Winter

Rubbish bin this morning (June 1st)

We have to WAIT for our morning walk. 

SHE says SHE can't work three retractable leads...with three exuberant terriers, wearing gloves.

Or constantly take burrs out of paws.

So WE have to WAIT!

Scottie? Male?

Male scottie, or just Dui?

 It has been YEARS since we've had a male scottie.

 He is so different to the girls, that he puzzles us sometimes.

We understand the leg lifting.

Dui has his own version of Tall Poppy Syndrome,

what rises above the rest must be wee'd on.

 Dui races from side to side to lift his leg on everything.

We say 'lift his leg' because after about the third

go, he's empty, so it's just a leg lift.

 However, he also lifts his leg against a tree, to poo!

He cannot jump.

Whenever he wants to lifted up, he gives a

shrill cry, and then lays down to await assistance.

He barks at anything,

must be held tightly when meeting another dog on a walk,

lunges at them screaming in anger.

He has bitten three (very understanding) people,

ripping the trousers of two.

He loves chasing anything on wheels.

Well, racing. The times he has chased rattling

trucks, he races to the side.

He has to be watched every minute when out of the yard.

In the mornings, he is snuggly.  He won't get up until he has been cuddled and properly worshipped.

When offered a treat or food, he often takes it with a

'if this is all there is, I'll have it' attitude.

We think he's like those young men who

are arrested for anti-social acts, whose

parents and friends say

'But he's a loving boy and wonderful son.'

He is a puzzle.

Our little car....

We've heard that people have Names for their vehicles.

Da Phenny has the Elephant Skate,

Frankie and Ernie have had Jennifer jeep, and Jessica jeep.

There are the Scotsmobile, Labmobile....

Well, we call our little car

SHREK....

What do you call your mode of transport?

SIX!

Now I am Six!

That would make a great book title...BOL!

Yes, SIX!

The story of Me.

I am a Designer Dog.

She says designed by a committee.

I have TWELVE brothers and sisters!

She says it probably explains my wonky leg.

Sadly, seven of us ended up in a high kill shelter.

BUT we were rescued by a wonderful foster mother.

When we received my official adoption papers,

my birthday was 22nd of May.

The same day as Kendra's.

So we always think of her.

We celebrated with a Kangaroo, sweet potato and green bean cake!

(That's what it said on the tin.)

With cottage cheese icing.

And look who turned up to celebrate with me!

Thanks Madi, for the wonderful card!

Happy Birthday to all of my sisters and brothers!

I only know where four of you live now, but  know you have wonderful homes!

Saturday snippets....

We've had a MAJOR change here.

SHE now has a job--taking two children to school in the mornings. (SHE tutors the little boy three times a week.)

Which sounds okay on the surface--more treat money.

BUT the downside is, we are not allowed in the CAR during the week because SHE says we smell it up and make it a mess!  And SHE doesn't want to constantly clean it....sheesh!

So going to the river on the weekends is more exciting.

Then yesterday we came home to these:

Tuna puree with a kibble decoration!

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.

Siblings....

Recently, the scotties have been hanging out together more.

 Dui used to follow Roxy around all the time.

 But now, the scotties are usually together....on guard duty.

They prefer to lie companionably, surveying the 'hood,

while Roxy is a couch potato.

 However, when there is excitement....a walk, or car trip,

Dui resorts to his naughty little brother routine and teases Bella relentlessly.

Bella will not go outside until both Roxy and Dui are in the car.

Curious.

FOOD!

Bet that got your attention.

Food is VERY important to us.

SHE calls us stomach hounds.

The blanket and upturned plant pot is an attempt at keeping Roxy out of the dirt!

We expend a lot of energy during the day--as

you can see in the photo.

So food, good food is important to us.

We have a SCHEDULE for dinner

(So SHE can remember what to buy, what to defrost and what to feed!)

We have an excellent quality grain-free kibble as a base.

Then add

Monday:  Raw chicken, necks, legs or wings.

Tuesday & Wednesday: Grain-free wet food.

We get one-sixth of a small tin of beef, kangaroo, lamb or duck.

Sometimes the kibble is mixed with rice or pasta.

Thursday:  Raw chicken again

Friday:  a third of a tin of sardines in oil

Saturday & Sunday:  cooked chicken gizzards or hearts.

The amount of kibble is adjusted according to the topper.

We love dinner time.  Do you have an eating schedule?

Monday Mischief...

I'm in trouble again....

Dui

There wasn't any blood.

And the lady wouldn't even take any money

to replace her running tights!

The Home stretch....

  You may have noticed that a puppy was added while there was an older dog.  The older dog helps with puppy training, and the puppy never has to be left alone at any time.

After Carys, there was a vacancy.

At the same time HER mother died, and SHE received a small inheritance.  Time for another scottie.

(Scotties are rare and expensive in Australia--currently they are about $4000.)

Amazingly, there was a litter available in Sydney

coinciding with a planned trip to the big city!

Sunday morning, Mother's Day, SHE went to view the pups.

There were six, SHE sat in the garden watching their antics, but one, kept coming over and just standing in front of HER staring.

Daisy (right) with a brother.

 Naturally, SHE took the one that had chosen HER.

HER mother's favourite flower was the simple daisy,

So Hemskirk Charisma became 'Daisy'.

First night after a 6 hour drive, with Kendra.

Daisy was the ambassador scot.  SHE loved life and everyone in it--except cats.

She was the one who let children and strangers pat her.

* * * *

Age was catching up with Kendra, she couldn't walk far, spent a lot of time sleeping, though rallied to bark at cats and eat.

She even ignored ankles.

The call of the scottie came again.

A breeder who had saved the pick of the litter for breeding, discovered that the puppies and mother had signs of demodectic mange.  SHE researched the condition and found that is was curable, so SHE agreed to take the little girl.

 Bella arrived--with name, and a bottle of sheep dip she had to take every morning for a few weeks.

Bella, the new member of the Cat Surveillance Team.

Before Bella, SHE had been researching Bull Terriers--personality, health problems, and reputable breeders

Next there was an event in Blogville.  Everyone was asked to post about an animal that needed to be Rescued.

This little face kept appearing...

 A Bull Terrier-Rhodesian Ridgeback who came with the name Roxy, joined the pack.

Bella, Daisy, Kendra and Roxy

Age caught up with Kendra and she went to the Bridge.

Followed by Daisy, taken by cancer.

SHE put HER name on the waiting list for a female puppy,

but this photo of a male showed up:

When he was old enough, MacDui, the TENTH

and probably last, scottie joined the pack!

Thus ends the History of Scotties!

More Scotties....

Scottie number 6 arrived after Emily went to the Bridge.

Fiona and Carys became great friends. SHE has the fond memory of Fiona, looking wounded walking through the house  with a tiny scottie firmly clamped to her tail.

Carys  was a gorgeous girl through and through.

Both Fiona and Carys could go anywhere and were welcome.

(Her only vice was a dislike of cats.)

After Fiona went to the bridge at 8 1/2 years old,

Carys became an ONLY dog for years.

SHE got a promotion and moved from Sydney to Dubbo.

Sold the Sydney house and rented for 5 years, 

Carys the constant companion. A true heart dog.

It was time to buy a new house.....and a scottie.

Carys was heading into her senior years, SO

Enter Number 7!

Kendra was from a local breeder.  SHE had been on the breeder's list for about 8 months when the call came, that there was

a female puppy available.

Kendra--called the Bush Pig by a friend.

Now, Kendra was that puppy they always warn you NOT to get.

She was 15 weeks old, and the story was the breeder's husband who usually socialised the puppies had been sick and the puppies had just been running loose in a pen.

Carys and Kendra

Kendra never warmed to anyone other than HER. 

And Carys, who went to the Bridge at 14.

SHE got along with dogs--hated cats and people.

One of her favourite tricks was to walk around people and nip their ankles from the back.  Friends soon learned not to turn their backs on Kendra. 

Kendra after a bad grooming session.

SHE and Kendra loved each other.

Kendra was the only scottie who naturally sat up when there was a treat in the offing.

When visiting, she would hide......until an ankle came by.

She was happy just live in her own parallel dimension--

Doing her own thing.

Kendra helping herself to the baguettes on the way home from the shop.

We started blogging with Kendra, so we have lots of photographs.

One of life's unique characters.

WW Scottie accessories

Dui

Part 3...

And now for something different.

But first.... for Kismet. Three of the puppies died.....one completely rejected by the mother, two were just weak.  Though the Vet prescribed supplemental feedings, he said they just didn't feel like 'gristly sausages' so they probably wouldn't survive.  They didn't.

But the remaining four went to happy forever homes.

(And SHE learned to let others breed and rear puppies.)

After Kelly and Bruis went to the bridge way too early,

SHE decided on something completely different.

The thought of a No Dog home just wasn't in the equation.

(She'd bought her first house by now.)

Enter

Fiona and Emily

 Yes, Fiona--the Irish Wolfhound

The typical huge, gentle wolfhound.

The scotties  thought they were big dogs,

Fiona thought she was a lapdog.

The ribbon is from the groomer.

She was such a sweet girl.

Emily, was a deerhound X....much more X than deer.

(Can't find a photo at the moment)

She looked like a black, prick-eared greyhound.

Emily was named after a friend's goat.  The name was not

popular at the time for little girls.

Fiona came with her name.

Sadly, large dogs do not have long lifespans, and their allotted time on Earth went by all too quickly. 

Scottie FIVE made a brief appearance at this time.

One day when SHE went to collect Fiona from the groomer,

there was a little male scottie, Geordie,  brought in for  grooming and never picked up. 

SHE payed his grooming bill and he joined the household. 

He was hit by a car a very short time  afterwards, while SHE was at work.

As the fences were intact, no holes or other escape routes, probably someone let him out.....kids did walk past going to school.

However, it did get her thinking about scotties again after an

eight-year break.

Fiona with scottie 6