then there was jade

I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but after Jade was neutered,  she didn't know if she was a girl or a boy.  The main thing that she took up was trying to lift her leg to pee.  I said "trying".  Most of the time, she would fall over.  She really had a hard time with it.  It has improved with age though.  She actually does lift her leg most of the time now.  She has done a lot of things to either make me laugh or just astound me, but she hit the jackpot this time!!  She began by trying to lift her leg on a bush but instead of peeing, she pooped!!!!  I'm not joking, she actually pooped on a bush!!!  Only Jade could do it.

This is Quinn. He is Jade's newest friend. We don't have Bob anymore. Seems his owners decided that he needed to be fenced. We miss him. Quinn belongs to a friend who also has 2 other dogs. Quinn is exactly like Jade though. Same personality. What you see here though is a shaved Quinn. I will try to get a picture of him next spring when he has his full coat again. You won't believe its the same dog. I've got to try and get a picture of him smiling too. It won't be easy as Quinn is camera shy and turns his head when you try to take his picture.

All right, I said I would do it and here it is. She will also try to climb in my lap in the car. Her butt is on the console and the front half in my lap. She is so uncomfortable and wiggles around trying to find a good spot, but ends up leaving after about 10 minutes. In this chair, though, I can't get rid of her. She will go to sleep and so will my legs!! Gotta love her.

My new radar

Okay, after 4 years, my one ear has decided to stand up!! I always knew that I was "different" from other dogs, but this is the last straw!! I can maneuver it around to the back, side and front. Nothing gets by me now! If you thought I was cute before, just check this out! Mom says that I'm only half flying nun and now I'm half Rin Tin Tin. Unless you are really OLD, you probably don't know who Rin Tin Tin is. I don't, but Mom says its a good thing. Now I can hear those darn mice coming a mile away!

Alright, now I've seen everything! I'm 61 years old and its definitely time for me give up the ghost. We have been having a problem with really tiny field mice. They are so small that they can slide in almost anywhere. Every so often, one will find its way in and then its all out war. Despite their size, they can out run a greyhound. I have known since day one that Jade was afraid of her own shadow. Even though she is about 75 pounds, not exactly a "small" dog, she believes that she is a little lap dog (she will lay in my lap any time I allow it). So, I wasn't surprised that when we were chasing a mouse, that she didn't want any part of it. She stayed back, just watching, and rooting for the home team. The mouse suddenly changed direction and ran right at her. It was then that I got to watch in amazement, a 75 pound dog literally "dance". I would have given anything to have had a camcorder at that moment. She put ballet dancers to shame. After several seconds of River Dance, she was out the doggie door! I've decided that I will have to get a photo of Jade in my lap. Look for it in my next post.

Okay, I know that you won't believe this, but I swear its true!! Jade has had Ricky under her paw since the day I brought her home. We have had more arguments about how many treats she should have and when. I have a strict rule. NO TREATS until she eats all of her dinner!! Of course, that rule has been broken too many times.! She will eat a little bit of it and then come and whine or bark at me, trying to get a treat. I will look at her bowl and then tell her no, she has to eat it all. Then she will eat a little bit more and try again. It is a drag that goes on every night until its finally gone and she gets her treats. Last night though, she did something she has never done before and it was so deliberate that I was shocked. Her buddy, Bob, was here. (The black lab from up the street). He came in the dog door right after I had given her dinner. She was eating and so I told him that he would have to wait outside until she was done. He went. She had eaten about 1/3 of her dinner when she came and got me. I looked at her bowl and told her no, she had to eat it all. I went in the living room and sat down. I saw her looking at me and then I saw her go out. The next thing I saw was her coming back in with Bob in tow. She took him to her bowl and stood there watching him eat her dinner. When he was done, she escorted him back out and then came to me again. This time, of course, her bowl was empty and she was so proud of herself! I was flabbergasted! I knew that she was smarter than the average bear, but I never thought that she could do problem solving like this!! She blew me away. Now, I have to watch her the whole time until her food is gone so I will know who ate it!!

Yes, that's her laying on the couch. BUT not only on the couch, but on the pillow too! Nothing is too soft or too good for Jade! Without a doubt, she is Queen of the house! A while back, my daughter bought me a case of the most wonderful dog shampoo in the world. It was Oster's Black Pearl for black dogs. (If you look back at her puppy pictures, she was almost all black). Not only does she smell wonderful for two full weeks or more, the black parts actually sparkle like diamonds!! It is so wonderful and I loved it!! Guess what? They discontinued it!! Claim that it didn't sell! Seems people with black dogs don't wash them? At any rate, I noticed that Walmart is now carrying Oster dog shampoo. So, what I am asking everyone to do is, go to your favorite Walmart and ask the manager if he can get Oster Black Pearl Shampoo! I figure that if enough Walmarts ask for it, Oster will start making it again! What do you think? AND everyone with a black dog should buy this product!! Its amazing. I promise you will LOVE it!! Look, even the brown parts on her shine!