A Dog of Many Coats

This is Rev's active hiking jacket.  It has a lot of stretch, seems to keep him quite warm on those snow hikes.  It's a great jacket, but probably isn't warm enough when I crate out of the car.

This is Rev's first coat.  I bought it for him when he was 10 months old and it still fits him pretty good.  It's a nice warm coat and it's what he's been wearing when I have to keep him in the car at winter trials.  Plus it's really easy to get on and off of him.

This is his newest coat.  It's all heavy fleece with no metal buckles.  It's the same brand as the coat above and I got it for him specifically for being in the car crate.  He'll be mighty warm in it.  I got it for him for his 4th birthday.

Bwah ha ha ha ha!  This is Rev's alter-ego!  I'm so mean.  I can't help it though.

And voila - same expression and no coats at all.  So no harm done!

Another snowy Sunday

This is a rare sighting these last few weeks - Rev in the snow.

Sigh - not for long though.  Hard to believe this dog was born in Canada and has littermates that pull dog sleds!

Instead, I get this - pathetic!  Looks like he's about to be beaten.

Yeah fine - go on back in.  I have other heartier dogs I can photograph.

Like how about some good old fashioned snow soccer!

Hey!  What happened to my face?!

Yeah that's better - how about throwing this thing?!

Oh wait - I think I see something better!

Hee hee!!  It's snowflakes!  I gotsa eat lots of them!!

Oh they're getting away!!

I gotsa use my teefies on them or they'll escape!

Don't believe me?  Check these chompers out!

Um, yeah.  He's just whacked.

I agree

And am I a cute doggie or what?!

Snow gazelle!!

Eleven and a half years young and looking not a day over three!

Such a lovely girl.

Checking out the neighbors and their snowblower.  My aching back is testament to the fact that they've never seen one in our yard!

Maybe I'll be able to put some sunny, green pictures up here someday - seems like a looonnggg way away!

Suki - the dog of my childhood

This is Suki.  This is the dog my family had when I was a kid in the 70's.  My father believed he was picking up a black lab puppy when my grandfather told him about the litter.  Why he picked a black and TAN longhaired pup is beyond me, but he probably felt he was there, he should just come home with a puppy.  

These were the days long before genetic tests, and Suki was just your average mutt.  If I had to guess, I would say she had German Shepherd, Collie, and some sort of retriever in her.   She actually looks very much like an English Shepherd, but I doubt there were very many of those running around in the suburban MA area back then.  My parents gave her a great name (they spelled it Sukie but for some reason I always thought of her name as having no "e" on the end).  Given that our other pets' names tended to the ordinary (Mittens below for example) it was cool having a dog with a different name.
She was a great family dog.  She followed and played with us kids all the time.  She lived back in the day when dogs just ran around the neighborhood, you knew them like you knew the neighbor kids.  Not that it didn't come with problems.  She got hit by a car, ran around and lost her leg cast, killed chickens, rolled in DEAD things, and even got caught up in a fox hunt.  Rolling in fox scent and being chased by beagles and people on horseback probably was not fun for her, but as we witnessed it out of our living room window one Sunday morning, it remains one of the funniest moments in my life.
Suki was only with us a short time, but she was an influence in my decision to have dogs and how they play a part in my life.  Thanks Dad and Mom for getting us that little black lab!

The Ghosts of Christmas Cards Past

So I thought it would be fun to put together all of the Christmas cards the dogs have suffered through over the years.  This is the earliest one I put together - probably 2001 right before I got Psyche.  The fact that I chose this one with Haley not looking at the camera means it was probably the only shot that Montana chose to be in!

Ah, 2002.  Looks spectacular doesn't it?  Alas, it is Photoshopped.  I thought I did a pretty good job though!  I like young Psyche's still pink nose in this one.
Sorry this is so small.  I think clicking on the picture will bring it up a little larger in another window.  I like this one - you can hardly tell that I Photoshopped Montana into the picture.  Any time he sees the camera and me trying to round up the dogs, he runs off.  I think this is 2003.
2004 - I must have been short on time and patience and Montana didn't make the cut! 
2005 - find some cute hats, slap them on some sort of willing dogs, finds some fresh snow and voila!  Instant holiday classic!
2006 - must have been a snowless year.  I am proud to say that no dogs were Photoshopped in the making of this card!
2007 - the snow is back (little did I know it was back with a vengeance).  I enlisted some help this time and managed to even include myself.  Notice Montana's ears.  Not too happy with this kind of attention, I assure you!
2008 - am I getting good at this or what?  Putting on the gloves was the hardest part, short of keeping the hats on, but we pulled it off.  What?  You're not buying it?  Oh alright!  I cheated and put up their "Elf Yourself" picture.  But really - how could I resist?

Psyche is in his snow glory.  You would never know that this dog is 7 years old.  He's acting like a 6 month old puppy seeing snow for the first time.

The aerobie was okay.  I only used it at first because it couldn't get lost like a tennis ball or a regular frisbee.  But the jolly ball - now that was a winnah!!
Gimme, gimme more snow please!!!

Haley, 11 years young and still enjoying the snow.
Keeper, 9 years young and still enjoying the snow - kind of!
Really, could you just throw it already?  Quit it with the camera woman!
I said enough already!
Psyche is a dork, we need to be inside now!
Ha!  We're not going out at all!  Even if you put a coat on me!
He's still out there - what a doofus!
Who me?  Wha...????
Where dogs get to stay after their snowy romps
Good off season use of weavepoles, don'tcha think?