Redeeming Qualities

Some days, Biscuit is lucky he's so cute. The trip to Perry, GA was a very quick trip, but I will admit, Biscuit was a slight pain in the arse for a good portion of the trip. I had Breezy with us, because is in season, and I never gave it a second thought that Biscuit would have any clue about these matters. Suffice it to say that Biscuit was a bit out of sorts and confused about Breezy, which led to him being a bit more needy, and a bit of a whiner. I think it would equate to taking a restless toddler on a long car trip, but I'm just guessing!

However, Biscuit did have some normal, sweet, happy Biscuit moments. He loved running in Janet's yard (pain in the arse moment when he *thought* he was going to tell Scout she couldn't have her own bone, but Scout told him swiftly where to go). He dashed around with Spencer and Scout, and he loved running up the hill and trying to figure out Janet's multi-story deck in the back. He liked going on a walk, and Friday night, Cheryl and I walked him on the fairgrounds in Perry and he got to practice "Walk Up" with a group of geese hanging out. They were just about Biscuit's speed-very slow. And on Saturday morning, Biscuit woke up happy, popping his head up on the side of the bed from his little xpen bed. It was as cute as can be, those fuzzy ears tilted and Biscuit just staring at me.

And then when we got to Georgia, he did settle a bit when he got his own side of the hotel room away from Breezy. Well, he settled when he was getting attention, and he whined when nobody was there to entertain him. sigh.

But. Oh, Biscuit, when you are good, you are so sweet and cute, how can I ever stay mad at you? I know it was tough to be in the car all that time, right next to Auntie Breezy.

Now that we are home, Biscuit and Jasper have decided they are best friends. They are physically complete opposites. But they love to wrestle, and frap. Here is a link to a cute video of the two boys playing and wrestling. I love how Biscuit lowers himself to the ground when he's thinking about trying to run fast. silly dog!

Wordless Wednesday-Rainy Day

Biscuit, 5 1/2 months old

Photo taken solo, just Biscuit on the table, and me with the camera. Here's how it went:
Hey Biscuit, can you please stand like a pretty puppy and let me take some pictures of you?

"You want me to do what? Phhhttttt on you!" OK, so I know it's asking a lot of you to stand like that, but what if I throw some cream cheese into the equation? (note: when taking photos by yourself, stick some cream cheese on the end of a Chuck-It handle, it works pretty well!)

"Cream cheese? Well why didn't you just say so! Gimme the cheese, I'll do anything for the cream cheese!!!"

Good boy, Biscuit, what a handsome boy you are.

"Is this good? Does this angle make my butt look fuzzy?


I think Biscuit did a great job, even with those back toes curling over the stacking box!

"Oh," is for Olive! and she's looking for a family...

Olive is an optimist. Well, if dogs could be optimists, I'm sure she would be one. Never unhappy, always smiling, Olive is a sweetie. And I constantly find myself saying "Oh" when I'm around Olive. "Oh, you want to leap up onto the deck and bypass the stairs? OK then." "Oh, you prefer to sleep under your pretty crate bed?" "Oh, you figured out how to drag that giant stick through the gate to the puppy yard?" "Oh, you want to lay on the back of the sofa like a cat?"


As I mentioned in a previous post, Olive is never in one place for very long. She's not hyper, and she loves hanging out in her crate, or laying on a dog bed chewing her bone. But when she's active, she's not going to miss out on anything. Most of my Olive photos show a vibrant orange blur zipping through the photo. Or no blur at all because she's already gone before I can snap the photo!


I have made the decision to go ahead and place Olive and let her go to a family of her own, and she's eligible for a performance home, active companion home, or possibly a show home, depending on the circumstances. Most importantly, Olive is available to a home that will love her, laugh at her jokes, and give her plenty of snuggle time as well as long walks, or agility/herding lessons. She's smart as can be, and has been doing some puppy K work with clicker. It doesn't take Olive long to figure out exactly what she's got to do to get herself a cookie. She would love to learn a dogsport, or go hiking, walking, swimming with her special people.

While Olive is wonderful and outgoing and a dog I think has a really neat possible performance future ahead of her, I have to really weigh the family dynamics when deciding who stays and who gets to find a great family of their own. With the dogs I'm already actively training (or sometimes more appropriately the dogs I'm not training but should be), I don't feel like I could give Olive the training time to really bring out her potential and her vibrant personality. So, for someone who might not be interested in a tiny puppy, and instead prefers a puppy who is already well on the road to good behavior (housetraining, crate training, leash-pottying, leash walking, etc), and for someone who is not interested in middle of the night potty breaks, Olive might be the perfect, sleep through the night and never soil my crate girl. :-) I know I think she's pretty perfect, but I could be a bit biased!


Olive is very appropriate with adult dogs, and she likes to play with other puppies (as long as they are not slobbery shar-pei puppies trying to put her entire head in their mouths). You can see in the photo below, Olive is presenting herself to momma Bree for some puppy discipline. You can also see that we had an invasion of the green-footed aliens last night after I mowed down the prairie!



Happy, happy, green-footed girl crouching to leap out at her Uncle Gizzer when he wanders by!

Just snacking on some mulched grass, nom, nom.

Typical Olive Blurrrrrr photo, she's on the move!

Launching herself at her mother's feet. Just how Breezy envisioned motherhood! These two are so similiar in their silliness, it's quite entertaining to watch them play together.

Going UP! Olive loves the Aframe.

Stalling on the way down... thinking about how this activity *might* be more fun

If she ran back up the other way, back and forth.

And back again.

And, the never-ending, obligatory stacked photo at 5 months, so that it's included with the Olive post. She is looking a bit sway-backed in the photo, not surprising since she was not quite a willing participant. After all, Jon's house offers several acres that could be thoroughly investigated, but instead, we made Olive stand on the stooopid table.

The Girlies

Yes, the girls are still here. And yes, they do get attention. I know a few people asked me about the girls because Biscuit seems to get more than his fair share of the spotlight on the blog. Olive will be highlighted in her own post that I might get to finish later this afternoon.

There are a few reasons for that. First, for the two girls, it's got to be a bit like trying to share the stage with Steve Martin or Robin Williams. The funny, over the top things that Biscuit does are often a bit overshadowing for the two sweet, well-behaved girls. Biscuit is also like that little boy who comes to school with a snake in his pocket. He has that glint in his eye, and he's always thinking about how the world can become a better place for HIM. ;-P

Second, while Biscuit is all about hamming it up and he loves to stop and tilt his head for a photo opportunity anytime, anyplace, the girls are busy doing their own thing. It's lovely that each of the girls can play on their own, play with each other, or play with the other dogs. They enjoy whatever they are doing and they don't demand photo sessions.

Oh, and have I mentioned that the girls are F.A.S.T. ? They are never in one place for very long. I take equal number of photos of all the puppies, but unfortunately, photos of the two girls often turn out like this:So, opportunities to catch the girls in photos are few and far between. Here are the official 5 months old stacked photos, involving humans making puppies stand still.And now, for your viewing pleasur, please enjoy these photos of the girls while they are crated and literally a captive audience. HAA.

Olive, showing that crate pads are not just bedding, they can also be a fashion statement.

Redecorating.

Why are crates so much more fun when they are taken apart?

Yin and Yang

Always trying to put her best foot forward (it's useful to hold down the plastic she's chewing on!).

Nevery ordinary.

Prairie

Avery sez, "Um, can somebody please mow the yard? It really slows down the Cardigan chasing games, although it IS fun to hide and pounce on Uncle Gizmo!"

Dishwasher Inspector, Reporting For Duty

Step 1. . Thoroughly inspect all dishes to be sure pre-wash clean up has been properly completed. Perform additional pre-wash duties if necessary.
Step 2. Fill receptacles with appropriate dishwashing soap and rinse agent. Be sure your dishwashing inspector can read to determine which receptacle is for soap. This is the most common failure of dishwashing inspectors, according to customer satisfaction surveys.

Step 3. Ham it up and celebrate another job well done, Dishwasher Inspector #7.

Optional Step 4 (mostly applicable for larger inspectors). Buy new dishwasher when door breaks off at the hinges...

Three's a Crowd

I know, I'm a bad blogger, no new puppy pictures or stories. There's nothing exciting happening at the moment, the puppies have been very good while I try to get over bronchitis. No long walks, lots of "mental" exercise, and plenty of mud. Here's a funny photo, Biscuit, Olive, Darby playing. Olive is trying to leap onto the A frame, and who knows what Darby is trying to do. I've given up trying to figure out her funny noises and body language. She's a nut. :-)