Let It Snow!

Bunny here at the keyboard to share pictures of our first snow of the season.

Friday night it started snowing and we were supposed to get just two or three inches.  Saturday morning we woke up and found out that we got a lot more snow than that.  It was so pretty as the flakes floated down out of the sky.  Mom and Dad had a talk and then they got me and Morgan into the van.  We headed off for the dog park.  Blueberry and Lilac do not like to get their feet wet or cold, so they stayed home.

We got to the dog park to find out that we had it all to ourselves.  Morgan and I were thrilled.  We set out to make good use of our time in the snow.  We thought a lot about our Siberian friends who have been missing the snow and wished we could share it with them.

There were squirrels in the park, too, and Morgan and I took a little time to hunt for them.  However, we simply had too much energy to spend much time sniffing for squirrels.  We had running to do.

Morgan gave her jingle bells a test run, and I have to say, they sounded great!  All you could hear was the birds, the squirrels scolding us from the trees and Morgan's bells.  We were really able to fly out there!

It was great to play in the snow, and Morgan and I really had an exciting time.  Hopefully everybody else had as much fun this weekend as we did.  It wasn't hiking, but it sure was fun!

Girls Will Be Girls

Sometimes, pack dynamics really surprise you.  When we brought Bunny home, she tried really hard to be buddies with Blueberry, and Blue really wasn't having any of it.  She was suddenly too grown up to play and no matter what Bunny did, she would not budge on the issue.

I thought when we brought Morgan home that Bunny would be really happy to have her here.  Morgan is closer to her in age and Bunny really does like to play.  After several years of being the only young dog, she was finally going to have some companionship.

I suppose some of you think you know where this is going.  Bunny really wants nothing to do with playing with Morgan.  This is certainly not for lack of trying on Morgan's part.  I think the point where Bunny's entire head was inside Morgan's mouth may have just been the dealbreaker for Bunny.  She just doesn't like the rough style of play that Morgan prefers.  When Morgan gets too much for the tiny princess, she tells her off with all the finesse of a junkyard dog.  Fortunately, these times are rare and it sounds worse than it actually is.  Bunny knows how to use her bark and she doesn't hesitate to do so, and it works for her.  Mr. Taleteller rushes in every time and tells Morgan to knock it off and behave, then Bunny prances to the couch and flounces down on it.  She couldn't be more pleased that her daddy put Morgan in her place.

Morgan isn't lacking for companionship here in the house, though.  She's found a wonderful barking companion in Lilac.  They run, well, Morgan runs and Lilac hobbles, to the front window to bark at intruders together when someone rings the doorbell on television and then head to the kitchen window to make sure all is quiet on the other front.  Lilac seems pleased as punch that another dog is finally joining in her quest to make sure that our eardrums develop holes. 

The real bond Morgan seems to be working on, however, is with Blueberry.  Her royal highness, who was too good to play with Bunny, seems determined to get Morgan cranked up every night.  It starts with a run into the bedroom, then a return to the living room, where Blueberry often taunts Morgan by running into the crate and somehow closing the door and then a return lap to the bedroom. 

I never thought I'd see Blueberry lowering herself to actual playing with other dogs.  She is remarkably tolerant of Morgan, but she still draws the line and Morgan seems to be willing to stay on her side of said line.  Now if only Bunny could figure out how to be included.  I think she wants to join in, she just gets overwhelmed.  I have a feeling that if she did decide to join in that neither Morgan or Blueberry would know what hit them!

Status Symbols

Bunny here, taking over the keyboard for my turn to bark about what's on my mind.

We've been visiting the dog parks a lot this Spring.  I love it!  Last year it was so rainy that we hardly ever got to go because even when it wasn't raining, it was too muddy to go in and enjoy it.  This year has been perfect.  It's been warm, but not uncomfortable and most importantly, it has not been raining so much.

We meet a lot of different dogs at the dog parks.  So far, we don't have any regular friends there, but we meet a lot of friendly pups.  Two things never seem to fail when we go, though.  First, the humans will ask if I'm a greyhound or a whippet.  Then their dogs will challenge me to race.  The people get all excited with comments about how they've never seen a greyhound run before and how fast I am.  Of course I am!  It's what I've been bred to do for thousands of years!  I'm not being conceited about that, it's just a fact.  Some dogs were bred to hunt rats.  Other dogs were bred to herd sheep.  Most dog breeds had a specific purpose and job and we still have instincts related to those things.  Sure, it was easy for me to hang up my track jacket for a princess crown and a couch, but that doesn't mean I don't like to stretch my legs on occasion. 

It had made me think a bit about some things.  I'm not sure why all these dogs feel the need to try to beat me.  I'm also not sure why it's such a big deal to their people.  What I do know is that I'm fast, and they aren't going to beat me for a long time!  Sometimes, I'm even too fast for the camera.

Not All Dog Parks Are Created Equal

This weekend found us with some extra time on Saturday, so we decided to go and check out a new dog park that we've heard a lot about.  I was a little leary because I checked out another new one a couple of weeks ago and Bunny and I were both disappointed in it.  We have a regular dog park that we love, but when it rains, it turns to a mud pit.  I'm not adverse to letting the girls get dirty, but I am adverse to letting two or three muddy dogs into the back of the van.  I'll just say that there's a whole lot of carpet back there.  I also worry about them running like crazy in the mud and slipping and getting hurt.

There are several things about a dog park that play into the mix.  Of course, there's the facility itself and how it's set up.  Also important is where it's located.  There's also the very important dynamic of the other dogs who are in the park.  I will admit that there have been times we've left our favorite if it looked too rough or if certain dogs came in that were really unruly.  It's just not worth the risk for something that is supposed to be fun.  It's also not much fun for the girls if there are no other dogs there.  Bunny's favorite game in the world is chase, and Blueberry isn't going to be the leader!  That's where Her Royal Blueness draws the line.  I don't blame her for that.  Bunny is a bit of a show off at the dog park.

Anyway, we went to this new park after having heard some raves about it from a friend at work.  It's not as close to our house as the other one, but it was a rainy weekend and I knew better than to try going to our old standby.  I'll also admit that I was pretty curious about this park.  It's always fun to try to get action shots when we go, which sometimes works and sometimes does not. 

I am happy to report that it lived up to its reputation.  Bunny and Blueberry had a great time playing with a Sheltie (who learned the hard way that he can't outrun a greyhound) and a husky/pit bull mix puppy who was adorable.  It was green and grassy, plus the cool weather with the hint of rain in the air put the girls in the mood to really play.  Bunny ran so much that she actually laid down in the grass and rested.  That is highly unusual.  We even saw a squirrel with a death wish running along the top of the fence on one end of the park.  It was lucky for him that Bunny was too busy showing off to see him dart off the fence and up a tree inside the fenced in area.

It all made me curious about what others look for in dog parks that they visit.  What are your favorite things about the places where you let your dogs play?

Spring Break Adventures Begin

Hello, hounds and humans!  Bunny here, with my report about the beginning of our weekend.

Friday was Mom's last day of work for three weeks.  I was waiting to greet her when she got home and I was hoping that we'd take a walk to celebrate the beginning of her break.  What we did was even better!  Dad came home and changed his clothes and then we all loaded up in the van -- even Lilac came with us.

We drove to the dog park.  It was glorious!  At first, we were the only dogs there, but after a little while, a pair of schnauzers and their entourage showed up and went into the little dog section of the park.  They barked at us a lot, so Blueberry and I showed them a few things and tried to liven them up a little.

We ran and ran until we were good and tired.  After that, we loaded up in the van again, but we still weren't going home.  We also got to go shopping at Petsmart.  There were people everywhere in there who wanted to pet me, and of course I let them.  It was great that so many of them were admiring us.  We don't have pictures from in there, though. 

I have to say, this break is off to a good start! 

A Little Drama

I believe that I may have an Academy Award winning drama queen in training on my hands.  On Saturday, we took Bunny and Blueberry up to meet my sister and her two Australian Shepards at the local baseball diamond for some running and playtime.  Even though it was pretty brisk and rainy, the dogs had a good time.

However, I started to get the feeling that it was time to start ending things when I noticed Bunny becoming reluctant to run on the sand anymore.  Somehow, the way she started to tense up and tippy toe on the sand sent a signal to my brain that it was probably time to get the leash.  In true leading lady fashion, though, Bunny put a stop to it on her own.

She walked over on the sand and then it happened.  She unleashed the greyhound scream of death and held up her front right paw. I went over to see what was wrong.  Bunny continued to cry and I ran my hands over her leg and inspected her foot.  Mr. Taleteller had arrived beside her as well and was also looking at her.  I couldn't see any blood or feel any injury.  I did see that her feet were wet, though and it was rather chilly out.  I got her leash and hoped that she'd be able to walk to the van and I would not have to carry her. 

Surprisingly, as soon as she was in the warm van, she was much better.  She hopped right on up in there and stood on all four feet.  Apparently the princess was just suffering from cold feet.  I could have handled a much subtler summons to take her highness to the van than a near heart attack inducing scream of death.  One day, I may get that on film.  No actress could hold a candle to her, that's for sure!

Wild and Crazy

Since Hawk's passing, there have been some changes here at home.  I think the dynamic of the pack always changes when one member leaves, it's just the way things are.  Nothing in life stays stagnant and life here hasn't either. 

One thing that has changed is that we've taken Hawk's crate down and moved it to the basement.  Hawk preferred to be in his crate while we were gone and the fact that he had a tendency towards hiking his leg on things he should not, just because he could, made us go along with it.  There were even a few occasions when my husband forgot to close the crate and would return home to find Hawk sleeping peacefully in there, content that all was right in his world.  I don't know why he preferred to be in there -- maybe it was just living with three girls.  Anyhow, he felt better, our furniture and carpet were safer and so everybody was happier.  I sort of suspect he liked it just because the girls couldn't have it.  In any event, we took it down last weekend and our living room seems quite a bit larger without it.

My husband has been laughing every morning about the fact that Bunny and Blueberry have a new racetrack over on that side of the room now.  Without the crate in the way, they can run laps around the two chairs that sit on that side of the room.  Their races always seem to happen when I am in the shower or have already left for work in the morning.  Truth be told, I was starting to be a little skeptical about the whole thing and wondering if maybe my husband was imagining things. 

Tonight, however, I saw proof for myself that they really do have quite a little circuit worked out.  Bunny and Blueberry ran around and around, turning this way and that then cornering and spinning.  All was going at a pretty funny pace and then Lilac got up.  Historically, in our house, Lilac's job has been to be the fun police.  I was quite surprised this evening to see her get up and actually start playing with the girls.  She hasn't done that in years, although she does play with toys on her own.  Tonight, she was in there, barking and jumping around with the other two like she was a pup! 

I admit, I was glad to see it.  We've always joked that she was a spry old lady and that she'll outlive us all.  It's good to see her still feeling her oats, even if it does make my heart stop a little when I see her jumping around with the younger two.  Maybe that's a part of her plan!

Age and Wisdom Meets Youth and Beauty

A year ago when Bunny came to join our family, I was a bit surprised by her reaction to Lilac. Lilac is the oldest hound here in our house, and she was a brood mama to two litters of puppies. Usually, when she meets young dogs, she gives them a bit of discipline (one deep, serious bark, and I have no idea what she says in that one bark, but the youngsters always take it seriously) and then goes on her way, ignoring the young dog. She tends to avoid puppies and young dogs, perhaps because she feels she is done with that sort of nonsense now.


Of course, as soon as Bunny came here, she made herself completely at home. She made her introductions to Lilac and Hawk and after a tour of her new castle, the little princess needed a place to lay down. She looked around at the various dog beds scattered across the floor and decided to lay right next to Lilac on the big orthopedic dog bed. My husband was shocked. I was shocked. Lilac was stunned. Another dog was laying down next to her?! She didn't growl or curl up a lip, but she did make a departure from that particular bed after a period of polite tolerance.

Lilac has never gotten after Bunny, save for an unfortunate incident where Bunny didn't see her foot and stepped on it in passing. She hasn't encouraged Bunny to be close to her either, though. Hawk took her under his wing for a little bit, playing with her before he just got too worn out to keep up with her and letting her follow him about. Blueberry ignored her completely, although I suspect that she was playing with her in secret, just not when we could see her sink to such a low. However, it was Lilac that Bunny really wanted an in with.

She tried joining in when Lilac would pounce on a toy. This always resulted in Lilac dropping the game and going to lay down. Bunny would try pouncing on it again to try to get her interested, but it was always a no go.

Bunny continued to try to lay down next to Lilac on the dog bed. Lilac obviously did not know what to make of it. I suspect their conversations were brief.

Bunny: Oh, you're laying on this big, cushy bed again!

Lilac: Yes, yes I am! It's good for my old bones.

Bunny: I'm really small! I'll just curl up over here on this side.

Lilac: You know, there's another bed that nobody's using over there...

Bunny: Yes, and there's nobody there to snuggle with!

Lilac: Exactly! And this bed was made for stretching out... Hey, what are you doing?

Bunny: I'm getting comfy!

Lilac: (sigh) I'll just go stretch out over there then.

Bunny: Two hounds can fit on this bed!

Lilac: Nevertheless...

One thing that Lilac has always done since we brought her here is pick up a toy (usually a Mother Bunny bunny or tribble), shake it and then try to carry it outside. Over the years we've had many arguments about whether or not she needs to bring her bunny outside. Heaven forbid that we interrupt this ritual, however! Everyone in our house knows that Lilac has to at least bring it to the back door. Bunny saw this as a divine opportunity.

So, one day as Lilac grabbed her bunny and started to get ready to go outside, Bunny ran over and grabbed the other side, starting a game of tug of war. Lilac was so stunned that she lost her rabbit! Bunny pranced around the room victoriously. She had won. It wasn't the stuffed bunny that she wanted, though, it was Lilac's attention. Since that day, Bunny often tries to get Lilac to play before we go outside. However, for Lilac, it isn't playing. She growls ferociously at Bunny, who dances around her with the other side of the rabbit in her mouth. It's no contest, really. She can always take the bunny from Lilac, but I discouraged her. It seems a bit too much to ask of the old lady dog to let the puppy win.

Surprisingly, Bunny seems to have realized it on her own as well. Recently, I've noticed that she doesn't try to take the bunny from Lilac, but instead wages a brief race to pick the bunny up. I'm pretty sure she lets Lilac win. And, in return, Lilac seems to have decided to tolerate having Bunny close to her. It seems like a fair compromise.