Water, the New Frontier

Dear Everett,

Paisle and Gopher have discovered yet a new way, to enjoy their little pool. This is not Paisle's first trip inside the blue waters.

C'mon in--the water is nice!
But it IS the first time she's tried digging her way through the bottom!

And Gopher's first venture inside the confines...hey I can BITE the water!
A little crowded, but they make it work--both dogs in the pool and flinging water OUT of the pool.
What's over there? (Paisle has gone to get the rope...)
Now we have WET rope--it flings more water!Not satisfied with a small, mobile toy, Paisle removes the hose from the pool (the water is still on). Watering the plants may never be the same....

Gopher realizes there's something moving at the end of the hose.
And wait...I can bite THIS water, too!
Oh, I laughed and laughed...as I moved the hose he followed the water over and over again.
Here's to the simple fun you can have, with a hose and a good spirit!

Gopher Update

Dear Everett,

Gopher had his first Adoption Weekend. He did very well! The other foster mamas really liked him, as he is such a GOOD DOG! And good looking, too!

He's probably gained a little bit of weight, and he's certainly settled in to the house well. He has even met Ansel in a variety of ways--through his crate in the kitchen, as they pass each other when one comes inside and the other goes out, and then last night Jenner helped me walk the two boys!! It was very exciting for me, as Ansel did not pay any attention to Gopher at all--at least no more than he does to Paisle when we walk together. Very encouraging!

The house remains separated and their crates will always be in different rooms. As Gopher has now been in the house for a week, with no negative incidents, I am very VERY hopeful that Ansel is agreeable to having him around, even if not in his own space.

Foster Gopher arrived Tuesday, July 8

Dear Everett,
We have a new friend. His name is Gopher. He's young, maybe 6 months old or so, and from a questionable past. He has unknown parentage, so guesses have ranged from American Bulldog (large!) to Great Dane (large!) to Boxer (probably because of his coloring) to Mastiff (large!).
He has big feet. He is gangly, and skinny. But growing!! He weighs 46 lbs, and is just a tiny bit larger than Paisle.
Gopher and Paisle are already great friends.

They share everything.

But thankfully, they are not dependent on each other! At least not yet. :-)

Self-contained Entertainment

Dear Everett,

Paisle has found a new toy. Well, perhaps a better statement would be...Paisle has turned the outside water bowl, into a new toy.


It started with the ice cubes. She loves them. The ice cube bowl is stainless steel--larger than the water bowl, and always brings about laughs from the humans and excitement from the pooches as they empty the bowl and throw the ice cubes about the patio. Paisle quickly learned if she tips the bowl, the cubes spread out much faster. She THEN learned that she can nose the bowl around the patio, and flip it over!


I shot my first video on the camera, of Paisle pushing the ice cube bowl around the yard. She yips at it, when she cannot get her teeth under the lip to turn it right side up, or to toss it behind her. I laughed so hard I cried, watching her entertain herself.


Exit the ice cube bowl, and enter the clever mind of the Little Bean. In no time at all, Paisle realized the water bowl outside can ALSO be tossed about the yard! She's now become an expert in emptying the full bowl, shoving it into the yard, and pushing/pulling/clawing it all over the place to her delight. Yesterday she managed to shove it under the patio, out of reach. She spent about 30 minutes trying to figure out how to squeeze herself under there, to extract it. I finally fished it out with a pole, but now I know how to occupy her for long periods of time--flip the water bowl upside down and shove it under the patio! Oh, the endless entertainment....

Can you see the water about to splash out of the bowl here? She has just given the bowl a shove--one of her first moves, to flip it over and start the game....

P.S. She now weighs 43.3 lbs, as of Saturday 6/28/08! And in a few days she'll turn 7 months. I am holding out hope that she'll break 60 lbs as a healthy athletic pup....Ansel still towers over her, however.