Phew...glad to have the keyboard back! The dogs are tired from a busy few days and it wasn't hard to wrestle the computer away from them for me to tell the story this time.
Today was a nice and relaxing day, something we needed after a busy few weeks. I knew the day was going to be good when Ramsay licked my face this morning with the alarm clock displaying 8:00; woo-hoo a sleep in for us! I personally want to take credit for the lateness of our start as, last night, I grabbed a quilt to add to Ramsay's bed. He has been cold the last few nights and he looks at us with his beautiful golden eyes, sad pleading face rested on our bed and desperately hopes to come up and cuddle. I am consumed with guilt as I lift the pugs up unto our king size and tell him to lie down (on his $150 memory foam mammoth bed) so last night I figured he deserved to feel extra cozy. He was thrilled with the quilt and proceeded to dig for snakes, poke his nose in the blanket and eventually curled up in his den for the night. Patric just rolled his eyes and once again said I am a sucker; hmmm..... pretty sure he enjoyed the sleep in as well!?
The mornings are always hard with amusing Red until WE are ready to take him for a walk and this morning was no exception. We enjoyed our coffee while Ramsay chewed and destroyed what is left of his toys and then we knew our time was up. We took him for a 4km run and, I am happy to report, only two of the three of us were tired - you can guess who was ready for more. We figured it was safe to get ready for the day being as the dog just got back from a 20 min run but, while we showered, he ate a third (yes, that's right) his third X-Box head set; total price now $120.00. Ironicly, this morning over coffee, we had just discussed that we figured he was getting out of puppy mode and no longer chewing everything in sight. We should learn to bite our tongues.
We took all three dogs to dog park today because our house is up for sale and you just never know when you are going to get that last minute drop-in for a showing. Calli rarely comes with us as she has a hard time keeping up and the boys need to run. I don't know why this is the case but it is really hard to keep track of three dogs in an off-leash situation. We pile out of the car and its funny to see them go their seperate ways to accomplish their individual missions. Deuce immediately looks for a tree and proceeds to mark every bush and blade of grass he can find while refusing to listen to your calls until he is satisfied. Ramsay rushes to find his BFF (best friend for a moment) to run and share sticks with. His favorite game is catch-me-if-you-can or the simple lie-on-the-ground-submissively and smell-my-junk game.
Calli is neither looking for greenery or a dog friend, but is eager to find the first human, preferably male, that she can flirt with. Today she found two unsuspecting men, likely intact, and wiggled her bum like she was all that. The guys thought she was hilarious and knew exactly what she was doing; we all commented on the little hussy that she is. She is usually quite an attraction at the dog park. I am not sure if it because she is so adorable or because she is simply the biggest pug anyone has ever seen. I love the various names she gets called but today was the best: "pot-roast". It is usually the over-weight dog walkers themselves who come up with these nic-names and today was no exception. Calli doesn't play much with the other dogs but she does have a particular interest in Chihuahuas. She immediately runs after them with her tail wagging, certain that it is Chico (my Mom's dog) and demands that they love her. The response is always the same - they are horrified and RUN to their owners to be picked up! Out of all the small breeds she encounters it amazes me that she only likes the Chihuahuas.
Ramsay was in his glory when he quickly discovered that his litter-mate, Shane, and his brother's brother, Ryder, were there to play with him. Red usually is eager to play with most dogs but for some reason the Ridgebacks always seem to prefer to play with their own breed. We actually met another Ridgeback, Levi, who joined the gang and it was fun to watch them play. The nose-poking, mouth-wrestling and muzzle-slappling that are characteristic of the breed were on full display. People usually gawk at the spectacle as Ridgebacks are not a common sight, let alone four of them. Deuce would at times participate in the dog-pile but mostly to show them who was boss and once he reprimanded them he would strut away with his usual "I own this joint" flare. Calli was thankful for the rest period.
I've have enjoyed listening to the snores and the sound of quiet as I write this. There is nothing better than tired dogs to help you enjoy your evening. They have full tummies from supper and are warm and cozy on their individual beds in the living room. Deuce on one dog bed, Calli stretched out on the floor, and of course, Ramsay on his end of the couch. Well done!
Poor Calli-fornia....another earache, another trip to the vet. Let me tell you about Calli: She is tragically overweight (genetic; she doesn't exercise because she can't breath due to her pinched nasal passages while she starves on a third cup of low cal food a day), she suffers from sleep apnea and is a major stress case yelping and running at the door with every sound. Always panicked at the idea of being left behind from a car-ride, her only greater fear occurs when riding in the car. Oh, and she gets ear and bladder infections constantly. 
