we walked along, he kept discharging lots of what Dad called "ballast water," so we left quite a trail.

When we got to the lake, which is where the Muscovy ducks in our development like to hang out, we caused some commotion. Lots of fluttering feathers. Dad put the turtle on the bank, about ten feet from the water, and off he went, down the bank and into the water.

Dad and I walked back home, really happy about our Sunday "mitzvah."

Jake

Joining in the Fun

We decided to play the "Me Me" game too:

1. Your age? Me: 5 and a half. JH: Close to 3.

2. Your age when came to live with your people? Me: 3 and a half months. JH: About 8 months.

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? We both have green nylon collars that match our harnesses. Not very attractive, but Mom is looking for something more elegant.

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? We love the folks at Dr. Dan's Animal Camp (aka Clinic) where we board when the folks have to travel or have meetings. And they love us. We also have a human sister who lives in Orlando; we love it when she comes to visit!

5. How much do you weigh? Last time out we each weighed about 22 pounds. I'm all muscle; JH is all nervous energy.

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? When I was a puppy, I scarfed up Mom's Gucci sunglasses in a split second. JH has been pretty selective until a few days ago when he chewed right through the corner of an antique book Mom had just bought.

7. Do you like other Dogs? We both do. We meet them all the time when we go out walking and at the dog park. We don't like the ones that growl at nothing though because we are very friendly and inquisitive.

8. Who is your best non-human friend? I hate to say it, but I think it's my brother, JH! And I know I'm his best friend too. He likes to lick my face and chew my tail, what greater proof of love?

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? Definitely squeaky toys for both of us.We also like tug-a-dog ropes.

10. Do you like to be brushed? We much prefer brushing to being plucked (ouch) or combed (those knots).

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? Peanut butter by far. But also cheese, and apples, and carrots, and ice!!!

12. Do your people cut your toenails? No, no, no. Dr. Dan's people do it and only once had a slight miss.

13. Any formal education? Mom and Dad crate-trained me when I was a puppy. They also had Emilio, who wore steel-toed boots, come every few weeks. He had a "presence." He helped me learn the basics -- "sit," "off," "out." But when it came to "heel," he told Mom that I was the stubbornest dog he had ever seen. Mom didn't like the way he was jerking my neck around, and fortunately that was the end of Emilio in my life. JH learned some of the basics in his former life, and from Ms. Lyn. But he still needs some help with one of the more personal things, if you know what I mean.

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? We can run and run and run; but we can also snooze and snooze and snooze.

15. Five nicknames your people call you . Me: Jakey, Jakester, Baby Dog, JH: The Harold, Buddy, Little Goof Ball, Herr Pooper, Super Sniffer.

16. What is your best trick? Nobody believes that I do this, but when Mom asks, "Jakey, are you hungry?" I lick my chops. When she asks, "Breakfast?" I lick them again and then run to the food bowl. Also, when she puts the food down, I lick her arm. JH just runs to his food bowl as soon as he hears the question.

17. Do you like kitties? When I was a puppy, I met a kitten named Sebastian at Dr. D's. I must not have known that Sebastian was a kitten because we became good friends. Other than him, I have not liked most cats and I do not understand why they can roam at will while we have to be on a leash.

18. What did you have for breakfast? We both had Solid Gold Hund n' Flocken.

19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? We've both treed a few squirrels, but never killed. And JH has chased a lot of little frogs.

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? I had my check-up in May. Harry will have his in September.

21. Where do you sleep at night? We share the bedroom with Mom and Dad and have our own beds and pillows that we exchange with each other during the night. Sometimes I like to sleep right by Mom's side of the bed so that when she gets up, she puts her foot down and finds me.

22. Do you like to swim? We never have. JH did have a delicious experience with a mud puddle at the dog park, a very squishy experience that makes me think he'd like to swim, And I love to bite the water that irrigates the golf course near our house.

23. Can you make puppies? Nope.

24. Do you give kisses? JH is the kisser; he loves to give really sloppy kisses to everyone. I'm more reserved and just give soulful looks to the people I love, especially Mom.

25. Can you potty on command? Not on command, but at the proper moment in the proper place. JH, ahem, occasionally has a bit of trouble distinguishing the carpet on the stair landing from the grass outside.

26. To Cuz or not to Cuz? We have no idea what a cuz is. Could someone explain?

If this looks like fun, or if you are just sitting there reading other doggies blogs, join the game!

For Cardinal Fans

This is especially for Gus so he can see what a good Cardinal fan I am. Mom dressed me in a red hat and a Cardinals bandana as we watched a game on TV. The photos were taken a few years ago, when I was about three and a single pup, but I suspect there will be more the next time we get to watch from home.

Frogs and Ducks and Lizards, Oh My

Last night my brother, Just Harry, went scampering after frogs, which made me think I should talk about some of the creatures that share our neighborhood -- besides the dozens of dogs and cats (they'll get their turn too).

After a scary drought and lots of wild fires, the rains came a week or so ago. And so did the frogs. Personally, they don't interest me. Even though they're tiny, in the dark you never know if they could be poisonous buffo toads. But young JH is nuts about them. He searches them out at the base of the trees in our neighborhood when Dad takes him out for his pre-bedtime romp. He doesn't hurt them; with his tail wagging merrily, he just likes to follow them as they hop away. He gets so excited that he often forgets the purpose of the trip, but that's another story!

Then we have Muscovy ducks. They are really cute when they're little -- but as they grow up they get bright red wattles on their faces and lots of people don't like them. Also, not everyone is as patient as they should be when the ducks cross the road in our development. The other day, Mom found a duck laying under a hedge, with another duck sitting next to it making very sad sounds. The duck had been run over by a car. But yesterday, we saw two cars stop and wait and wait and wait until a Momma duck and four young ones crossed the road. That made Mom and me feel a bit better.

Finally, we have lizards, lots and lots of lizards. They lay around in the sun and wait for some unsuspecting insect to cross their path. Then they snap. JH has learned the trick, and sometimes in the house, we'll hear a little clack, and see JH snapping at a speck of dust. Like I said, he's a pretty funny guy.

Yay, She Did It

Yep, that's us. Mom found the right spot to add a photo. She's not sure if she'll remember how to do it again, but for the moment, here we are. That's me, Jake, on the right catching some December rays at the entry to our townhouse and Just Harry on the left, not sure what's going on.

I know, I know, I shouldn't give you the impression that he's a goof ball -- but what can I tell you, he is. And we do love him just the way he is. As I told Gus this morning, JH found a book Mom just purchased at an antique market in Tallahassee over the weekend and liked it so well that he chewed through the lower right corner, from cover to cover this morning. Mom hollered at him when she saw it, and he was very ashamed -- but it wasn't the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last. The boy loves to chew paper. Of course, I did too when I was his age -- now I just like to chew the ends off pencils. Most of the ones Mom writes with have my tooth marks on them. She says it inspires her.

Before I sign off, I just want to say how happy we are that so many of you stopped by our blog today -- Gus, Jackson, Butchy and Snickers, Lenny and Asta Baby. We love making new friends and I look forward to getting to know you all better.

Jake (and Just Harry)

Introducing the Barkalot Boyz

Hello Everybody,

I'm Jake, a 5 and a half year old wire fox terrier of a rather philosophical nature. My brother, Just Harry, who Mom and Dad rescued after Katrina hit South Florida in 2005 before moving off to devastate the Gulf Coast, is about 2 and a half. He's like the kid who sits in the back of the classroom and says "who me?" when the teacher calls on him. We're very very different, even though we're of the same breed. But what we do like to do together is run back and forth from the front of the house to the back and bark our heads off whenever we hear a funny noise. Sometimes it's just Dad pounding something on the kitchen counter; sometimes it's the noise the fax machine makes to say it's done faxing. And sometimes, it's our neighbors parking their cars in their driveway. Imagine that!! Whatever, we're there!!

Mom works from home, so this barking is not always a good thing, especially when she's on the phone with a client. But she too is pretty philosophical and keeps trying to teach us what QUIET! means (often it means a treat if we do quiet down).

So that's it for this first blog. We don't really know what to expect, but we look forward to meeting cool dogs and their folks, and perhaps even a cat or too.