Shame...

on this BAD DOG!! Isn't this the face of someone ashamed of their actions? Ha! Don't believe it for a minute! She may look like she regrets the latest mess she caused but she would jump at the chance to do it again anytime, any place!

Trash-eating/counter-surfing/litter box digging dog that she is, I love her to pieces. And she's getting older by the day--well we all are of course but Summer is well into her golden years. We think she's about twelve (I got her from the animal shelter where her previous owners had listed her as four years old). She's in pretty good health for an old gal. Doesn't jump our eight foot privacy fence anymore and no longer drags you while on a walk (the girls can even walk her now), but she's still capable of reaching any food you leave on the counter or table (in the blink of an eye your sandwich is gone and a certain yellow dog is no where to be seen...).

This week we are going to be "babysitting" my sister's yellow lab, Punch. I say "babysitting" b/c this dog is my sister's baby. He is the youngest of her brood that includes 4 teenage/young adult children. He is about the same age as Summer but for whatever reason he is far more decrepit than she is. I don't know why it happens that way--why two people or animals of the same age can differ so drastically in their health. Punch has lived a considerably easier life than Summer. For one thing he's been an only dog for years--Summer walked among four yappy little dachshunds for years (and is still daily nipped by the sole surviving dachshund). Punch also has been an indoor dog for years while we kicked Summer outdoors for most of her days when we started getting overwhelmed by babies combined with an opportunistic Lab with a taste for kitty krunchies.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to having Punch here. He's a great dog (and not unlike a hairy loveseat--he seldom moves these days). He has, and always has had to my knowledge, the energy level of Eyeore the donkey and that helps make him a wonderful pet. I don't know if he's ever done anything really bad--though he does prefer my sister's uptight neighbor's lawn to do his business but he's probably just being considerate and thinks he is saving one of his family members the trouble of getting out the scooper. I hope he has a good time here despite the frequently rowdy atmosphere of our house. One thing he won't have to worry about is Summer stealing his food--she learned long ago that the only sure way to get Punch to drag himself to his feet and turn into an 130lb grizzly bear is to threaten his food supply. :)