Tell Me About Your Dog(s)

I enjoy reading personal experiences about different breeds.

So..tell me about your dogs. What you like what you don't like. Are they goofy, are they reserved? Anything you would like to share.

Crazy..... is all I need to say.

My dogs are nuts, mainly my boy. I've noticed male dogs are a little on the dumber side compared to the female dogs.

Both have very different personalities. Misty my female pit mix, loves to just sit beside you and just enjoy the view. Mason loves being on top of you and enjoying licking you to death.

Mason plays with toys more, plays more rough with me than misty. Both are good dogs, sometimes they don't listen, but I'm working on that. They love watching tv sometimes too.

How about your dogs? You seem to have a good bit. =D

Buster is my best friend. I love him more than nearly anything. He's an 8 year old cattle dog kelpie mix. We found him in a car park when he was about 8 weeks old.
I am his number one, he's easily more attached to me than anyone. He's very reserved with strangers, when meeting them out in public he just look straight through people, if anyone pats them he doesn't even flick his ears, he doesn't recognise them in anyway and I love this about him.
He's very serious and only really shows his goofy side to me. He is moderately drivey and LOVES learning but isn't an overly intense dog. I'm sure he'd be a lot different if he wasn't so abused as a young dog though. I would give so much to have the chance to raise him again now.
He is just the best dog I could have asked for, I got him at the start of a very difficult time in my life and I truely believe if I didn't have him there's no way I'd be in a good place right now.

Quinn is my baby girl. She has just hit 12 months and she's freakin amazing. She's everything I wanted in a dog. She's a smooth coat Border Collie and the intense, drivey, athletic, trainable dog I have always wanted.
Theres so many things that just make her perfect. I love training her. I love how instead of trying to avoid something she is always 100% switched on and she LOOKS for what we're working towards and just tries to get it right faster. She's the very definition of "biddable". I love her athleticism, her perfect build and her insane energy.
She is very reserved with strangers which is what drew me to BC's over some other working breeds. She's fine around other people but doesn't really want the attention from other people or dogs.
I am always just in complete aww of her intensity, When she drops her shoulders, flattens her ears slightly and gets that intense stare it can feel so intimidating even coming form a 15kg dog, if I was a sheep... I would move.

I love both my dogs so much. I can't imagine life without either of them.

Our dog is Tucker. He's a Chihuahua mix (best guess either some terrier or Dachshund) and is almost 1 year old (8 days until his birthday I think).


We adopted him last August from Paws New England which is a rescue that brings dogs from southern shelters up to the northeast. His mom and possible dad were found wandering loose in TN and were brought to a high kill shelter. Paws New England rescued them and the female ended up giving birth to three pups. One passed away shortly after and the two boys "Chips and Beans" were put online. We applied and adopted Beans, then changed his name to Tucker. Chips was also adopted out to someone in MA and is still named Chip. His parents were adopted out together to an older man who had just lost his chihuahua.


Tucker likes to do stuff, he gets bored really easily. I used to consider him high energy but I've changed my mind after living with him a bit (I go to college in ME so haven't spend a lot of consecutive time with him). My parents just don't do anything with him so he gets a bit crazy. He needs daily exercise but playtime after work, coupled with a walk after dinner and he's golden.

When he gets bored he often looks for something to steal. It's easy enough to spot though (and therefore prevent), he'll walk around with his head pointed skyward trying to scan the coffee table and end table, or he'll approach some helpless shoes. Sometimes he really wants to chew the item, sometimes he'd just like to be chased lol.

He's athletic, likes to run and jump. He's also very oral. His bite inhibition is VERY good but he still feels the need to put his mouth on you when he's excited, doesn't put pressure though. He chews like a maniac. A 12" bully stick can be destroyed in 30 minutes which I think is impressive for a 15 pound dog. He's ripped off the top of his kong, destroyed a tire biter, and rips open all stuffed toys. However he makes a conscious decision to destroy most toys. He can have a stuffed toy for months and it'll be fine, then one day he decides it must go and he bored a little hole in it, then rips it open and de-stuffs it. Or he'll decide to do it on the day we buy it.

Tucker LOVES his people. He's an attention hog and would like that you pay attention to him always (which is what I like in a dog, not everyone agrees lol). He really likes to get a massage from us. He'll walk up to one of us while we are sitting on the couch and he'll shove his head under our chin and lean against our chest, then lift a front leg. This is our cue to flip him onto his back and rub his chest, belly, legs, neck, etc. He thinks it's the greatest thing ever. He enjoys being brushed and examined for ticks. He has very little problem with getting his nails clipped or teeth brushed.

He is SUPER playful. Likes to chase, roughhouse, tug, and fetch. He also likes to play with the cats (whether they like it or not). He loves going on walks too. He likes other dogs but can be slightly nervous at first, he never avoids them but likes to sniff them thoroughly before they try to play with him.
He likes to chase small furry critters.

Training wise he's a little slow, Much slower than Phoebe and he gives up easier too. But he's not impossible by any means, I'm just not used to his speed yet.

His only serious problem is that he's terrified of strangers. I'd consider him highly suspicious of their intentions actually. We can be in a crowded pet store and he's perfectly comfortable. As soon as one of those strangers decides to look at or talk to HIM it's a whole different ball game though. Then he must bark and growl at them because they have no business trying to do things with him. He just has no trust of strangers, for all he knows they intend to consume him. This also makes him bark at the door, and any sound resembling a door knock because he doesn't want the evil strangers in his house. His brother is the same way I guess, except he's pretty bad with dogs too.

I think he's awesome except for the stranger fear part. He's really fun and lovable. Up for whatever you want. He's funny, goofy, naughty, and sweet.

Sorry for the novel lol.

It's hard to really tell you about my dogs without writing literally a novel. Especially Mia, she is an incredibly difficult dog to accurately describe. She's a very complex personality compared to any of the others or any other dog I've met. Really interesting to me is how completely different the papillons are from each other.

But I guess I can try.

Beau:

DSC_0134 by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr

Individually, Beau is a goofbutt. Completely goofy all the time. He sometimes has 'Serious Beau' moments where I can't help but laugh because he's so ridiculous when he's trying to be Mr Serious. Beau is one of those dogs that is in motion most the time. I swear he didn't stop moving till he was 4. He's bouncy, happy, goofy, loves everyone, and can be obnoxious unknowingly because of it. He likes to come sit on top of you and will just plop right on your face. Loves playing toys and playing with Nard. He's a complete food hound. He has a huge vocabulary and is a very intelligent dog when he's not sitting around going 'har har I have a blanket on my head!' (which happens a LOT).

Rose:

DSC_0236 by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr

Rose is a little delicate sweetheart. She is shy and understated all the time. She easily falls behind the rest and gets lost in the crowd if you don't pay attention to making sure she's not getting pushed around. She's a bit of a diva, hates wet grass, loves sleeping all day on her pillow. (Yes there is a Rose pillow). She loves her people very much and she also has a silly side that very few get to see. She likes playing toys and playing with the other dogs on occasion. She is VERY smart. Very very smart. but Rose is a princess.

Summer:

DSC_0190 by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr

Summer is a sweet dog but she's also kind of spastic and thick sometimes. Summer absolutely LIVES for people. She will go up to any stranger whether they like her or not and think they're just the coolest most awesome best friend ever. She's a bit neurotic and hyper, she has a tendency to really fall into OCD behavior. Summer is a follower, not a leader, she pretty much reacts based on the other dogs. If someone else is excited and acting insane, so is Summer. I don't think she ever really knows why we're all excited, just that we are so she can zoomie like mad and bark her head off. She is super super super trainable but one of those dogs without a lick of common sense. Summer often reacts and then gets herself in trouble without thinking of how to get herself out. She's incredibly dependent on me and the other dogs. Not independent in the slightest. She is very energetic and loves to zoomie and jump all over everything.

Bernard:

DSC_0183 by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr

Bernard is just kind of strange in an awesome way. I really can't ever tell what he's thinking. He's incredibly chill and mellow. He's got the best poker face with that tongue and he's just so quiet that it's hard to tell. Sometimes I think not much is going on between those ears and other times I think he must be absolutely a brilliant genius. Nard is just sweet as can be and is our most bombproof dog with people and kids. As a puppy he was WILD and then at 10 months just went zen. I think he must be on some sort of path to enlightenment or something. I just get the feeling Nard has all of life's questions figured out and he's just waiting for us to join him. He is pretty energetic when he wants to be but is also the biggest lapdog of the bunch. He's trainable but he is more independent and likely to just blow you off more than the others. He enjoys agility training when I've dabbled with him. He's also a big time tennis ball and tug fanatic.

Mia and Ada coming in the next post. This is where having 6 dogs is a pain. :lol-sign: But I think it's interesting to hear about everyone else's dogs this way.

Mia:

DSC_7514 by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr

Oh boy... what is Mia like? It's so hard to even explain. Mia's not like having a dog. Not like having any of our other dogs or our past dogs. She's more like having a kid. I HATE saying that but it's true. The amount of things she understands is incredible, her problem solving and thinking skills are amazing. Her personality is just so loud and in your face, there is no missing her. There is some moment every single day when I think, "You're a DOG, right?"

Mia is smart and naughty- not a good combination sometimes. The cogs in her head are constantly, constantly turning. She manipulates everyone- people and other dogs. Me not so much because I'm on to her but everyone else she uses to her own advantage. She is a strange, quirky dog too. She just comes up with the most bizarre ideas and is always just plain doing something weird. Mia is very busybody and always into something or another. She loves tennis balls (duh) and is very high drive especially when it comes to agility. My instructor often comments/laughs about how intense she is. She's a superstar in class and just loads of fun to work with. She LIVES to work and train and would not be happy or manageable without it. She needs something to do.

Mia picks things up and generalizes them fast. She has some problems with impulse control and attention span. She can be really great or just blast off. she likes to scream when she's in drive and has a very hard time holding that in. If she's into something, you have to force her to quit, she won't on her own. Mia is very aloof with other people and dogs, sometimes reactive but she is literally the most attached to me and is with me all the time. She and I are incredibly in tune with each other. She's destructive, has chewed everything. She's super affectionate towards those she deems worthy. Mia is a dog you must work to earn her respect. Once you get that relationship with her, she's completely loyal to you. She just doesn't hand it out freely. She can be incredibly moody and especially pushy with the other dogs. She can be a bully at times. She doesn't always turn off easy either and I can't count the days where I'm up super late or awake super early running her energy out. At 2 she's gotten some sense so it's been better.

Living with Mia is a blast. She is one of the most amazing, challenging, rewarding experiences of my life. And I just barely scratched the surface of her here.

And finally....

Ada:

DSC_7400 by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr

Ada in one word is 'terrier'. She's pushy, active, in your face, stubborn, independent, prey driven, destructive, escape artist, etc. I could go on and on. Ada is the most 'doggy' of the dogs if that makes sense. She loves me but she loves doggy things more than me, I think. I think she'd definitely leave me to go dig up something small and furry. Ada has a real sense of humor and is pretty goofy. She is rather impulsive, doesn't stop to think but rather tends to go (as I say) teeth first into something. She is great with people but can be a bit much with other dogs. She's not aggressive but she's a dog that absolutely will not back down. She is loud and extremely vocal. She loves people but not so much one for sitting in your lap for very long. She loves to shred any toy you give her in a matter of seconds. She is definitely not as trainable as the papillons, even Bernard. She tries and tries but it just takes her longer to get what I'm asking. And she has a much more independent attitude. None of that wanting to work just to work or just to make you happy like the paps will. There needs to be something in it for Ada *coughfoodcough*

The papillons all manipulate her so badly it's kind of funny. They were tag teaming her and stealing food from her (she was inside an x-pen eating) and she never even noticed. I had to tell them to cut it out!

Well gosh, let's see....

Jackson is my best friend, my partner-in-crime, my little buddy. He's with me a majority of my time, whether we are running to the bank together, or going on vacation. All he really wants is just be with me constantly. Even though he doesn't necessarily need or want to be close to me, being in the same room is a must. Example: If he's on one side of the fence and I'm on the other, he will sit there and just stare at me, letting out an occasional whine or bark. Once I get back on his side of the fence, he ACTS like he could care less that I'm in there and goes off running, digging, and doing his own thing, lol.

He's super smart. My dad always comments that he is the smartest dog he's ever seen. He's a thinker. He doesn't just do things blindly. He also remembers everything... if he had a bad experience ONE time, he WILL remember... like when our oven was opened, letting smoke out, setting the smoke alarm off. He no longer goes near the oven as he associates it with the bad sound. He is highly trainable and enjoys learning. He actually whines at me at a certain time of day so I don't forget to do atleast 10 minutes of clicker training with him, he thoroughly enjoys our 'sessions'. He is also very sensitive.

He's really bombproof. What I mean is I know I can take him anywhere and he will behave. I have a "second family" who I would not call dog people or lovers and they just love him. He's very go with the flow and enjoys doing anything so long as I'm there with him. He's laid back in certain ways... a ton of dogs are barking at him through a fence? *shrugs* he just keeps walking. We go into a store, he lays down while I look through the shelves. But on the other hand, he can be a spazz too. We go to my dads house for example and he hears a four wheeler going back, he starts barking like a maniac and runs out the door and goes and chases it (thru a fence). He hears the front door open and he's ruffruffruffruff loud alert barking all the way to the door. And it's an ear piercing bark.

He enjoys playing with other dogs a LOT -- dog parks and dogs in general he would much rather be with than people. Strangers he can take or leave. He allows people to pet him and give him some lovin' but he's doing it more as a favor, he doesn't really care about it himself. However, once he gets to know a person, he will love you forever. All my family and close friends he just adores and greets with hugs and kisses. He's not really a lap dog and doesn't "enjoy" being picked up. Oh and he's a terrible begger. He sees food, he wants it, and will beg and stare at it. He will play with toys with me and get all amped up but it generally lasts only 15 minutes. Once he's done, I can throw the tennis ball and he looks at me like I'm crazy. He enjoys being a dog... digging, getting muddy, swimming, rolling in dead things.

Overall he is a very active dog but not what I'd call hyper, most of the time. He is very biddable and happy to work for anyone with food, but he shows the most enthusiasm when working with me. He's joyful with a lot of personality. He's inquisitive, physically and mentally quick, and likes to be kept busy.

WHEW... that was longer than I wanted.

Dekka



This pic is very her. Very focused on biting the 'go swim' ignoring the tipping of the board.. MUST get the go swim!!

Serious, very serious. My shadow, absolutely attached to me. We have a great working relationship, but I wouldn't call her biddable. Its not me giving orders, its us working together. She wants to play and get treats, I want her to run agility courses in the order that I indicate AND the weaves lol.

Very very high prey drive. But takes it VERY seriously. There is no 'play' in her prey drive. Even when playing tug she is very intense about it. High focus. Total snob. She is funny, my hubby will call her and she turns and jumps up on me.

Smaller than people would think from pics. Tiny little dog.

Very smart and figures things out. An escape artist. I have stories of finding her and Kaiden on my roof... She opens doors, opens crates, climbs fences..

Snarky with other dogs that get in her way and strange dogs.

Very low key unless working. Lies around and sleeps most of the time. Very easy to live with.

Titled in agility, rally, and is a trial champion (JRTCC) and has legs in dock dogs and obedience.

Kaiden



Happy go lucky. Loves humans ANY human will do. Not overly bonded to anyone in particular.

Dekka's dad.

Ball crazy, but only I spent a summer teaching him to retrieve for obedience. Intact but gets along with pretty much everyone. Moderate prey drive. Not overly bright but tries hard. Patterns really easily.

Will run agility for any human lol.

Titled in agility, rally, obedience, and is a trial champion (JRTCC)

Kat



Dekklett. Smart Smart Smart!! High drive, but spastic. Where her mom focuses very intently Kat just flails about shrieking to get what she wants. Thinking all the time. Very petite.

LOUD

Socially inappropriate. Greats new humans growling like she is going to bite, but wagging her body tail so hard her body wiggles. Shrieks in excitement and new dogs.

Easily over stimulated.

Adorable as all hell. Even more my shadow than Dekka if that is possible. Likes other people more than her mom does, but needs to be touching me. She is 'skish' as I type. She likes to lay behind me, between me and my desk chair. She is very snuggly.

Bounce



Bounce and I.. supposed to be doing confo lol (see I do show it at times) Bounce is very much Yay mom what we doing now? Yay I love that!

Bounce is senstive. But love to play with her human. Not terribly high play, prey or food drive. But very high interaction drive. First dog I have ever met that really will work for petting and praise that wasn't trained with harsh methods first. Now when really wanting to reward her, me giving a treat AND chasing me a little bit is the best.

Bounce is smart, not like Dekka or Kat but figures things out quickly. Loves to train and learn. Won't keep working for evar like a JRT.. but LOVES short bursts of training.

Ok will leave Solo, Sport and Dash to later (if anyone wants to know)

Lily is my girl, she's so much a part of me that I feel like I'm missing an arm on the times I have to leave her behind.

She had some pretty specific baggage when I adopted her so I'm pretty sure of what her background before being picked up by the shelter people was. She was terrified that I was going to dump her the first week, luckily it only took about a week for her to figure out I wasn't going to and actually start enjoying going everywhere with me. The huge grin was pretty awesome. She was scared of stairs, brooms/mops, packages.... basically anything that could be used as a weapon to hit her. She's basically got a compulsive eating disorder too, she just can't help herself. So to me that says some jerk got a cute puppy (I so wish I could've had her then, I bet she was to die for adorable!!) and didn't exercise or train her at all... which with a Sibe/GSD Alaskan sled dog mix = destroyed house. So I'm pretty sure she got beat on and then dumped on purpose. She's amazing, she recovered quickly and had no lingering issues even though she had a rough start.

She's super friendly to all people and dogs/cats. She can tell a creeper, so if she actually says someone is no bueno I guaruntee she's 100% correct. She adores children of all ages, I'd love to get her therapy cert and do work with kids.... hopefully after I get Scout placed we can do that!! I can literally take her anywhere with me, she's totally bomb proof. Only things that freak her out are people using tennis rackets (issue in her first home?) and skateboards, which really no dog I've met has liked skateboards much anyway.

She's hardcore energetic and I don't think I've ever truly worn her out. I love what an athlete she is. She can be bossy and she will always second guess a command. You have to earn her respect. She doesn't really give a crap about or really listen to anyone but me. She's kept me alive through some rough crap and I would not have survived without her. She's my everything.

I think these pics sum up her playful personality and athleticism.

Fudge:
Fudge is my shadow. My little angel. He can do no wrong except for when he does! He's happy to sleep in bed all day or go for a hike, as long as that's what I'm doing. He thinks he knows best and he usually does! He doesn't have to, or like to, be touching me but he likes to be watching over me. He is the "watchdog" of the pack. If anything goes on Fudge is right there making sure everything is going right. He has no problem telling the other dogs off if that is what they need. He LOVES training puppies even if he hates the puppies themselves . He's not good with kids but give them a tennis ball and they're his new best friend. He used to be quite fear aggrssive towards strangers but now he ignores them completely unless they're close enough for him to have a sniff. He adores his toys and loves playing with the other dogs. He's very fun to train but it takes a little while for things to 'click' for him. He can be very frustrating to shape with because down-stay is his default behaviour and he will .Not. Move. I couldn't live without him.

Scamp:
So much to say about this little ratbag. He has more nicknames than any other dog in the house and not many of them are complimentary! He is completely tireless and can run for hours and come back and pace around the house, dump tennis balls on your lap and then annoy the other dogs into playing with him. He is easily the smartest and most trainable dog in the house. 10 minutes with a clicker and then he understands what I want him to do and will offer it for the rest of the day in hope of reward. He doesn't particularly like people in general but he's not aggressive towards them, he generally just ignores them. He doesn't like other dogs but he's starting to get better with them although he is the "fun police" unless he's the one having fun. He has quite a high prey drive and will kill small animals. Whenever he actually does sleep he's always touching me. At night he sleeps under my blanket and now he's curled into a ball beside me on the sofa. He's a quirky super confident dog that doesn't care about anyone other than me. He's extremely handler sensitive though. He loves playing no matter what the toy but he prefers a tennis ball. I can't imagine living without him either. <3

Taz:
Taz is a little bit of an idiot mixed with a large amount of adoreableness. He can be so stupid sometimes that you wonder how he manages to survive and at other times he shows remarkable intelligence. Most of the time hoewever he is just adoreable. It's when you try to teach him something slightly more complicated than a sit that you realize he's an idiot. He loves people. He would quite happily walk off with anyone that showed him soime affection. We're not bonded as much as I would like but we're slowly getting there. I'm very excited at seeing how he does at flyball though! He likes to be close to someone at all times. It doesn't seem to matter who it is. Taz loves to run. I don't know what he would be like if he didn't get his daily run. With it he's a extremely chill, relaxed dog who loves sleeping on the sofa for most of the day.

Chloe...

Chloe's my heart dog. My best friend. My sister and I swear she's a human in a dog's body. She KNOWS what you're saying. Sometimes you don't even have to say anything. Just a look or expression on your face is usually enough for her to get the message. I have a connection with her that I've never had with another dog. We're so in sync all the time. I miss her so much when I'm away from her. The other day we went to babysit a little girl, and I heard her dog's tags jingling and I almost started crying because I missed Chloe. I'd been away from her for like 2 hours XD! She's just such a GOOD dog. She's very perceptive, and she seems to really understand everything that goes on. She's just one-of-a-kind. I love her more than words can say, and I don't know what I'll do when she dies. A piece of me will definitely be gone.



Violet...

That second picture pretty much sums her up. She's a complet SPAZ. I love her very much, but she's definitely a handful. It's a theory of mine that blue eyed huskies (or blue eyed dogs in general) are crazy. (Compared to brown eyed huskies/dogs). My first husky, Misty, had blue eyes and she was very similar to Violet in temperament when she was young. My second husky, Holly, had brown eyes and was nothing like either of them. She was very well behaved, calm, and just a good dog all around.

Violet, though she's related to Holly, is like Misty reincarnated. She's crazy, devious, evilevilevil, sweet, adorable, and completely loveable. <3 She's a good girl. I should give her more credit than I do. She's SO smart, and picks up on things so quickly. She just uses her smarts for evil, instead of good most of the time. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

She's the quickest dog I've ever housebroken. She was completely housebroken when she was 8 weeks old. It only took her a few days to completely stop having accidents. We backtracked a bit, when we allowed her to free roam the house, so to this day she's confined to the living room/breakfast room/kitchen only. Soon we'll allow her to expand to the entire downstairs. I'm not sure we'll ever let her go upstairs. She finds too many things up there to swallow.

She has a lot of things to work on. She pulls on the leash, jumps, and is just now starting to counter surf (Misty did all of these things, no matter how much we tried to train her, until the day she died - I hope I can prevent Violet from following her path XD). But over-all she's a good girl. And I think she'll quickly lose her less appealing behaviors, and become a really good dog.

Pip


Pip is... Pip. Very much a mama's boy, a bit shy and VERY serious with strangers but incredibly sweet and very silly with people he knows and trusts. Can take or leave strangers (people and dogs) but always wants to be close to his people (ON his people if possible). Can be the Fun Police when the younger dogs are playing, but also will join in with them.

Maisy


Aka Maisy Mayhem... So incredibly sweet with all people. Inconsistent with other dogs -- LOVES to play chase and keep away, but sometimes reactive with other dogs and sometimes a bully to other dogs (if they don't want to play with her). High energy, but finding her off switch. Everything she does, she does THE MOST. Has taught me more about dog training than any dog I've ever known. Wags her whole body.

Squash


Sweet boy. Loves all people and dogs. Such a kind, gentle soul in that puppy body. Can be mischievous and very, very funny but generally mellow and easygoing.

Squash and Maisy are BFFs...

Eve is the helper dog to my simple mind. She's tightly wound, meticulous, focused and hyper-aware of her surroundings. Her personality is complex and dynamic, I'm not really sure if I can explain it properly. She appears silly and goofy, but it's the most rigid, spastic playfulness I've ever seen. It's almost like she exaggerates it on purpose. I think she compulsively does a lot of things that she doesn't really need to.

She is usually super quiet, not a barker. The exception to this is raccoons (even stuffed ones) and certain words/sounds. If I make a farting sound with my lips, she goes into a fit of rage and screams at me.

She's 100% drive and biddability. She's compliant without being a mindless obedience-bot. She gives me some slack as long as I give her some. If I'm unforgiving as a handler, she's unforgiving towards me. If I let her be herself and don't micro-manage her, she flourishes.

She's every bit as anxious as I am, every bit as neurotic and easily excited, but somehow she's my rock. She's an enormous pain in my ass when I'm level-headed and thinking clearly, but as soon as I start to slip, she picks up my slack. She doesn't always act the way I WANT her to, but when I NEED her to do something, she never lets me down. She's reliable, honest and devoted. We have an unconditional partnership.

She's also becoming less friendly as she ages. As a puppy, she didn't know a stranger and was in love with everyone and everything. Once she reached maturity, she became a bit more selective. She's still friendly and enjoys the company of people, but she's less enthusiastic about it than she used to be. She is good at making acquaintances with new people, but she never makes "friends". She wants to eat other dogs/cats that get in her face. Mostly, she's just content to ignore everyone but me.

I'd like to think she loves me. Mostly she loves playing ball, and even more than playing ball she loves sheep. But I fit somewhere in the top 3, and that's good enough for me.

Wink is playful and sweet and innocent. Seriously the most innocent dog I've ever met.

She's bad. Like really bad. She has decimated my house. She steals EVERYTHING. She climbs on EVERYTHING. She chews EVERYTHING. But she doesn't do the same thing twice in a row. Once she learns not to do something, she moves on to the next completely unacceptable behavior. She learns well and is very intelligent, but she is food-obsessed and spends the majority of her time hunting for forbidden food. I never starved her - I attribute most of it to her heritage, she probably comes from a long line of scavengers.

She is the most unabashedly happy, wiggly, friendly puppy. She loves everybody. She greets everybody (rudely).She jumps on people. She mouths. She sheds. She yodels and yips and barks and whines. She screams when I leave her in her crate. She's terribly behaved but she's so freaking endearing that nobody really cares that she's a baddog.

She has 0 drive for anything but food. She also seems to switch from maniacal hyperactivity to near-comatose laziness. It's like her personality goes in cycles. I'm eagerly awaiting the day when it balances out.

She is terribly socially dense with other dogs. She thinks everyone wants to play with her. Every time she sees Eve, she still tries to make friends. It's sad and hilarious at the same time.

She sleeps with me every night. She washes my kittens for me. She tries really hard to be gentle with them.

Every night I still struggle with my decision to keep her for so long. Eve wishes I would send her away, but I love her too much to let her go to just anyone. She really wriggled herself into my heart.

Rosey is, in one word, perfect.

She has helped me grow up. She took on the guardian role of us from day 1. She is *always* around us. Not always touching us, but always in the same room as I am in, always keeping an eye and an ear open. If I get up to move, she jumps up to move with me.

She is very smart, and intuitive. I can just give her a look, and she knows exactly what I need or want. I can just give her a look and she will be right beside me, giving me a shoulder to cry on, or she will be leaving me alone. She always knows what I need, when I need it, whether it be I need her to be close to me, or I just need her to stay away.

Oh, Dance... where to even start? She is my best friend. She's the quirkiest, most fun, animated dog I've ever known. She never, ever fails to make me laugh at least once a day. She's my constant shadow, but not clingy, which I love. She can be beligerantly sneaky and can try to push her boundaries a bit... but mostly in a funny way! She's always thinking. Plotting. As sweet as she is, she can be quite the devious little thing, LOL. She just brings me so much joy, no matter what we're doing. Be it hanging out in the house, playing Agility, practicing Rally, etc. She just loves to play and have a good time. Overall, she applies the things I've taught her in life without many reminders, and living with her does not often feel like work. She thinks she should be treated like royalty, and is pretty certain that she's the star of the show. She may be little, but she's got personality plus! Oh, and love all of the noises she makes to communicate. She's so vocally communicative with her people. Her downfall is she's stupid with strangers. Not even fearful really anymore, she just will not give herself a couple of minutes to like somebody. She's learned that when she barks, people get scared and leave her alone. And then in the same moment, she seems like she wanted to maybe meet them. She's a hundred times better than she used to be, with a lot of work put into her, but she's still not a reliably friendly/quiet dog when meeting people. However, the many good things that she is by far outweigh the bad! She's so easy in comparison to other dogs I've owned.



Ripley is just a big doofus really, haha. He's not much of a thinker, and instead just blindly follows along with whatever another dog is doing and therefore can be very reactionary. Sometimes I just grab his cheeks (nicely) and look at him and say "why can't you just think for yourself for once?!", LOL. Life would be so much easier for him and for me if he would think before he acted, and he wouldn't need to feel sorry for doing something stupid after. He does have a brain... I think. He often hears "I'm pretty sure you came with a brain. Why don't you find it and put it to good use?". He's just so easily over stimulated around other dogs (especially if those other dogs are very energetic, nervous or hyper). But one on one, or around dogs he knows, he is a dream. He's pleasing, he tries very hard, he learns pretty quickly and he is truly the sweetest boy ever. A little on the touchy feely side, but Dobermans as a breed are very velcro, and he is not unlike the many others I know in that way. And as long as you know his rules, he is relaxed and not pushy about it. However, if you don't know his rules, he can be a downright jerk about making somebody touch him (at home or at his breeder's -- not so much elsewhere). He worships the ground I walk on, and gazes at me constantly throughout the day. He loves nothing more than to just hang out and be with his people. And I love how I can take him anywhere knowing that I don't have to worry if people reach to pet him without asking. He takes everything in stride, and is very polite and gentle. He's just a sweet, fun-loving, happy-go-lucky guy. He just wants to have fun and be loved. I also love that no matter what when training, he will not shut down. He is sensitive to emotion, but he is not soft and can take a lot more pressure than many other Dobermans I know. Oh, and he has the cutest Dober-smile! Maybe not to everybody, but I think it's adorable, LOL. He may frustrate me at times, but at the same time, I can't imagine life without him. I love him so much.



And Keira... I don't even know how to describe Keira. She's so hard to describe, as she is very difficult, but at the same time I couldn't love her more. She's a sweetheart, and one of the most soulful looking dogs I've ever known aside from Winston and her dam, but at the same time she can just be very hard to get along with. Despite training and time and effort, she is pushy, beligerant, selfish, difficult to teach because she doesn't care, a little neurotically attached to my mom, etc. She's really easily anxiously exciteable over things like going through doors, going outside, eating, when other people come over, etc. And unless you know how to deal with that, she just turns into a complete idiot. Which creates a lot of work for me, because I seem to be the only one with enough patience to only reward the good, calm behaviour. Which means she's nearly perfect with me, but left with anyone else, she just becomes downright irritating and embarrassing. You can't just live with Keira -- everyday is managing her energy level, to make sure she does not become anxiously exciteable. The latter state is very stressful to live with, for humans and the other dogs. She is not a dog that an inexperienced dog owner could ever live with in a million years. However, at the same time, once you've channeled her energy in the right way, you could never find a more devoted, kinder dog. She is fabulous in so many ways, and if it wasn't for the insane amount of daily work to keep her in a relaxed state of mind, she'd be pretty near perfect. And if everybody was as committed to only rewarding the right energy state, I don't think it would be as much work as it is. Consistancy is key, as we know, but in order for consistancy to happen, everyone needs to try hard. She's one of those dogs that you really can take anywhere without a problem. She's fantastic with other dogs, wonderful with people, supremely gentle with children, etc. Aside from slight pulling on the leash sometimes, I've never had a problem with her out in public. She's always the favored dog of anyone that ever meets all three of mine or comes over to visit. For as demanding as she can sometimes be for attention, she is gentle about it and you can't help but look at that sweet, soulful little face and not melt.

Oh gosh I thought this was going to be dumb but it's so sweet and I just love hearing everyone gush about their dogs. I've gotten all weepy and sentimental over it.


Gatsby is difficult.

He has been difficult every day of his life. When I first met him in his first owner's driveway, he was flat out on the end of a locked retractable leash with one foot on the ground and the other three all pointing in different directions and screaming his fool head off. And somehow I looked at all that and went "Yep, that's my dog."

He is reactive, high strung, and reacts poorly to change. He is scrawny and tough and gangly and goofy looking. He bears only passing resemblance to a Miniature Schnauzer. When the nose goes down the ears go off. It took six months to get him to sit outside, longer before he would look at me. Life is very exciting when you are Gatsby.

He is the sweetest dog in the world. He's so gentle and just lives to crawl into your skin and stare meaningfully into your eyes with his face very close to yours. He is happiest when all his people are in the same room and he'll just wiggle back and forth between us smiling and wagging and bouncing.

He hates the Stupid Red Dog.

He has prey drive, but it's really play drive. He'll tug for hours and growl like a chainsaw. Gatsby is a dog with lots of opinions. He'll make his own fun if none is forthcoming. He likes to smack things around with his paws. Gatsby is a dog that stops to smell the roses. And the dandelions. And the grass. And the air. He is incredibly hard to work with because his give a **** is broken. But those brief moments when we connect are like a drug. He's utterly brilliant.


Marsh is perfect.

Smart without being evil, biddable without being brainless, affectionate without being smothering.

Will play fetch for days. Taught himself to retrieve to hand. Does not tug, because objects are meant to be given to humans. If it's in a human hand it's a toy. Strangers are invisible, but friends get wiggles too. Just full of zest for life. Everything is fun. Does things because I ask him to. Is the star of his obedience class without really trying. Naturally heads up heels with gorgeous, loving eye contact.

Oh so clever and knows it. Will repeat any behavior if you make a bit of a fuss over him. So eager to learn the hard part is getting him to slow down enough to be precise. Is the most effortlessly athletic dog I know. Taught himself to jump up on the counter, just for the heck of it. Counter surfs, but politely. Likes to sit on top of things. Fearless and does not actually feel pain.

Teagan is my partner in crime. My heart. We are just so intune its crazy and sometimes scares the crap out of me. She is very much a terrier and as she has matured her prey drive has sky rocketed. She can be snarky with other dogs if they are being rude or near her "stuff" but otherwise she is pretty good with them, pretty much ignores them, unless she really knows the dog and the other dog realises she is the boss.

With strangers she is pretty seriouse and mostly ignores or stays out of their way. And she hates when they touch her without her permission.

Teagan is a cuddle bug. Especially in the morning. She also loves sleeping in, which is a plus because I love sleeping in

She also is a mountian goat. I sware that dog can climb anything. I think thats why she loves hiking so much, There are so many things to climb. I once found her up 6 feets in a spruce tree trying to get a squirel. Crazy thing.

Teagan is very food driven. And looses her mind if you ask her to do a trick with food. Its hard to get her to concentrate enough for her to actually do the right trick. She also won't do tricks for you unless there is somthing in it for her. But she listens very, very well. I sware she knows exactly what I am saying. She also sticks very close. I have no worries or issues if we go bush camping. I am not worring about her wondering off

She deffinatly is a country dog. She loves the outdoors. Grass and snow are the best things invented.

She is both mine and Tyler (my boyfriends) heart dog, Which I find funny. She equally has a strong, intense bond with both of us. Even though they can go for weeks without seeing each other because he lives in a different province right now.

Teagan is also very vocal. And she talks to you, and talk back to you. She can be a sass. She can be a screamer. Like when she wants outside really bad. And she thinks there's some monster that needs to die out there.

In public though she is very, very quiet. I don't think we could convince her to make a peep.

Meg is the best thing that has ever come along in my life. She's a 6 year old Mountain Cur that I adopted from a friend who pulled her out of a high kill shelter at about 1 year old. She is incredibly soft tempered and is a worrier at heart, but I have never met an animal or human who tries harder to do and be whatever you want of her. We started agility to try and give her confidence, and she's now a Masters level dog who competed at the Cynosport World Games last year. She's a perfect barn dog, wonderful in the house, and makes every person she meets think that they are the Best Thing to Ever Happen to Her. But then I move a foot, and she is instantly focused on me. She housebroke herself in a day, has never had a moment of destruction, and won't touch a garbage bag left out with meat in it. She is possessive of me with other dogs, and won't tolerate rude pushy dogs unless they are puppies. She hums when she sees cats, but won't touch them. She watches entire episodes of TV shows - really watches.

She is the most wonderful creature I've known, and I'm teary eyed just writing this.