Murphy: Bird Huntin'

So Murphy has a love for birds. It may not be as strong as his love for treats and playing with other dogs, but it is pretty high up there. He gets excited to chase birds when they are on the ground. He loves to watch birds flying in the air. He loves to sniff and attempt to eat feathers or other little unpleasant surprises that can be found sometimes (bird related). Murphy has even had one instance with his owner and one with me where he has gotten a bird in his mouth that we have had to quickly remove.

So pretty much in a nut shell, Murphy's dream is to someday catch a live bird. Well, on our walk today he was not able to actually get up close to a real bird, but he found something else pretty exciting: a bird nest!

At first he did not know what to think about it; it was a little spooky. Quickly though he caught the scent of what had been in it and just could not get enough of it. He would try to smash his whole nose in it to get the full "smell" effect. I had a hard time convincing him to leave this prize after he thoroughly examined it for 5 minutes.

Jake & Charlotte: Those Darn Squirrels

The squirrels around Fairlington seem to just love taunting all of the neighborhood dogs. They know just how close they can let the dogs get to them before they make a mad dash for the nearest tree. Poor Jake sometimes has drool hanging down his mouth after walks like these, thinking about just how close he was to that squirrel.

Well, Jake lucked out about 2 weeks ago. There is this stump over by his house that he has taken a liking to in the past. Two weeks ago he actually started to dig some under the stump and was really enjoying himself. It was all fun and games until he pulled out his prize: one dead squirrel. I definitely was not expecting that one. He was so proud of his prize. (Charlotte loves squirrels, but she was trying to get as far away from Jake as possible.) I was able to get him to relinquish it quickly and we reburied it.

Ever since the reburial ceremony Jake still tries to make an attempt to sneak his way (or pull his way) back over to that stump. He just keeps hoping that he can reclaim his prize again someday.

RIley & Murphy: Brotherly Wrestling Match

What Riley lacks in twisting and turning while playing tag, he makes up for with experience and brawn in wrestling. I have not watched Riley and Murphy really play hard and wrestle that often. They usually just stick to chasing one another or playing tug-a-way. Today they had so much energy and were so excited from seeing so many dogs on their walk, that they just had to get a little wild. Kylee and I were their cheerleaders as they took turns chasing and pouncing on one another. 

 Riley definitely had the advantage. Murphy can dart off quickly and weave around the furniture expertly, but Riley has the experience and a little bit of the size advantage of taking Murphy down. Murphy would give it a good fight, but every time Riley would end up pinning him down at the end. Good show guys!

Douglas: Spilt Milk

Okay, so it was not really milk that spilled, just water. It just sounded better than spilled water. Douglas was so excited today that when he was released from his crate he went head first into the front room and could not stop his momentum on the wood floor. He dove head first into his water bowl. This sent water all over the floor and his placemat.

I loved the look on his face once he realized that Kylee and I saw the whole thing. "Oops, did I do that?" He sniffed out the damage to see if there was anything good that he possibly missed. (The great thing about water, it dries on its own and does not make things sticky or dirty.)

We are Having a...

BOY!

Kurt guessed right. I am excited, but I will admit I was rooting for a girl so that Kylee would have a little sister and we would be able to use her clothes again, but it will nice to not have to worry about doing a little boy's hair and having less attitude and drama in the house.

Blue: A Sneak Peak at her Day

Sometimes just in 30 minutes Blue can experience a whole day's worth of excitement during one walk. Today was one of those days.

You cannot sneak pass Blue without giving and receiving a greeting from her: wet sloppy KISSES. You can try to hide and avoid them, but she is going to get you somehow. The worst are when you try the hardest to escape, but she plants one right on your mouth. (Sad to say, she made it in my mouth once when I went to say something to Kylee.)

Even though Blue is getting up there in dog years, this does not stop her from a nice SPRINT for the first 50 to 100 feet of her walk. This is only stopped by a quick potty break and a quick sneak attack on Kylee's PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY SANDWICH. She still can amaze Kylee and I with her speed. She just goes straight in for the kill and usually succeeds at least once. (You wise up pretty quickly and start watching your snacks closer.)

A walk is not complete without the spotting of a squirrel here and there. And on rare occasions, such as today, a CAT! She has feline radar where she can spot one from hundreds of feet away. This cat was weighing the decision to cross the street, but once it saw Blue, she literally high-tailed it to the bushes. (This cat disappeared in under 5 seconds.)

Blue was able to show off her brute strength and ferocity, (she is really a sweetheart, but don't let the other dogs know that), to a neighboring DOG that decided to rush the fence in her presence. What was this dog thinking? Wouldn't any dog quake in its fur after watching Blue shake a branch into a 4 inch stick?

The walk would not be complete without an attempt to HERD a passing van and a quick stop at the WATER BOWL and a yummy DOG BISCUIT upon the return to her home. I sure hope we wore you out Blue for your family.

Snoopy: Bear Hug

Kylee and Snoopy started a new game this past week where Kylee will chase after Snoopy to try to catch him. Snoopy will then takes turns chasing her, especially if she comes anywhere near the couch. (This provides him with the advantage since he can hop up and give Kylee some wet kisses.)

Well, today Kylee started this game and kept trying to get a hold of Snoopy to give him a hug. He was really good at letting her get close and then he would dart or jump at the last moment setting Kylee into a fit of giggles. In the end she was able to catch him (with a little bit of my help) and she gave him a nice BIG hug. Snoopy was a really good sport about it, but was definitely ready to be set free after being hugged for more than 5 seconds.

Thanks for being such a good sport Snoopy!