If this is your first visit, we are all about sharing the lives of Daisy & Gretchen with you and their many antics.  And we also sprinkle the site with information about our world with dogs.

WELCOME BACK and ENJOY!!!

As they sat silently watching, their emotionless faces soon turned to shear excitement as I reached for the garage door.  Just one more action is required before their eyes indeed believe what they are seeing.  And in a moment I signaled them to the truck which sealed the deal.  But it wasn’t a long ride and it did not end at a park or the beach.  In fact, it was a mere parking lot, but to both Daisy and Gretchen this still seemed exhilarating.  They pulled with excitement and finally we entered the Vet’s office.

The smells of an assortment of felines, canines, and a red tailed boa were complemented with the bright yellows and blues of a few tangs in a saltwater aquarium.  In less than 30 seconds of taking our seat the house cat wandered over to take a gander at Daisy and Gretchen, using my wife and I as stepping stones.  All was well in the German Shorthaired Pointer world.

Until…we were called into the ROOM.  At that point all hell broke loose as Daisy realized exactly where she was and all her past experiences proved this place was no fun at all.  As we sat waiting for the vet to make an appearance, both Daisy (especially) and Gretchen pawed at the exit door as if we were at home and we would actually let her outside.  Daisy obviously forgot that she is not in charge, which does seem to be the case at home according to her.

Daisy and Gretchen trying to escape the vet

As the vet kneeled to begin a routine exam of her teeth, Daisy transformed into a bucking bronco and was ultimately escorted to the way back room where her parents could no longer be seen.  Yep, Daisy was quite pathetic that morning and we heard her crying as the needle delivered her rabies booster.  Which by the way was quite surprising considering she is typically thick skinned and has never made a peep when getting previous shots.  And all this time Gretchen sat tilting her head in response to the unseen commotion unaware that she was up next.

And when all was said and done, a clean bill of health, a loss of 4 pounds each (Yay!), the door was opened and they bolted from the confining space. Whew!!! Disaster averted.

Daisy recovering in mother's arms

Now that Daisy has learned to open the screen door, it is a complete free for all.  For instance, apparently both Daisy and Gretchen decided to bring in some busy work. However, I thought everything was a bit to quiet…caught in the act.

A habit that she has cultivated to perfection over the years involves a few whimpers, a couple barks, and blatant stares at Daisy while she kicks back with a bone in the evening.  Meanwhile, her unscarred treat lies motionless on the floor as if it were made of plaster and completely inedible (which by the way never stopped them before).

When all is said and done, Gretchen goes for Daisy’s scraps and eventually we have to pick up the second bone.  The last thing we need is Daisy to choke down two rawhide bones in a single night. When will Gretchen ever learn?

Gretchen continued the pursuit, but Daisy, perhaps realizing the futility of her efforts, had become preoccupied with a nose to the ground. “Daisy,” I exclaimed, as she thumbed her snout at me and managed to continue chomping on her newly discovered prize. I expected to force the release of a petrified squirrel, but was surprised (not pleasantly) to see a cats hind leg drop to the grass-sprouting ground.  Well, it appears we have not completely driven off the coyotes with urban sprawl.

But that was not all.  As we readied to leave, Daisy at a distance of 100 yards, managed to ignore our summons and continued to explore the brush.  Suddenly, she proudly began running with a large object protruding from her jowls.  “Not again!”

The very happy German shorthair brought us what she assumed was a great gift, but from our point of view was nothing more than a decomposing jack rabbit.  No kisses from Daisy tonight was the rule.

Apparently they too have the need to watch the outside world through a pane of glass and inform all passersby of their presence.  It must be a dog thing.  Oh well, a little barking never hurts anyone; annoying perhaps, hurting no.  Check them out in Friends of D&G.

Plus, we thoroughly enjoy two pooches completely worn out for the night.

The puppy in Heather’s eye was trying to keep up with a few of the others who had managed to climb a small incline amongst weeds and pines, but was soon led off course by a few chickens.  As all the other puppies engaged in play, the runt found these feathered species quite intriguing; well she was captivated by the birds themselves around 10% and the other 90%, I am ashamed to say, was limited to the droppings they left behind.  To this day she is still easily distracted by any and everything.  And somewhere along the quest for chickens the little rascal was head butted by a goat and let loose the slightest whimper, effectively sealing the deal with Heather. It goes without saying that she did not put the puppy down while we contemplated adopting a sister.

Say hello to Daisy!

Needing a few sweets, I decided to make some molasses cookies today for Scott and I. Since the molasses cookies have pretty much the same ingredients as the ginger bones, the girls thought that I was making their cookies and would not leave the kitchen.  Hence, it was only fair to their watering jowls that I make a half batch of dog treats. When I started to make cookies for them, little baby Daisy (a nickname that has withstood the test of time since she was a scrawny puppy) again would not say off the counters. As soon as I pulled them out of the oven, both the girls and Scott were in the kitchen all excited and crying to get a nice warm cookie.

The moral of the story is that everyone loves a fresh-baked cookie.