Puppyhood:
Wanna play?
| Name: | Jack, after Captain Mad Jack Percival, from the song "The Ballad of Mad Jack" by Schooner Fare. Which is to say, names have power, so choose carefully lest they come true. |
| Breed: | Australian Cattle Dog. The breed was developed by Australian ranchers from some other very active breeds: Blue Merle Collies, Dalmations, Kelpies, and Dingos, specifically to be able to run all day with a herd (you've been warned!). |
| Best short description: | 45 pounds of once highly active high decible dog, finally slowing down to regular dog speeds at the ripe old age of 13 (but just as loud). |
Full of fun and affection, more "bull in a china shop" than the graceful elegance of a herding dog, she's an adolescent lab with a tiny speck of black in the crease of her right ear. She lives for toys (dog appropriate or not), walks, and attention. She plays hard, and she snores hard. Whenever possible, she sleeps on my feet.
| Name: | Sunny, a great match for her disposition. |
| Breed: | Labrador Retriever, or more colloquially, Yellow Lab. |
| Best short description: | A goofy, boisterous attention sponge. |
1996-2009
Like a certain storybook stuffed bear, she acted like she had a head full of spun
polyester. Happy-go-lucky, nothing much bothered her as long as she still got her
nap and her honey treats.
Here we go with the napping and the begging:
And of course, she loved snow:
She'd be mopey and lethargic all summer, become alert on those crisp fall days, and really come alive and be bouncy the colder it got in the winter. But then, I understand that's a very typical Akita trait. Towards the end, the aching in her joints wouldn't allow her to linger in the cold but she still enjoyed nosing in the snow right to the very last.
| Name: | Whitney, "as in Whitney Houston," the name she came with. Terri said "It's 'cause she's got paws the size of Texas." |
| Breed: | Akita. Because of her long coat, she didn't qualify for the show ring so she was considered "pet grade" which worked out very well for her. |
| Best short description: | A quiet, fluffy attention sponge. |
© 2001,2002,2003,2009 Glenn S. Lyford and/or Terri Millette, all trademarks etcetera property of their respective owners.
