It's been very interesting to say least over here. The "Horse" fire started just down the road from our property, and the road was closed for days, but the wind always kept a steady south eastern breeze going, so although we were right on the start of the fire, it moved away from us.  Now it seems all but a memory, and dogs and humans are doing well.

 

So this email is really supposed to be an update on our "Little Belle". She is about as cute and sweet as can be. With a tremendous amount of patience and constant handling and touching, she has dropped her biting habits and has become a "lap-dog-wanta-be. And sometimes when no one is looking, she gets to sit on my lap. 

 

The most amazing thing about Belle is that she stopped growing, the vet said her teeth at 4 months were really at the 6 month mark and that we had the dates all wrong, and that she was not going to be a large dog. She has maxed out at about 30 lbs.

 

Although I wanted a large dog, and feel its necessary around here due to other wild life, I secretly and very quietly was so entranced with our little puppy that I privately didn't want her to grow up, and then the vet told me the good news. She is perfect and everyone that sees her wants to take her home. Even at the dog park (we take them there to socialize them on occasion) one gal made an overt offer to "take her off our hands". We moved to the other end of the park. 

 

I am not too worried about her at our home. Diego, our 100 pound Ridgeback is there, and so is our 75 lb Dodger. They both are enthralled with her, and each spend time separately moping about when she chooses to play with the other one. Diego takes the best care of her, and she often sleeps cuddled up between his front legs and back where she conveniently fits, like having a head board and foot board of a bed. And any sound that she makes, albeit a whimper, bark, growl, even a loud breath, both dogs come running to protect, or who knows, maybe just to see whats happening. 

 

Her nose is incredible. If there is an animal dead or alive on the property, she goes right for it.  The other day I thought I ran over a rattler late at night when I was coming home from a meeting. No one believed me, afterall there was no snake to find in the morning. I just assumed an owl carted it off for dinner. The next day on our morning constitution, Belle just made a "B" line right for it, about 400 ft. down the driveway and off to the side. So she proved that I was not making it up and let me know where it was so I could bury it properly. (incase you are wondering, all the dogs got the new vaccine for rattle snake bites)

 

I have evolved in my thinking and am not so interested anymore in teaching her the multitude of tricks I used to want my dogs to know. I am happy with the standard sit stay, go home, and do your business (bathroom call) but she like the other dogs knows many words. Their favorites are walk, cookie, treat, and Cain is home, that last one usually ellisits (sp?) several rounds of barking and tail wagging. 

 

So to thank you for our little miracle does not seem to be enough. She has lifted the terrible dark cloud of loss from the death of Bella Boots, and has filled our days and sometimes our nights with joy and laughter, and sometimes but not often some real nasty frustration hahaha.  Just to watch her prance around with her little "tude" of self importance makes us all, neighbors included, have an internal giggle. Our neighbors to the east lost there dog the same time Boots died, and I often bring her over there to give them kisses and giggles. And she showers them with both, and if they are foolish enough to be sitting on the ground she will use their shoulders to perch on and really clean out their ears with kisses. Very very good medicine for the heartache, even just watching helps me too.

 

So in closing, I am attaching a picture I took today, too bad the batteries went dead, but I did get this one in. 

 

John