Guard Dog

This evening I was relaxing downstairs, reading and dozing in my chair, and both dogs were upstairs.  The house was very, very quiet.  I got up to get some coffee and suddenly heard a dog growling upstairs, and Brea came charging down the stairs.  She stopped suddenly when she saw me, stared for a moment, and then turned and went back upstairs.

I guess she forgot that I was even in the house.  This was the first time I've seen or heard her act like a watchdog.  Usually, when someone comes to the front door, both she and Siri might come downstairs, but then they just stand or sit and stare at the door without making a sound.

We're not in a high crime area, but I still like having a dog that's going to announce its presence when someone comes to the door.

Relaxing Weekend

Not much going on here - just relaxing out on the back deck, enjoying some slightly cooler weather.

Brea checking out Neighbor Cat

Siri is almost 9 months old and weighs 77 lbs.

I wish I could take more pictures on some of our walks, but handling a camera and Siri and Brea at the same time has become increasingly difficult.  Actually, Brea isn't a problem most of the time.  We've had rain almost every day this week, and the ball field is still wet and muddy, so there's been no chance for Siri to burn off excess energy before walking on a leash.

Cat Relaxing

For once, the cat and dogs ignored each other.

Can't Stay Out Of The Mud

We've had a lot of rain lately, turning the infield at the ball field across the street into a muddy mess, so I've kept the dogs away from there, walking them on leash instead.  Between the rain and my working some twelve hour shifts, Brea and Siri haven't been able to get out and really stretch their legs and burn off some energy in awhile.  Short walks between rain showers and work shifts just aren't enough.

That became evident the other day when I woke up to discover that Siri had chewed a hole in her doggy bed and pulled out a lot of the stuffing.  It was all over the floor at the foot of my bed, next to the remains of my favorite old pair of Teva sandals.

This morning I decided that I'd have to just suck it up and let the dogs run on the ball field.  It was that or let Siri destroy the rest of the house.  I took them to the farthest part of the outfield before turning them loose, and they ran straight for the mudhole at second base.

All of my previous dogs stayed in the grass.  I can't remember any of them running onto the dirt even one time, except to retrieve a toy or a ball.  These two seem to prefer running on the dirt and rolling in the mud.  They're both sleeping now.

Competition

Siri has caught up with Brea in the speed department.  They're about equally fast when running straight out, but Brea is still more nimble, able to turn and change direction faster.  She has to work harder now to keep the toy away from Siri.

Brea is still the winner!

Brea's Birthday and One Year Anniversary

Happy Birthday, Brea!  According to the records from the veterinarian's office, Brea turned three on May 20.  That's about 28 in people years.  I grilled some hotdogs and gave Brea and Siri one with their dinner to celebrate.

The dogs weren't really in a mood to pose today.  They were more interested in watching some kids practicing on the ball field.

Since she came to live with me almost a year ago, Brea shows a lot more interest in the people we see when we're out walking, and she's more willing to let new people come up and pet her, as long as they don't make any sudden moves.  A lot of that comes from watching Siri, who is a glutton for attention.

Playing in the Mud

Today, Brea and Siri played with an amazingly durable stuffed animal.  I think it was supposed to be a raccoon or a weasel.  The two squeakers in it stopped squeaking a long time ago - they lasted about 5 minutes into the first game - the rest of the toy has remained intact, despite some vigorous tugging.

Both dogs seem to be attracted to the wettest part of the muddy area.  Siri spent a lot of time here today, too.

This was the stuffed animal toy about a month ago...

...after the first time they played with it.

This is how it looks today.