Rub-a-Dub

Because winter this year has consisted of 2 months of MUD MUD MUD, I've been spending a rather large amount of time washing the dogs. They couldn't even go for a simple round-the-block walk without tenacious, black mud getting the paws and on their stomach fur. Here's a pic of Kayak getting a rather intensive bath after a VERY muddy trip to the dog park. He actually went in the lake, and dug a hold in the mud. I think he was hoping to find some kind of muskrat. Who knows.

Sustainable Living Tip #346

To save water and dog food, simply combine two tasks: load your dishwasher with dirty dishes, and leave it open. Your friendly canine companions will set to work, bring a fine polish to your dishes. Note: upper racks may require taller dogs. Other Note: If you find that syrup is stuck to your dog's ear, simply rub their fur vigorously with a wet washcloth. Ta-da!

Be sure to allow all dog-spit to dry before using your dishes.

Um, she grew?

Here, this boxer is slightly confused. Sonar is the one who looks intimidating, but she really just wants to play. Kayak is really the one with a chip on his shoulder, but in this case, he ended up play-bowing and running away. I feel bad sometimes when other dogs meet mine. One is a play-crazed, bouncing off the walls overgrown puppy. The other one has no grip on social-ness, and is instead bent on being the most macho dog at the park. Now you understand why they are so rarely at the park together. It's a somewhat energy-intensive trip for the human escort who takes them. But it is SO worth it, because as I type this, they are both wiped out on the floor. Ahhh.... relaxation.

Here, you can see the early stages of Sonar forming a plan to annoy Kayak. He, in turn, is trying to find the patience he will need to ignore her, but if that fails, he's making sure he's in range of nipping her.

Here you get to see a pretty cool shot. It's rare to be able to capture Kayak in a full sprint, he usually prefers to amble or trot. But at the dog park he can really open up when he feels like it. Making the picture extra cool is seeing Sonar in her trademark stalking pose, which is what compelled me to bring my camera to the dog park today in the first place. She now stalks EVERY dog we meet. The general response from the stalkee is a fairly confused, tentative expression. I don't blame them. Strange black, lanky, perky-eared dogs stalking me intently would make me a little uneasy too. Once she "pounces" though, they understand she was kidding. If the other dog is bold, she'll just flatten herself on the ground and wait until they arrive, springing from the snow to cavort with her new friend.

So, it's been a while since I've posted. In that 2 months or so, Sonar's been busy growing. She's recently reached 70 bls, and as you'll see from these pictures, developed quite a personality. She's tall enough that Kayak can walk underneath her, fairly easily. Since we have to spend so much time with Sonar; training, exercising, socializing, watching her every move, it can be hard on Kayak at times. He really just wants some love, walks, and a few trips to the park here and there. Because of his jealousy, he's been known to try to act more and more like Sonar, jumping up on counters, barking, getting in the trash. Above, I captured a shot of him desperately trying to make his ears stand up. You can see how hard he's concentrating with his eyes squeezed shut. Clearly he's crying out for attention. This has led us to make sure he gets some private time with each of us every day, a walk by himself, or some snuggles.