It's been a while since I have shared how my temperature quilt has been progressing. As you can see from the grass, it is a frosty morning here in Iowa and fall is in full swing. I fully expect the leaves to come tumbling out of the trees in full force in the next week or so. 

I love seeing the color changes in the quilt as the temperatures change in the seasons. If you look closely on the bottom row, the temperature stayed within 5 degrees so the high and low temperature for that day used the same color! 

You can find the other updates on this quilt here, here and here. 

 Since my faithful friend Clay was outside keeping watch on the deck on this beautiful fall morning, I couldn't resist snapping a picture of him. I fear this will be his last fall with us. He will be 15 in a few months, so my time with him is limited. I am grateful to have had him this long. He is a good dog...

Have a sweet day!! 

It's been a while since I have shared how my temperature quilt has been progressing. As you can see from the grass, it is a frosty morning here in Iowa and fall is in full swing. I fully expect the leaves to come tumbling out of the trees in full force in the next week or so. 

I love seeing the color changes in the quilt as the temperatures change in the seasons. If you look closely on the bottom row, the temperature stayed within 5 degrees so the high and low temperature for that day used the same color! 

You can find the other updates on this quilt here, here and here. 

 Since my faithful friend Clay was outside keeping watch on the deck on this beautiful fall morning, I couldn't resist snapping a picture of him. I fear this will be his last fall with us. He will be 15 in a few months, so my time with him is limited. I am grateful to have had him this long. He is a good dog...

Have a sweet day!! 

A measly pile of laundry is no match for Clay when he wants to sit on his favorite chair. 

A measly pile of laundry is no match for Clay when he wants to sit on his favorite chair. 

Rest in peace, Peeper Piper...Thanks for being our friend.

Rest in peace, Peeper Piper...Thanks for being our friend.

Holden, my oldest son, moved back home for a while. He brought with him his "baby" Mr. Bigs. Do not let this innocent face {with the scary eyes I don't know how to fix} fool you...

Mr. Bigs is dangerous. 

Very dangerous..

He is a plant killer!

So far, he has broken off iris buds, flattened several day lilies, and smashed the {I don't know the name} flowers. 

It is a very good thing he's cute. {grin}

Holden, my oldest son, moved back home for a while. He brought with him his "baby" Mr. Bigs. Do not let this innocent face {with the scary eyes I don't know how to fix} fool you...

Mr. Bigs is dangerous. 

Very dangerous..

He is a plant killer!

So far, he has broken off iris buds, flattened several day lilies, and smashed the {I don't know the name} flowers. 

It is a very good thing he's cute. {grin}

...this could  be the reason why my cat hates me?

...this could  be the reason why my cat hates me?

Clay is not impressed.

All 3 pups washed and groomed. None of them look too happy, huh?

Clay is not impressed.

All 3 pups washed and groomed. None of them look too happy, huh?

I have a kayaking buddy! Clay did great during his maiden voyage. :o) It's gonna be a fun summer on the water.

I have a kayaking buddy! Clay did great during his maiden voyage. :o) It's gonna be a fun summer on the water.

Carol, of ~~Knitted Kitty~~ and MSM, of MommySweetMom are showing off their cats. I don't like to be outdone, so here is a video of my sweet (?) Gracie.

Hold on tight. The action is breathtaking!!

Oh, and please do not make fun of her haircut. She is very embarrassed enough already. *wink*

Carol, of ~~Knitted Kitty~~ and MSM, of MommySweetMom are showing off their cats. I don't like to be outdone, so here is a video of my sweet (?) Gracie.

Hold on tight. The action is breathtaking!!

Oh, and please do not make fun of her haircut. She is very embarrassed enough already. *wink*

Clay, aka: Little Brown Dog @ 5 years old.

Clay, aka: Little Brown Dog @ 5 years old.

Poor Scotty, he has a swollen anal gland that may be infected.

*Don't look it up on Google unless you have a strong stomach. You have been warned!*

I've never had to express any of the pups' anal glands and I really don't care to, thank-you-very-much, so when I noticed that Scotty's was very swollen, I knew a vet visit was in order. He HATES the vet. He gets extremely stressed out and has been known to lose his control of his...Ummm...Never mind...

Scotty also has terrible breath and his teeth look horrible. I have been meaning to get him in for a dental. The vet suggested that we go ahead and schedule a dental so both procedures could be done at once while he was under anesthesia. I agreed it was a good plan, even though it was going to be a financial ouch.

To make matters worse, I just got a call from the vet. She is recommending that Scotty have 10 teeth pulled!!

Poor Scotty, he is going to be sore on both ends. O, the joys of being a fur kid owner, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. :o) Well, except for a baby, but since that is out of the question and not in the realm of possibilities, I won't go there. ;o)

Update: The news got a bit worse...The anal gland had ruptured!! YIKES!! And, he had to have 11 teeth pulled. He will be on antibiotics for 5 days a month for the next 6 months to see it that helps keep the bacteria down in his mouth to prevent him from losing more teeth. The sticker shock hurts, but not as bad as his mouth and bottom hurts, I'm sure. *wink*

Poor Scotty, he has a swollen anal gland that may be infected.

*Don't look it up on Google unless you have a strong stomach. You have been warned!*

I've never had to express any of the pups' anal glands and I really don't care to, thank-you-very-much, so when I noticed that Scotty's was very swollen, I knew a vet visit was in order. He HATES the vet. He gets extremely stressed out and has been known to lose his control of his...Ummm...Never mind...

Scotty also has terrible breath and his teeth look horrible. I have been meaning to get him in for a dental. The vet suggested that we go ahead and schedule a dental so both procedures could be done at once while he was under anesthesia. I agreed it was a good plan, even though it was going to be a financial ouch.

To make matters worse, I just got a call from the vet. She is recommending that Scotty have 10 teeth pulled!!

Poor Scotty, he is going to be sore on both ends. O, the joys of being a fur kid owner, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. :o) Well, except for a baby, but since that is out of the question and not in the realm of possibilities, I won't go there. ;o)

Update: The news got a bit worse...The anal gland had ruptured!! YIKES!! And, he had to have 11 teeth pulled. He will be on antibiotics for 5 days a month for the next 6 months to see it that helps keep the bacteria down in his mouth to prevent him from losing more teeth. The sticker shock hurts, but not as bad as his mouth and bottom hurts, I'm sure. *wink*

My deafie, Scotty, likes the water in his water bowl to be moving. An ordinary water bowl will be pawed at and splashed all over the kitchen several times a day. It drove me crazy, and then, I found the perfect solution...A Drinkwell Pet Fountain. We have had it for over 4 years and it's worked like a charm. No more water all over my kitchen floor.

Today, however, the motor bit the dust. Actually, only the part that spins broke, but the unit was pretty crusted over with lime and calcium build up, so I decided it would be much simpler to replace the whole motor. I discovered on my internet search for the new motor that the Drinkwell company makes a new Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain! Ohhh...Ahhhh....It holds more water than the old one, so there will be less frequent refills and the motor has a protective screen on it, so no more hair getting caught in the motor.

I ordered mine on Amazon for a lot less than what they are offered for on Ebay or on the pet stores. A lot less...I good deal on something that makes my life easier is always good. :o)

My deafie, Scotty, likes the water in his water bowl to be moving. An ordinary water bowl will be pawed at and splashed all over the kitchen several times a day. It drove me crazy, and then, I found the perfect solution...A Drinkwell Pet Fountain. We have had it for over 4 years and it's worked like a charm. No more water all over my kitchen floor.

Today, however, the motor bit the dust. Actually, only the part that spins broke, but the unit was pretty crusted over with lime and calcium build up, so I decided it would be much simpler to replace the whole motor. I discovered on my internet search for the new motor that the Drinkwell company makes a new Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain! Ohhh...Ahhhh....It holds more water than the old one, so there will be less frequent refills and the motor has a protective screen on it, so no more hair getting caught in the motor.

I ordered mine on Amazon for a lot less than what they are offered for on Ebay or on the pet stores. A lot less...I good deal on something that makes my life easier is always good. :o)

The papers and elements for this page was made from a free download on Scrap Girls, called Refresh. 

Now isn't this much better than me changing my blog template every other day. :o)

The papers and elements for this page was made from a free download on Scrap Girls, called Refresh. 

Now isn't this much better than me changing my blog template every other day. :o)

2 Blind Squirrels and a Bunny

One of my favorite podcasts is Two Blind Squirrels. I think Faith and Brad are hilarious! My very, very favorite show to date is Baby Bunny. I laughed until my sides hurt! 

Faith's baby bunny story inspired me to share my baby bunny story. *Warning: Gross Alert*

Here is my bunny story, starring Miss Maya, an australian shepherd I fostered for a few months. 

The story begins on a hot summer night...My hubby was off doing some manly man thing. I let the pups outside to do their business before bedtime. Scotty and Clay came in when I called them, but not Maya. I really didn't want to go out in the backyard in my PJ's, but what's a woman to do when a dog refuses to come when called and her manly man is not home...Besides, Miss Maya sure looked pretty intensely focused on something. I figured I had better go find out what she was doing... 

Oh, I found out alright!!! She was EATING a bunny!!! Ewwwww!!!! I began to scream at her to drop it, but Maya thought it was the most delicious thing on earth and was not going to let it go. I shook her head to get her to drop it and after a few minutes, she did. I had to hold on to her with all my my might to prevent her from going after it again. I was so grossed out!!!! I put Maya in the house and began to search for something to pick up the dead bunny with...I was not going to touch it. Ewwww...I settled on the pooper scooper. I scooped up the poor dead thing and tossed it in the trash. Whew....Now I could go to bed and get some much needed rest after that trauma. 

The 3 dogs and I go to bed and get all settled in for the night. Then..I heard some thing...It was a strange sound. I didn't know what it was. I tried to ignore it, but then I got the spooks. I turned on my bedside lamp and look in the direction of the noise.... 

Miss Maya had thrown up the rabbit innerds on the carpet on the bedroom floor and was EATING THEM AGAIN!!! *screech* I drug her out of my room while I gagged.  With Maya on the other side of the door, I thought,  "Now, what!? Where is my manly man when I need him!!!!!!" I grabbed a dirty t-shirt that was on the floor, put it on top of the rabbit insides and scooped up the mess. It was WARM!!!! EWWWWW!!!! I decided the best thing to do would be to flush Maya's tasty treat down the toilet. I tried not to look at what I was doing out of fear that I would end up throwing up all over the bathroom floor and all the time praying that it wouldn't clog the toilet.  God was merciful. It went into the sewer system without any problems. The shirt? I tossed it in the trash. EWWWWWW...

It was the most disgusting experiences of my life! The one good thing? One less rabbit to eat the flowers in my garden. 

That's my bunny story. :o)

One of my favorite podcasts is Two Blind Squirrels. I think Faith and Brad are hilarious! My very, very favorite show to date is Baby Bunny. I laughed until my sides hurt! 

Faith's baby bunny story inspired me to share my baby bunny story. *Warning: Gross Alert*

Here is my bunny story, starring Miss Maya, an australian shepherd I fostered for a few months. 

The story begins on a hot summer night...My hubby was off doing some manly man thing. I let the pups outside to do their business before bedtime. Scotty and Clay came in when I called them, but not Maya. I really didn't want to go out in the backyard in my PJ's, but what's a woman to do when a dog refuses to come when called and her manly man is not home...Besides, Miss Maya sure looked pretty intensely focused on something. I figured I had better go find out what she was doing... 

Oh, I found out alright!!! She was EATING a bunny!!! Ewwwww!!!! I began to scream at her to drop it, but Maya thought it was the most delicious thing on earth and was not going to let it go. I shook her head to get her to drop it and after a few minutes, she did. I had to hold on to her with all my my might to prevent her from going after it again. I was so grossed out!!!! I put Maya in the house and began to search for something to pick up the dead bunny with...I was not going to touch it. Ewwww...I settled on the pooper scooper. I scooped up the poor dead thing and tossed it in the trash. Whew....Now I could go to bed and get some much needed rest after that trauma. 

The 3 dogs and I go to bed and get all settled in for the night. Then..I heard some thing...It was a strange sound. I didn't know what it was. I tried to ignore it, but then I got the spooks. I turned on my bedside lamp and look in the direction of the noise.... 

Miss Maya had thrown up the rabbit innerds on the carpet on the bedroom floor and was EATING THEM AGAIN!!! *screech* I drug her out of my room while I gagged.  With Maya on the other side of the door, I thought,  "Now, what!? Where is my manly man when I need him!!!!!!" I grabbed a dirty t-shirt that was on the floor, put it on top of the rabbit insides and scooped up the mess. It was WARM!!!! EWWWWW!!!! I decided the best thing to do would be to flush Maya's tasty treat down the toilet. I tried not to look at what I was doing out of fear that I would end up throwing up all over the bathroom floor and all the time praying that it wouldn't clog the toilet.  God was merciful. It went into the sewer system without any problems. The shirt? I tossed it in the trash. EWWWWWW...

It was the most disgusting experiences of my life! The one good thing? One less rabbit to eat the flowers in my garden. 

That's my bunny story. :o)

Haley: Hi, Mom! Guess what?

Me: *ever hopeful* You're pregnant!

Haley: *giggles* No....I have a new puppy!

Well, it IS a baby...*sigh* Someday...God willing, it will be a human baby. :o)

In the meantime, here is Pennelopy, the basset hound. 

Haley: Hi, Mom! Guess what?

Me: *ever hopeful* You're pregnant!

Haley: *giggles* No....I have a new puppy!

Well, it IS a baby...*sigh* Someday...God willing, it will be a human baby. :o)

In the meantime, here is Pennelopy, the basset hound. 

And now, the one who started all of my dog insanity. The one who revealed that I was NOT a cat person at all, but rather a DOG person that was waiting for just the right moment to be exposed...Drum roll please....

Clay Louis Jay

Clay came to be part of our family because my darling, wonderful, sweetheart of a husband, wanted to pacify my longing for "just one more baby." Truth be told, Clay was a bribe. He figured that if he suggested a puppy, he wouldn't have to hear me talk about adopting another baby. Poor man didn't know that exposing my inner dog person would cause a whole new set of longings and the next 3 years he would hear me say, "Just one more puppy?" However, three is my limit...I think...Maybe...A girl would be nice…Jude's a great dog...We'll see. *wink*

Clay is a toy aussie and is the smallest of the bunch, weighing in at only 10 pounds. I didn't want a toy sized pup with 3 rambunctious boys at home, so I picked out Clay, who was the biggest in his litter. His breeder said he would be an over-sized mini (25-30 pounds). Perfect!!! Over the next few weeks, his littermates went on a growth spurt and Clay didn't. He became the smallest in the litter. By this time, I was thoroughly in love and couldn't wait to get him home no matter what his size.

Clay loves to play soccer in the backyard with the boys, do agility at the dog club (for fun, not competition), go for car rides, and walks. He's fun to take to the off leash park because he never goes too far and has such a huge smile on his face as he runs circles around me. His favorite games are keep away and tug. He will do anything for a treat! Especially popcorn. Out of the three pups, he is my most obedience-trained pup.

As with the other two, he has his issues. (Notice a common factor here? ME!!) He is not a warm fuzzy with people he doesn’t know and it takes him a long, long time to warm up. For the last two years, Clay and I (and Piper) would go to puppy and adult socialization classes. It's been great for two reasons 1) I get to play with dogs  and learn more about training and 2) Clay gets to practice being with other dogs and people. We’ve been doing that on a regular basis for two years and it’s helped him get out of his timid, fearful shell tremendously. One time, a gal came to the dog club who hadn’t seen Clay for over a year.

Gal: Hi, Amy! Did you get a new dog?
Me: No, this is Clay.
Gal: That’s Clay?? *shock written all over her face*

Me :Yes, it is. *grinning and proud enough to pop buttons*

It made all the hard work, worth it. :o) Oh, he will never be the type to run up to someone and beg for a pat on the head or a game of fetch, but he is much improved and don’t we all have room for improvement? 

And now, the one who started all of my dog insanity. The one who revealed that I was NOT a cat person at all, but rather a DOG person that was waiting for just the right moment to be exposed...Drum roll please....

Clay Louis Jay

Clay came to be part of our family because my darling, wonderful, sweetheart of a husband, wanted to pacify my longing for "just one more baby." Truth be told, Clay was a bribe. He figured that if he suggested a puppy, he wouldn't have to hear me talk about adopting another baby. Poor man didn't know that exposing my inner dog person would cause a whole new set of longings and the next 3 years he would hear me say, "Just one more puppy?" However, three is my limit...I think...Maybe...A girl would be nice…Jude's a great dog...We'll see. *wink*

Clay is a toy aussie and is the smallest of the bunch, weighing in at only 10 pounds. I didn't want a toy sized pup with 3 rambunctious boys at home, so I picked out Clay, who was the biggest in his litter. His breeder said he would be an over-sized mini (25-30 pounds). Perfect!!! Over the next few weeks, his littermates went on a growth spurt and Clay didn't. He became the smallest in the litter. By this time, I was thoroughly in love and couldn't wait to get him home no matter what his size.

Clay loves to play soccer in the backyard with the boys, do agility at the dog club (for fun, not competition), go for car rides, and walks. He's fun to take to the off leash park because he never goes too far and has such a huge smile on his face as he runs circles around me. His favorite games are keep away and tug. He will do anything for a treat! Especially popcorn. Out of the three pups, he is my most obedience-trained pup.

As with the other two, he has his issues. (Notice a common factor here? ME!!) He is not a warm fuzzy with people he doesn’t know and it takes him a long, long time to warm up. For the last two years, Clay and I (and Piper) would go to puppy and adult socialization classes. It's been great for two reasons 1) I get to play with dogs  and learn more about training and 2) Clay gets to practice being with other dogs and people. We’ve been doing that on a regular basis for two years and it’s helped him get out of his timid, fearful shell tremendously. One time, a gal came to the dog club who hadn’t seen Clay for over a year.

Gal: Hi, Amy! Did you get a new dog?
Me: No, this is Clay.
Gal: That’s Clay?? *shock written all over her face*

Me :Yes, it is. *grinning and proud enough to pop buttons*

It made all the hard work, worth it. :o) Oh, he will never be the type to run up to someone and beg for a pat on the head or a game of fetch, but he is much improved and don’t we all have room for improvement? 

I'd like to introduce you to my middle pup, a Miniature Australian Shepherd that I call Scotty James, however, he has no idea what his name is. You see, Scotty is deaf. That's right. Deaf. He can't hear a thing. It's funny...When I tell people he is deaf, they always ask if I am sure. It's not too hard to figure out. Yell at him while he is sleeping and he won't move a muscle. Gently touch him right after that and he jumps a foot because he was startled. Yup, I'm sure. :-P Scotty is the result of a breeder breeding two merle dogs together, which is a big no-no in the breeder world. Sadly, some do it to get more merle pups, which can be sold for more money. The ones like Scotty, that have too much white fur which is an indicator that deafness and/or blindness may be an issue, are sometimes culled at birth. It's a practice that makes me sick. (To learn more about deaf dogs check out DeafDogs.org)

*~* note: While looking for a web page, I ran across this one. A couple of years ago, Scotty was part of a genetic study. His picture is on the researcher's web page. He is the one standing in the snow. That was fun to find! *~*

So, what is it like living with a deaf dog? Not much different than living with a hearing dog, except for a few key areas. I can't allow him to be off leash at a dog park and if he is barking at the mailman, yelling at him to stop does no good. Trust me, I try. ;o) On the bright side, he's not afraid of thunder or fireworks on the 4th of July.

Scotty loves, loves, loves balls. Did I mention he LOVES balls? He is a fool for a ball! He will play ball for hours and hours. I wear out long before he does. He is convinced that all people who visit are coming over just to play ball with him. As soon as he gets done with his greeting routine (barking and jumping on people *blush*), he runs all over the house to find a ball. Once he finds one, he drops it in front of said guest, sits and tilts his head to the side then begins the very subtle hinting of what he wants. It goes like this: Look at guest, look at ball. Look at guest, look at ball. BARK. Repeat. Most people give in and he is so happy, happy, happy to have someone throw the ball for him. I am very happy, happy, happy to rest my arm.

Scotty never wonders too far from my side. It's pretty common for deaf dogs to need to see their owner, since they can't hear where their owner is. I always know where he is and he knows where I am, or how to find me if he wakes up from a nap and notices I left the room. You know...Like when I have to go to the ladies room.

Here is how it goes:

Scotty: *sleeping*

Me: *walks to the ladies room and shuts the door*

Scotty: *scratch, scratch, scratch*

Me: Yes, Scotty, I am in here...I'll be out in a second. (Yes, I talk to my deaf dog)

Scotty: *scratch, scratch, scratch*

Me: Wait a second, Scotty!

Scotty: *scratch, scratch, scratch*

Me: *big sigh as I open the door*

Scotty: looks in to see if I am there and then leaves!

Me: *shuts door firmly*

What can I say...I love the boy...

Scotty has exhibited some nervousness in the last few months that have been a concern for me. I'm doing a trial run using Prozac. He is using the Prozac, not me....I use something else. *grin* My poor dog and I both appear to have problems with serotonin. Sorry, but that cracks me up!!! :-D He is much more relaxed and seems to be more content. Scotty holds such a special place in my heart. We lose our animals way too quickly as it is, so the thought of losing him before that already-too-soon-time was hard to consider. I want to delay that time for as long as possible.

Next time I'll share about Clay, the one who started it all. :o)

I'd like to introduce you to my middle pup, a Miniature Australian Shepherd that I call Scotty James, however, he has no idea what his name is. You see, Scotty is deaf. That's right. Deaf. He can't hear a thing. It's funny...When I tell people he is deaf, they always ask if I am sure. It's not too hard to figure out. Yell at him while he is sleeping and he won't move a muscle. Gently touch him right after that and he jumps a foot because he was startled. Yup, I'm sure. :-P Scotty is the result of a breeder breeding two merle dogs together, which is a big no-no in the breeder world. Sadly, some do it to get more merle pups, which can be sold for more money. The ones like Scotty, that have too much white fur which is an indicator that deafness and/or blindness may be an issue, are sometimes culled at birth. It's a practice that makes me sick. (To learn more about deaf dogs check out DeafDogs.org)

*~* note: While looking for a web page, I ran across this one. A couple of years ago, Scotty was part of a genetic study. His picture is on the researcher's web page. He is the one standing in the snow. That was fun to find! *~*

So, what is it like living with a deaf dog? Not much different than living with a hearing dog, except for a few key areas. I can't allow him to be off leash at a dog park and if he is barking at the mailman, yelling at him to stop does no good. Trust me, I try. ;o) On the bright side, he's not afraid of thunder or fireworks on the 4th of July.

Scotty loves, loves, loves balls. Did I mention he LOVES balls? He is a fool for a ball! He will play ball for hours and hours. I wear out long before he does. He is convinced that all people who visit are coming over just to play ball with him. As soon as he gets done with his greeting routine (barking and jumping on people *blush*), he runs all over the house to find a ball. Once he finds one, he drops it in front of said guest, sits and tilts his head to the side then begins the very subtle hinting of what he wants. It goes like this: Look at guest, look at ball. Look at guest, look at ball. BARK. Repeat. Most people give in and he is so happy, happy, happy to have someone throw the ball for him. I am very happy, happy, happy to rest my arm.

Scotty never wonders too far from my side. It's pretty common for deaf dogs to need to see their owner, since they can't hear where their owner is. I always know where he is and he knows where I am, or how to find me if he wakes up from a nap and notices I left the room. You know...Like when I have to go to the ladies room.

Here is how it goes:

Scotty: *sleeping*

Me: *walks to the ladies room and shuts the door*

Scotty: *scratch, scratch, scratch*

Me: Yes, Scotty, I am in here...I'll be out in a second. (Yes, I talk to my deaf dog)

Scotty: *scratch, scratch, scratch*

Me: Wait a second, Scotty!

Scotty: *scratch, scratch, scratch*

Me: *big sigh as I open the door*

Scotty: looks in to see if I am there and then leaves!

Me: *shuts door firmly*

What can I say...I love the boy...

Scotty has exhibited some nervousness in the last few months that have been a concern for me. I'm doing a trial run using Prozac. He is using the Prozac, not me....I use something else. *grin* My poor dog and I both appear to have problems with serotonin. Sorry, but that cracks me up!!! :-D He is much more relaxed and seems to be more content. Scotty holds such a special place in my heart. We lose our animals way too quickly as it is, so the thought of losing him before that already-too-soon-time was hard to consider. I want to delay that time for as long as possible.

Next time I'll share about Clay, the one who started it all. :o)

Piper is my youngest pup. I named him after John Piper. He is a clown and always makes me laugh. When I have treats to pass out, he goes through his repertoire of tricks in seconds and repeats them over and over again. Sit. Sneeze. Lay down. Sit. Sneeze. Lay down. The whole time his back end (aussies don't have tails) goes a 100 MPH. I can't get him to calm down enough to teach him anything else!

If there is a squirrel foolish enough to wander upon the backyard fence, you can be sure that Piper will go out the back door with the speed of an Olympic athlete in an attempt to catch it. So far, he hasn't been successful and I am eternally grateful. He also loves to chase the birds, the butterflies and the bees. He hasn't caught any of them either, but he happily hops about the yard doggedly determined to be victorious.

He is always smiling, except.....Da, da, da, dum.....when I get out the mighty, noisy, sucking, purple monster. Also known as the vacuum cleaner. At that time he turns into a shivering bowl of jell-o and seeks refuge to be as far away as possible from this evil monster. 

Case in point. Last week: 

Shhhh....Don't tell the mighty noisy, sucking purple monster that I am hiding here. 

 I can not bring myself to even look upon this mighty noisy, sucking purple monster.

When Clay was afraid of the boys' guns, I helped him get over it my putting treats on the guns. So far, that isn't working with Piper. He WILL NOT take a treat when the vacuum is out, no matter how yummy it is. It can be turned off and just sitting in the room and he will go hide until it's gone. 

So, if you visit and notice that my floors need vacuumed, it's because I took pity on Peeper Piper and kept the mighty noisy, sucking purple machine in the dungeon, also known as the closet. 

Piper is my youngest pup. I named him after John Piper. He is a clown and always makes me laugh. When I have treats to pass out, he goes through his repertoire of tricks in seconds and repeats them over and over again. Sit. Sneeze. Lay down. Sit. Sneeze. Lay down. The whole time his back end (aussies don't have tails) goes a 100 MPH. I can't get him to calm down enough to teach him anything else!

If there is a squirrel foolish enough to wander upon the backyard fence, you can be sure that Piper will go out the back door with the speed of an Olympic athlete in an attempt to catch it. So far, he hasn't been successful and I am eternally grateful. He also loves to chase the birds, the butterflies and the bees. He hasn't caught any of them either, but he happily hops about the yard doggedly determined to be victorious.

He is always smiling, except.....Da, da, da, dum.....when I get out the mighty, noisy, sucking, purple monster. Also known as the vacuum cleaner. At that time he turns into a shivering bowl of jell-o and seeks refuge to be as far away as possible from this evil monster. 

Case in point. Last week: 

Shhhh....Don't tell the mighty noisy, sucking purple monster that I am hiding here. 

 I can not bring myself to even look upon this mighty noisy, sucking purple monster.

When Clay was afraid of the boys' guns, I helped him get over it my putting treats on the guns. So far, that isn't working with Piper. He WILL NOT take a treat when the vacuum is out, no matter how yummy it is. It can be turned off and just sitting in the room and he will go hide until it's gone. 

So, if you visit and notice that my floors need vacuumed, it's because I took pity on Peeper Piper and kept the mighty noisy, sucking purple machine in the dungeon, also known as the closet. 

I had to give Clay and warm bath to melt the snow off of his tummy. The snow on him doubled his weight!

I had to give Clay and warm bath to melt the snow off of his tummy. The snow on him doubled his weight!