Misbehavin'

  Treasure is the most confident and self assured puppy I have ever seen!  Unlike Dixie (aka "the Bad Baby") who always tested limits and pushed boundaries, Treasure just does what she wants until told otherwise.  She's also a smart girl so generally only has to be told "no" once to respect the rules.  She'll have a puzzled look on her face, wondering why she can't continue her chosen behavior, but always respects the boundaries placed before her.
  But, oh, the things Treasure tries!  She's been chastised by her kennel mates, her uncle, her grandmother and myself.  She takes toys, eats out of others' bowls, torments someone to play with her or refuses to join in group games.  The other day Treasure ignored the established fetch rules that Dixie has when we play and grabbed her by the ear.  Dixie gave her a snap and a verbal thrashing so Treasure didn't do that again but did keep trying to get the toy until Dixie corrected her again.
  Treasure also has a fascination with my hair and clothes.  She'll grab my ponytail, try to chew on my hair when it's loose or if it's tucked up in a cap, try to grab the bill.  She was especially curious about the drawstring on my shorts the other day.  Quietly, she began to chew on the end while I was busy giving her a back scratch.  I didn't realize what she was up to until she tried to dash off with the string in her mouth, practically jerking me off my feet!  She also surprised me another morning when she nipped me in the backside as I was collecting food bowls.  I jumped around to see Treasure looking innocent, with a "oh, that's not an acceptable game"? expression on her face.  Gibson, who now watches and imitates the behavior of the other dogs, had a grin on his face that clearly said "I didn't know we could do that"!  I had to quickly squelch that notion!

I'm in Trouble

  My husband is in love.  It's my own fault, really.  I frequently have this girl in our home, working on some beauty issues--hair, nails, etc.  I didn't notice David's interest until I suggested we take her with us to Gibson's last agility session.  They were shameless!  And right in front of me!  I didn't realize she was such a hussy until I saw her wiggle her cute backside as she locked eyes with David.  They made a beeline for each other!  Since that night, she's all he talks about.  He wants to take her with us to any activity we've done lately.  Last night he started talking about her career and how great she'll be.  So, it looks like I need to face reality--and take Bijou off the Available page on the website.

Crotchety Dogs

  Old dogs and heat do not mix!  Ben and Sophie have been sniping at each other over every little thing since these heat waves started last week.  It hasn't helped that we have girls in season, which has irritated Sophie as her brother is mooning over them instead of spending time with her.
  Sophie has also been irked by the puppies playing and this morning objected to Lauren walking by her kennel.  This made Sophie start to snarl and bark.  Lauren, who always enjoys a fence fight, obliged Sophie by barking back.  Ben wisely stayed away from the fuss but was not so lucky last week.  Ben has been as quick as Sophie to express displeasure over something.  Although Sophie generally acquiesces to his short temper tantrums, sometimes she just lets him know she's had enough.  I came home from a show to find him with scrape marks along his muzzle and eye.  He made the scrapes worse by  rubbing his face along the fence and having flies bite where he made the scratches bleed.  Needless to say, Ben's been spending a lot of time in the house, getting TLC!  He enjoys the extra attention, but both he and Sophie prefer to be outside.  They come inside during the heat of the day, going outside in the cooler evenings.  They seem to enjoy being part of the gang even if they do find their habits annoying!
  While the cuts were shallow and healed quickly, it's been hard to watch Ben visibly age these last few months.  His muzzle is mainly white, sometimes his balance is unsteady and he doesn't always feel like eating.  I wish I could tell him to stop acting like a young dog, expending too much energy on silly fights, which are really for show and their entertainment! But, on good days, Ben still has a spring to his step, wags his tail and enjoys a good brushing on the grooming table.  Best of all, he still leans against my leg and looks at me as if I'm the only person for him!  That makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world!

Sadie's New Home

  Last month, Sadie went to her new home in Lyndhurst.  It was hard to part with our sweet, funny girl and it had to be the perfect home before we would give her up.  We couldn't have asked for anything better than for Sadie to live with Don and Katherine!  She is their constant companion, brushed daily, spoiled with toys and attention.
  Sadie took a little bit of time to adjust to her new home.  She is the only dog, but does have a great friend in Buddy, the cat.  They hit it off instantly!  She also has horses, but prefers to keep her distance from them!
  Here she is, settling in:

Way Behind!

I haven't posted for over a month!  Gardens and dog shows have been taking up all my free time but now I'm in a lull (especially with a forecast of high 90-100 temps this week).  I'll do lots of posts to catch up on what has been happening here at Hillcroft!  Except, right now, I hear Claire demanding her breakfast.  Dogs always come first!