Animal Control

I put up with alot. Probably more than I really should. I've been complaining about one dog or another for quite awhile now. Here's the back story. When we moved into this house, we had Max and Trouble. Trouble got killed in our backyard in a freak accident the first summer we were here. (As if I needed more reason not to like it here.) He was a really great dog...part Golden, part Lab. Beautiful, smart, calm. No really, he was.

this is max

We had always talked about getting another dog before Max and Trouble were gone, because dogs (usually) learn from each other.

So Blair wanted another dog. And I toyed with the idea. But Max was so easy. He knew all the rules, and despite his bad reputation, he's a really good dog. So I said NO. And then our 'friends' (you know who you are!) sent us a picture of Nixie that they wanted to get for us. That they already had. How could I say no...again.

this is Nixie....and Rena.

Nixie likes to stick her nose in your crotch and she's a little needy. She did manage to disembowel all the BIG stuffed animals we had sitting around, so that actually won her some points in my book. She's big and she wants to wrestle. Not me. So we decided that getting another dog for Nixie would be a good idea. That way they could get alot of energy out together.

So, those same 'friends' offered us a puppy from one of their dogs. We named him Jake, and he's has come to be know as 'that damn dog'. Jake is smart...or stupid. The jury is really still out. I do know that he needs a job. He needs to retrieve. Fetch. One day, I feel, he and I will be good friends. One day.

this is Jake...sleeping on the spoils.

Since we've been having alot of rain lately the dog issue has kinda come to a head. Jake is only contained by a 'doggie' gate if I'm in there with him. Not helpful. So I went and bought a dog crate. Works like a charm. I was still trying to let him sleep upstairs with the rest of us, but he was pooping on the floor and peeing on the floor. Finally one of my neighbors said, "Jake doesn't have house privileges." And just like that a lightbulb went off. He doesn't have house privileges. Soooo, Jake's either been spending the night outside, by himself, or downstair in the crate. And you know what...I'm finally getting some sleep. Halleluia!

So, a big shout out to my neighbor Cheryl for the eye-opening statement. Thanks!!!