Fur Kids

Three brothers ((from Left to Right) : Dexter, Wally (note his bendy legs) and Tubby

I do agree, the Fur kids were adorably cute!  Had I been less realistic I would have kept all nine!  Having to decide which to give away was possibly the most agonizing of experiences.  You can't help but love them all and each of them had furry unique characters of their own. 

Dexter for example, I wanted to call him Wombles (from the English cartoon character 'Wombles family') because for some reason as a wee pup his front legs would wobble after playing about with his siblings.  But it was difficult getting the others to learn his name ... so I picked a more common name, Dexter - whom some at Dog Woods have taken to calling him 'Gangsta' instead!  So Dexter the Gangsta it is ... but unlike his macho tough name, out of the four residing Fur Kids, he's the sweetest of the lot.  Though he does have a tendency to wander off on his own.  I'd like to think of it as an independent streak. 

The other three are more pack oriented.  Wally for example, is a true  Momma's boy.  Where you see Anna, you'd see Wally close by.  Needless to say, he being Momma's favourite he's deemed the Alpha Fur Kid whom the others let him get first priority with toys and meals or suffer the repercussions.  True to my previous description, althoug he looks like his dad, Tuffy he's really quite a Doberman in behaviour.  There's a certain proud gait about him inspite of being born bold legged.  For a while as he was growing up I was worried he would be lame - he did hobble quite a fair bit with his bend-y looking legs - rather like a ballerina in perpetual plie (minus the grace of a dancer).                                                                      Wally

Tubby

Tubby being the chip off the ol' block is the most mischevious of the lot.  If you've read the previous postings of his 'adventures and mishaps' - he got me worried sick for awhile.  Since he was such a pro at finding ways and means of getting out of Dog Woods,  I took to confining him a pen for all our sakes.  His safety, my sanity, the rest of the fearful non-dog lovers outside - though I know he's really quite harmless.  Just, the reaction of most non-dog lovers (in my part of the world) whom for religious and cultural reasons perceive dogs as an 'untouchable' seem to react almost hysterically even when confronted by a cute shih-tzu. 

Then there's Brandi who's the shy-est of the lot.   Being theonly girl she tends to be a little more subservient to the boys. But once she trusts you she's possibly the most affectionate of the four.  I remember as a wee pup she'd insist on clambering onto my lap and happily sat there for as long as I let her.  Now that she's grown and can no longer fit into my lap she'd stand on her hindlegs and give you a hug instead.  'Brandi's Hug' that's what I started referring to her affectionate returns. 

Having said that, she's also a co-ring leader to the FurKids escapades outside of Dog Woods - being Tubby's faithful sidekick they would disappear for hours - and I'd always end up fearing the worst.  But almost always (thank God), they'd appear rather sheepishly outside the gates - after worn out from their grand adventures outside, waiting to be let back in.

While it's always a relief to know that they know their way back home, their unsupervised escapades outside isn't something am thrilled about. The Furkids clearly know it is unbecoming behaviour and they usually get verbally reprimanded.  Yet they do it regardless and look sheepish soon after.  It's interesting to note how sensitive dogs are to our tone of the voice. A more gruff tone and they sheepishly know they've done something wrong ...

I'm quite glad that all my efforts of fixing fences and looking for naughy puppies wandering outside are paying off.  The Fur Kids lately have been quite good - they no longer make a mad dash outside even when the gates are open. I suppose the the novelty of the great unknown outside of Dog Woods has run its course.  They're finally learning to appreciate that there is no place like home!