My little girl is growing up…

I wish I could tell you this “little” puppy was a snuggly bundle of pillow-y white goodness, but over the past few months, she has grown into a stinky old dog that licks herself, eats poop and doesn’t really have an off switch.  So long little girl, hello ghost dog.

This past month I have began calling her Ghost Dog, simply because of her coat and her streaky appearance the majority of the time when you want to take her picture.  All you see is this blur of white run past your viewfinder and then again, then again… then you eventually put the camera down in disbelief and give up.  She will sleep eventually, then we will get a nice picture of her.

Seldom is the case though.

She also has the nickname of “the lion”, because you can catch her laying (similar to a lion) in the middle of the backyard regal, loyal… broad shouldered… basking in the sun - head up and full of pride.  Dare anyone to step foot in her domain.

Recently when a friend of ours came over, he walked out the backdoor to Izzy barking and at a full sprint straight at him.  He took one step out and one step back in and shut the door. 

“GET YOUR DOG DUDE!”

It is a good feeling really, since after a few moments and her realizing that all was ok - she went back to normal.  But for that split second her domain was breached and someone was going to lose an eye.  Or at least scream and run off.  I know it makes Shala happy to know that two dogs could keep some folks away that could mean us harm.  At least when I am out of town.  Just don’t tell anyone that one of them is shaped like a hot dog and about as friendly as one as well.

As for the big dawg (that is what we call Mikey, he has a complex) - he is showing his age more and more.  Even though he is only 5 or so… this past year and with Izzy showing up seems to have mellowed him out considerably.  We worried about him at first, because she was so 100MPH and he couldn’t help but try and keep up… but he damn sure did.

The sad part was the fact that Izzy spent most of her time trying to feel things out so she had no clue of how hard she was biting him and when she was closer to his size she did a number on Mikey’s neck & ears.  I mean he would have scabs galore (I know that is gross to hear) - but still… he couldn’t turn down a fight. 

That eventually went away, and now they will play and neither gets hurt or even yelps for that matter.  An hour and a half of teeth showing and high pitched growls eventually ends with Mikey jumping up on the couch to snuggle with Shala under the blanket.  Izzy then finally gives in to the sleep monster and all is well in our world.

Mikey is funny though.  Something we both have noticed lately is his lack of urgency for everything.  You can say…

“You want to go outside?!?”

Used to he would hit the ground running and BAM! he was out the door running.  Now after about a minute of calling him specifically, he will ease off the couch then walk to the backdoor.  He just isn’t all that into it.  I’m sure deep down he is thinking…

“Is ghost dog going to be out there?”

Yup.  You bet your Oscar Myer ass she is.

Same with everything else.  Eating isn’t all that great.  Coming inside also has lost its cool.  Everything is just ho hum at best.  I laughed last night when we were waiting for him to trot his happy butt into the house and I told Shala.

“I’m sure Mikey is thinking, in the last 5 years they have yet to leave me behind… I doubt they are going to start now.”

He is right too.  We always spend a little extra time & effort with him.  Izzy would have long been left.  It is a bit harder to be patient with that big ox of a dog.  She is such a goofball at times and so you never know if she really doesn’t want to go outside/eat/play/pee/inside or if she just isn’t understanding/listening/paying attention or whatever.

It is hard to think that she was once this…

and is now this…

but it is true.  Lord is it true.  I guess Mikey did the same thing though.  Just the transition from this…

to this…

wasn’t as drastic.

The one thing that rings true though, is the fact that even though they have grown up - they are great friends.  We worried about them for a while - didn’t know if they were going to be friendly or not.  Then one day it just clicked for them.  I think we caught that very day on camera, and it seems a long time ago now.  We were glad that they both came around though.

Tags: Double Danger Dogs Diary, Personal, Pictures by James
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Is it Summer yet?  Seems like this spring is taking forever.  We are already having weather in the 90-95+ range, so to us it almost seems like Summer has started.  This will be the first Summer in our new house and so it should be exciting to say the least.  It also is our first summer of vegetable gardening… if you don’t count that time I grew watermelons on the balcony of our apartment.  “They” told me it couldn’t be done.

They were kinda right…

We have been playing withe the dogs a lot in the backyard and we snapped some pics of them here and there and decided we needed to share them with everyone.  I know some of you out there are dog lovers like us, so I hope these hit home with you guys.

Enjoy.

It is always hard for Izzy to decide which to play with.

Usually something like this goes down where Mikey hovers in midair and then some yelps and Izzy picks up the closest thing, since Mikey puts a ‘whopin’ on her.

Then Mikey flaps his ears and wags his tail in disgust since he didn’t get the toy he wanted (still hovering).

Izzy then lays and licks/bites/chews on her toy of choice until Mikey comes back to earth.

Mikey always ends up winning in the long run.  Izzy… well she is oblivious.

The dogs have been loving the exercise and sleep right through the night.

Tags: Double Danger Dogs Diary, Personal, Pictures by James
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“Your getting smarter Izzy-belle…”

She wags her tail not knowing if I had just said it was treat time or if the nuclear bomb was on its way and it was shelter time.  It was true though… she is getting smarter.  I am not sure if it has to do with her being the second dog, so she learned faster picking it up from Mikey - or if it is her breed.  I’m sure it has to do with a little of both and of course two of the best trainers in the whole wide world.

Everyday, Izzy & Mikey play this game during lunch & dinner.  Izzy’s favorite thing to do is eat her food in 20 seconds.  The entire bowl in 20 seconds.  It is amazing to see her look down to a bowl full of food, look up and it is gone.  Now this isn’t Mikey’s first rodeo… he knows no matter how fast he eats, no one’s gonna make a lunge at his food bowl.  No other dog is likely to come along and grab a few bites while he isn’t looking.  These days, Mikey Danger is a seasoned vet, and he wastes his time on more important things like…

…keeping the birds in the tree.

…making sure all the pecans that fell of the tree are stripped down to shell only.

…barking at the “trash” man.

The game these two dogs play is pretty funny to watch and most of the time goes on for an hour.  When Izzy finishes her bowl of food, Mikey gives her a glance like…

“Don’t even think about it dudley…”

Izzy can not contain her excitement though, and she does think about it… constantly.  There is nothing in this world she would like more than to walk over, stick her face in his bowl and have the best 6 seconds of her life.  However, Mikey is not having it.  Izzy usually backs up and plops down in the kitchen for a while just staring at Mikey until finally giving up on him.  Mikey will eat one piece of food at a time, nudging the rest around and staring Izzy in the eyes with each swallow. 

Iz will usually back off to the living room after 5-10 min. of this and this is where the real fun starts for these two.  Mikey then will slowly inch back into the living room and poke around a bit.  Izzy knows there is food in that bowl of Mikey’s so she inches a little closer (laying down the whole time, dragging herself like soldier) to the doorway between the two rooms.  Mikey sees it all and keeps her at a leap’s length while he acts as if he has not a care about Izzy wanting his food.

Our 50 pound friend will ease her way up from the floor and like it was slow motion, take step after step towards the bowl.  Mikey can see what is going on and will let her get closer and closer until finally he leaps and with a few steps has the young pup corralled.  At that point Izzy and Mikey start making out as both wants to be sure the other isn’t butt hurt about the whole exchange.  Just so the game can continue.

Fast forward a bit, don’t worry… you only missed this same sequence like 10 times at least.  Each time Mikey ending back at his bowl eating another piece of dog food.  Izzy back on the floor staring at the ration master.  Later in this match Mikey usually starts acting a bit careless.  Now the keyword here is “acting” a bit careless.  Each time letting Izzy get just an inch or two closer - then followed by the eventual cut-off technique.  Eventually the game moves completely into the living room and each round ending with a sprinting Mikey and a small altercation which now involves some mild growling and teeth showing. 

The rounds that start from the living room are the ones to watch.  Each dog trying their hardest to act like they don’t know what the other is doing.  Then by the last round… it gets pretty crazy.  Usually it all ends with Izzy making a run at the dog food and Mikey making a run at her, tons of barking and dog screams… then Mikey trots back knowing there isn’t any food in there anyhow - hasn’t been in two rounds.  Victory is his.

Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?  Shame on them.

Tags: Double Danger Dogs Diary, Funny, Pictures by James
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We were cooking breakfast for dinner last night (if that makes sense), and the dogs were at our feet and causing chaos in general… you know, being normal.  Anyhow, I started long ago with Mikey - but just never followed through with the fact that I didn’t want him in the kitchen while we cooked or ate.  My Brother used to be real strict with his lil’ dog as far as the kitchen being off limits, and I guess it was my attempt to be more like my big bro.  Mikey adhered to the rules long ago, but a few times I must have forgotten and before long it wasn’t an issue any longer.  Funny how things work like that huh?  One day it is a big deal, the next it is trivial. 

C’est la vie.

Anyhow, last night I was being pushed all over the kitchen by the 55 pound-feline-like-dog that we call Izzy.  She likes to be amongst your legs and rub against them like a cat would… only problem is she is as big as a little bitty mini horse (for those that watch Rob & Big).  This makes her cat-like ambitions turn into a tornado of tail whips, claws to the feet, an occasional knee bite and anything else she has perfected since last meeting your shins.

While this circus was going on, I came to the realization…

THESE DOGS AREN’T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE KITCHEN!

See… now it is an issue again.  I immediately started in on “Get out of the kitchen!” and “Sit” and “Stay” commands - like somehow they will know what it means (well Mikey does know most) and they just happily wag their tails and hover where ever I point.  Perfect.

Mikey is a bit confused lately on the “Sit” command, he thinks it is “Speak” and constantly barks.  Izzy has been good at learning sit, and even stay - but when I utter the word… “Sit” and Mikey barks, she thinks it is crazy time.   Amid the chaos I am wondering if it is time to just grab some adult beverage, lay in the floor and give up… but I don’t, I remain a good parent and continue to shout and curse the animals into submission.

I finally get the dogs backed up into the living room to kitchen entry way and stable.  Occasionally I have to reassert my dominance with a quick “IZZY!  Stay”, then Mikey barks and Izzy wags her tail and goes back into crazy time.  Chaos again.  We would have it no other way.

I told Shala last night that it was hard trying to train two dogs at the same time in two different languages.  She cocked her head and looked at me like I was crazy.  Which was half true, but one is a wiener dog, the other a lab… they definitely speak two different dialects?!? Right?  I talk to each of them in their own way.  Izzy is spoken to in a sweet loving girly tone, while Mikey gets a more manly BIG DOG tone that speaks without nonsense and giggles.  Men don’t giggle.

The whole point is the fact that they both had to be spoken to at the same time, controlled each in their own way.  Neither was working, since Izzy would misinterpret what I was saying to Mikey and Mikey getting confused by the “Sit” command directed at Izzy… instead of having two dogs sitting quietly at the kitchen entry way, we had two dogs confused as can be.  One was eating her foot and wagging her tail the entire time.  The other barking like a mad man, wondering where his treat was for “Speaking”.  Chaos I tell you.

After the chaos died down a bit, the two dogs were quiet and sitting just like angels on clouds at the doorstep of heaven.  I told Shala that I bet Mikey was in there saying to Izzy…

“You screwed this up stupid, seriously… I used to chill in the kitchen and eat anything that hit the floor.”

“Now you come along, and we are banished in here and I don’t even get treats for speaking anymore.”

He was right.  Mikey did get free roaming rights to the kitchen for a long time before Izzy came into the picture.  Not counting the first few times when we were hard on him and chose to keep him out of the kitchen.  Now with Izzy being around - it is just overload and so he gets punished for it.  Welcome to the real world big dog… that’s how things work sometimes.

After getting tired of sitting at the living room to kitchen entry, Mikey got up and I’m sure he thought to himself…

“Izzy, your an idiot… there is a whole other way to get into the kitchen and it is around this way.  Technically… it is the dining room and if we sit in there, they can’t be mad - since it ISN’T the kitchen.”

He is a brilliant lil’ wiener.  In about 5 seconds he had made his way to the dining room entrance and pokes his head around the corner as to say…

“What are you going to teach me now?!?”

We didn’t know what to say honestly, we laughed with each other about how we had trained dog to be as smart as he was.  We were taking pride in our dog finding a way to duck the system. :)  My man.

Izzy sat at the living room to kitchen entrance oblivious to the fact that her Brother had found a loophole.  She is such a beautiful, dumb dog.  She fits in perfectly with the rest of us.

Tags: Double Danger Dogs Diary, Funny by James
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Remember when dogs didn’t go to the vet?  You just had dogs, they got ran over one day when they got out and you got a new one.  They ran wild out in the country, got bit by snakes, came home sprayed by skunks and they just went about life.  Those were the days…

When Mikey was about a year or so old he started limping and stuff and then wouldn’t even walk, so we took him into the vet and they took a look at it and they told us… get this…

[Read more →]

Tags: Double Danger Dogs Diary, Funny by James
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