The Animals Part 1

If you've read my blog at all, you've probably ascertained that my animals are a huge part of my life. I love them dearly, and know that I mention them frequently...but I may not have always introduced them to you. I thought I would do a few posts to introduce all of them to you so you have an idea of who I am talking about, and also, to give you a bit more of a glimpse into my world. It was my hope, awhile back, that I would be able to do individual posts on each one...but that didn't happen. I did two, started the third and kinda stalled. I will hopefully in the future to more in-depth posts on them all, but for now, will suffice with at least introducing you to them.

Today, I start with the dogs:

This is Jasmine. I posted about her here. She is a chow mix, and was my first dog. She turns four on February 9th, and I can't believe she is that old already! Jasmine is an absolutely amazing companion. We share a tight bond that comes from being nearly inseparable for two years. The one thing about her that I wish I could change is her affinity for running off. If she isn't on a leash, off she goes!



This is Jackson. He was my second dog. He is a chow and just turned three back in November. He hasn't always had it easy, but he truly loves his people. Chows are often misunderstood, and while he is stubborn, he is also very loving. Does he like other people? Yes, as long as they give him the chance to get to know them. He needs to sniff you out first, and then he's ok with being petted. Jackson could lick your face all day long and not get sick of it. He is one of our permanent outside dogs, in part because of his thick coat. If you bring him inside, he gets way to hot and starts panting almost immediately. One of my favorite things about Jackson is the fact that he hops when he is excited and happy. When my car pulls in the driveway, I know he'll be a hoppin! I also love that he tries so hard to howl along with the wolfdogs...but it comes out as a very pitiful, awful barking instead...I believe one day he'll master that howl!


This is Jem. She is a Rottweiler. I got her almost three years ago. I adopted her from the pound, so I'm not exactly sure of her age, but it seems she is probably about 8 or 9. I never wanted a Rottweiler...like a lot of people, I thought they were mean. But I was at the pound one day (a very bad place for me to go...which is why I no longer go...I just feel so bad for the animals and end up adopting them) and looking for a dog to send up to the farm to stay with Jackson. I was looking at this very hyper lab mix when all of a sudden, this dog peeks over the top of her enclosure in to the lab's enclosure. I of course, passed this dog my first time through, but said, let's go see that one. When I got to her, I realized it was a Rottweiler. But, I asked her to sit. She did. "Sit Pretty," I said. She did. She even begged. It was obvious someone had spent a lot of time with her. And so I took a chance and decided to take her home. What a great decision that was. Jem is the best dog a person could ask for. She wants nothing more then to be with her people. She listens well and is very loving. She is getting old, and it is noticeable. She is much slower and has a harder time hearing. She stays in all winter and then stays out in the summer (although we would keep her inside if she wanted to come in in the summer as well). She loves our kitties and it is often that we will see her licking them like they were her babies, or find one curled up next to her.

This is Juju. She is a Pomeranian (supposed to be a teacup, but, well, she is WAY bigger then a teacup...) and is two and half. Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted a Pom. I saw an ad in the paper for them and got her. I probably shouldn't have at the time, but I sure don't regret it now. :) Juju is our alert system...when she starts barking someone is coming or something is happening. I learned this the hard way. One night she was barking and wouldn't stop. I told her to be quiet several times. Turns out, someone was breaking in to the truck and had I listened to her, I might have caught them! Juju is our only house dog. She goes out for periods of time, but will never stay out because of coyotes around here. She is a fast sucker and I hope one day to get video of her. She looks like the Mighty Dog when she runs! She sure doesn't think she is small and often instigates playtime and chases...but of course, when one of the bigger dogs gets to close, she will run and hide behind me! :)

This is Chief. Chief was B's dog before we got married, just as the top four were mine. Chief is a german shepard/wolf mix. He is turning 6 this year. Chief is a very loyal dog. He is another that stays outside year round...he is so big it would be almost impossible to keep him inside, but also...he gets WAY too hot when he comes in...he has a very thick coat! He really loves B and follows him everywhere. He listens extremely well and loves attention. He gets a little jealous of other dogs if they are getting attention and he is not. :) He is a very fast dog and has run next to the four-wheeler with us while we've been going over 25mph. One thing about Chief is that he does not like the AEP guy. He'll charge him and bark whenever he comes down the driveway. We don't know why. Must be the truck.

This is Kaos. He is 10 months old and a very high-content wolfdog. He is getting to be a big boy, and stands just about as tall as Chief now. Kaos is quite a lovebug...he loves to get his belly scratched and loves attention. He is still somewhat shy around people he doesn't know, but around me and B, he can't be in our faces enough. He will pull my ponytail out if he gets the chance, but otherwise will plop himself down on my legs so he can get belly rubs or just lay there. He is a good boy and it has taken a bit of time and patience to get him there.

This is Cynder. She is also a high content wolfdog. She is almost a year old (February 4th) and is our most recent addition. We did not plan on getting her, but when she was offered to us, we decided to take her. We got her when she was 6 months old, which is well outside the time-frame recommend to properly socialize wolfdogs. Working with her has taken a lot of patience and a lot of time. She was very scared of B and I for the first several months...so much so that she would never sit down when we were in the kennel, and would never willingly come over to us on her own. She has finally, started to settle down and comes over to let us pet her. She will probably never be as sociable as Kaos, but she is finally trusting B and I and that is very important to us. She has a very quiet demeanor, but is also quite sneaky, and will often stick her nose in my pocket and take off with my gloves! I look forward to getting to know her better as she continues to trust me more.

And those are our dog furbabies! The next part will introduce you to our kitty furbabies!