Max vs the Frog

Max has a fascination with lizards and frogs. He has tried so many times to get a good up close look at them but of course they don't stand still for long. When he has had the opportunity he quietly lays down and just observes, studying their every move.

Last night Ken was cleaning up the patio and he heard a noise coming from the corner. After several attempts to direct the frog out the patio door with a broom failed, he grabbed a vase that we had under the potting station and captured him. Before he was safely and humanely released in our neighobrs lush tropical back garden, Ken let Max have 60 seconds to get a good close up look at the frog.

Every time the frog jumped...Max jumped

 

So Max settled in for a good look

More Max

Stopping to take a drink from the frisbee, Max looks like he's glowing! He's earned the drink after a day of playing hard on the beach

Bounding through the sea grass

Ever the princess

 

Sadie sleeps on the sofa with her head on the pillow...of course. Spoiled? Nah! She's a princess and you wouldn't expect a princess to sleep on the floor would you?  

Pedicure for two

Yes I've read your emails and heard your comments so here they are in all their glory, Sadie and Max!!

Sadie showing off her pedicure and sporting the bandanna from the groomer

Max is showing off his pedicure.

I think the groomer gave them happy pills, they absolutely hated going in there but came out with smiles and happy. Max has a blue bandanna, of course :-)

Funny how the same floor looks 3 different colors. Its probably closest in color to the top photo.

You give me gum gum dumb dumb

Do you ever imagine what your dog's voice would sound like? I think Max would sound sort of like the Easter Island statue from the movie Night at the Museum. But instead of give me gum gum he would say, dumb dumb, you rub my belly dumb dumb. This scene never fails to make me laugh!

Little Legs Big Heart

When we take them places, inevitably someone will comment on Max's short little legs. Sometimes the comments are quite rude like "who chopped off his legs" or "what the hell happened to his legs"

These typically come from old men. Depending on my mood for the day (how many cups of coffee have I had?) I respond with varying degrees of niceness.

"why is he so short" I respond with "why is your nose so big?"

"who chopped off his legs, he's so short" the response is "so you're calling attention to his shortness in an attempt to draw attention away from your short...." and this is where Ken drags me away before I can finish the sentence.

Whatever the case, Max is my gupper...thats part guppy and part puppy, he may have short little legs but he has the sweetest little heart.

Leaping Lizards

I love the way they prance and pounce through the water with such determination and speed. All that matters in the moment is retrieving the toy...or in this case...the flip flop...and being the one to bring it back to shore and get the "good dog" praise.

When we went to the veterinarians last week, they remarked at what a beautiful and shiny coat they have, such healthy dog fur and skin. Of course we had given them a puppy bath the night before but I have to say they really do have amazing coats.

We've been really lucky too, not a single flea or tick even with all of our adventures into the woods to get to the gulf of mexico for their swim. Of course we use Advantix but I've heard people say their dog still gets fleas....of course that makes me start singing that song from the commercial....there ain't no bugs on me, there ain't no bugs on me, there may be bugs on some of you mugs but there ain't no bugs on me.

Rolling In the Sand

On this day at the beach we took a break under the shade of the mangroves. Sadie and Max took advantage of the time to really roll in the sand and get as dirty as possible. It worked! They were caked in sand by the time they finished rolling around.

I've cleaned things up around the blog a bit, gave it a fresh new look. The header is temporary and I'm working on a new design I hope to share within the next month...I have to fit it in with my other projects! We hope you enjoy the look of our new home as much as we do!

Determination

Sadie runs through the water determined to pounce on me and give me kisses. This was one of the shots I snapped before stashing the camera for safety and accepting my wet dog Sadie love.

And the winner is....

Max was the victorious one this round! Congratulations Max. The really weird thing about all of this is that when we play with a ball or the Cuz in the house, Max LOVES to chase after it but rarely brings it back. Typically, Sadie gets frustrated with him, runs over and takes the ball from him and brings it to us then looks at him as if to say "you are suppose to bring it to the humans if you want them to throw it again dummy"

Yet in the water, Max wants to be the one to bring it to the humans. He wants to be the winner!!

So Much For Shared Victory

Once back on dry land the great debates begins over who gets to bring the spoils to the human for the next round of "retrieve the flip flop"

Sharing The Victory

Its hard to see but in their mouths is a black flip flop that we used for a toy for them to retrieve in the water. No matter who gets to it first the other will grab on and help bring it ashore.


Even when they reach the shore they both still hold on, wanting to get credit for retrieving the object, sharing the victory all the way!

Is she snorkeling?

Thats Sadie with her head under the water looking like she is snorkeling. Actually in a way she is, she has reached the toy first and in her rush through the water she has pushed it down under the surface and has to retrieve it, its all part of the game!

You can see the water flying from Max's back legs as he kicks hard to try to catch up. They are very competitive but do a great job sharing.

A happy Max

When Max gets tired of running around and playing or when Sadie is getting the better of him, he has a habit. He runs to me, runs through my legs, around to my side and then gives it a shake covering me with water. If Sadie is in pursuit, he will run through the legs and around the side and jump up on my leg as if to say pick me up, and protect me. He will also do this when he is feeling shy or tired. Just like a little child, he runs to his Mom.

Waiting to give chase

Max is in the back, Sadie is in the front. They are looking back at Ken waiting for him to throw the toy into the water so they can chase after it. Two wet and happy dogs!

Give It A Shake

From the time Sadie and Max were little I taught them to shake off the excess water on command. From the bath tub, the sprinklers, the swimming pool or the gulf of mexico these two LOVE the water.

In this photo series, Sadie came running up to me soaking wet and I said the magic words "Give it a shake Sadie" and she obliged! These photos captured the action of her shake and I just love the faces she makes during the shake and how sweet her face looks in the last photo as her ears sail back down into place.

Speedy

Max may have short legs but he is FAST and an excellent swimmer. While Sadie is usually faster because her longer legs get her off to a faster start, Max has the bushy tail advantage that helps him paddle through the current.

Bitch Slap

Sadie and Max started playing in the water, presumably to determine who would get to claim victory and bring the toy back. They were moving so quickly and honestly I don't think I could have snapped this shot if I was trying but the title says it all so perfectly. You can see the water flying from Max's paw on the other side of Sadie's face. Don't feel bad for Sadie, she has been on the giving end of the slaps just as many times.

Chasing Dinner

When we went to the beach, we didn't intend to let them play in the water but it was so warm and the LOVE the water so we let them and they never hesitate to jump right in.

We didn't bring their usual toy so we used the first toy they learned to retrieve from the water, a flip flop! In the second photo you can see the splash of it hitting the water as they bound through the surf to chase after it.

Occasionally they will see a fish jump from the water and chase after it too....

The Flying Dog

I LOVE this photo of Sadie. She looks like she is in flight across the water as she chases after her toy.

We spent a wonderful day at the park yesterday and over the next few weeks I'm going to share many of the photos! Its April, consider this your Sadie and Max - The Spring Break Edition

It freaked me out the first time I saw it

The first time I saw Max sleep upside down in his den like this, I thought he was dead! I know there are people who don't agree with crate training but it was the best way for us to housebreak two dogs at once and they grew to love their crates...erm DENS, we call them their dens because dogs sleep in dens and it sounds so much nicer than crate LOL.

At night we put them in their dens and close the doors so we can get some sleep but during the day, the doors are left open and they both wander in and out of them to sleep during the day. Max is often found asleep in his den just like this.

Basking in the sunshine

In the middle of the woods, Max manages to find the most sunny spot! How typical for this little black furball of happiness!

Far more civilized

Its hard to believe that two dogs could be so different! Sadie is shown here lounging during our break while walking in the woods. While Max wanted to explore the woods around us, Sadie was quite content to lay within sight of her humans. She is a creature of habit and doesn't like to be outside unless her humans are close by.

Great Explorations

Max is the explorer. He explores the back yard daily just to be sure no one is in HIS territory. The other day when we went on a hike and stopped for a rest, he had to explore the woods around us. The silence of the day was broken by sounds of us saying "Maxxxx, come back here!"

He has that "I've been busted look on his face"

Strike A Pose

A rare photo of Sadie and Max together! Typically they have far too much energy to hold still for a photo at the same time.

We were on our hike through the woods and stopped to have a drink and take a photo, Sadie is in the back, Max is in the front.

The rush of the wind....

What is it with dogs in cars and the need or overwhelming desire to stick their heads out the window? Its not like they teach this in puppy preschool yet everywhere I go, I see cars with dogs hanging their heads out the window. There are even websites and blogs dedicated strictly to showing dogs in cars. Typically I don't allow them to put their heads out the window because I'm afraid they will get something in their eyes or fall out of the car. However when these photos were taken we were moving about 10 miles per hour following a construction bulldozer on a back two lane road. I thought the risk was minimal and they throughly enjoyed it!

Sadie Chills

Sadie stands guard over the tennis ball while laying in a bit of shade in a patch of "Florida dirt" aka SAND! This was among the photos I sent to a friend of mine in the Chicago and she replied, is that SNOW? Where did you go? Our sand is white but if I recall, snow is much whiter! I suppose at first glance it could look like dirty snow from the side of the road.

Sadie takes the ball

One of Sadie's favorite toys at home is a tennis ball. When she found one at the dog park she grabbed it like she owned it and started to run around with it in her mouth....

Sadie, you are supposed to bring it to me so I can throw it and you can chase it, silly puppy!

The ears will fly

He has such a happy look on his face as he chases Sadie. Both of them holding their tails in the air but his has a little hook on the end and it curls around more than hers. He is the little dog with big feet and a big bushy tail!

Blur

The grass is moving but I'm perfectly still.....
I was taking pictures of Sadie when Max came rushing past me, I turned the camera to catch a shot of him and managed to catch the world moving under his fast little feet.

He has short little legs for a dog, they looked a lot like a little basset hound that showed up at the park the other day but he also looks like Labrador perhaps he is a Bassador a special and unique breed of dog!

Skulls and Crossbones

Max watches the dogs play at the dog park while he rests and waits for the next big chase.

We were talking to another couple at the dog park who were very amused by little Max and his tough skulls and crossbones collar. You can't see whats on Sadie's collar because it disappears under the fur. About ten minutes later the woman started calling Sadie over to her and I was taken aback wondering why this stranger was calling MY SADIE!

Sadie went up to her cautiously and the women bent down to pet her and looked at her collar and said..."I just had to know what was on her collar after seeing the skulls and crossbones on his" she looks over towards her husband and shouted "its pink with handbags and shoes"

I wonder what she was expecting?

The Look

Max made quite an impression at the dog park yesterday. We got there and there were 4 other black dogs there so needless to say Sadie and Max fit right in...except of course Max was the shortie of the bunch, even Sadie was short compared to these big dogs!

After running around and playing, I told Max "go get a drink" and he looked up at me with this face...

Double Trouble

In a rare appearance together! Max on the left, Sadie on the right. Again that isn't a ball in her mouth its her tongue!

You can really see the difference in their height in this photo, Sadie is about four inches taller than Max, his tail is twice as thick as hers. Her legs are long and lean, his legs are short and muscular. They really are more than brother and sister, they are best of friends.

Everywhere we go people ask "what are they" (they are dogs of course) "are they related" and when we say, "brother and sister from the same litter" the next question "what are they mixed with? We like to make up funny answers. The truth is we just don't know and we probably never will and I'm ok with that, why can't other people be?

I know you....

I could have cropped this photo and showed just Sadie but I wanted you to see the other half of me, that smiling face walking towards me!

No that isn't a ball in her mouth, its her tongue and she is running to me to save me from the box (camera) in front of my face. Typical Sadie, always concerned for everyones safety.

The other night we were out walking and it was quite cold...well, Florida cold, it was 45 degrees and it was very windy. Ken had his hood pulled up around his head and I was bundled up. I took both dogs and walked a bit ahead while Ken cleaned up poo. It was dark but there were street lights. We walked about 20 feet ahead of Ken and they both stopped in their tracks and turned around to look for him but they saw was a hooded creature or maybe they saw a monster was attacking their human because they started to growl and bark at him. He of course played into their fears by walking towards us like a zombie. They had already lost one human to the zombies, they weren't about to lose me so they took their places in front of me ready to defend me from the zombie......

Nothing But Air

Nothing but air under Sadies feet!! She is like a little SPRING and jumps in the air when she gets excited. She is a jumper!

She thinks that when a human bends down to pet her, she is supposed to leap up and give them a big slobbery kiss on the face. I captured this shot from the OTHER side of the dog park, sorry its not a perfect picture but it was too funny to keep to myself. At least the human in question being slobbered on is my husband who knows to expect it.

Look Mom One Paw

Max may have little legs but he can RUN fast when he wants to! Sorry about Ken stepping into the photo as I was shooting it but this one was just too funny to keep to myself! Max has ONE paw on the ground as his little legs move in rapid fire catching up with a big dog as they run along the fence line. He may be little but he has a huge heart! Go Max!!

We need to have a little talk...

Left to right: Max, Ken, Sadie

"Daddy" has to lecture Max on Dog Park etiquette, note the finger shaking going on as he said:
Max, you have to be a good boy, no picking on the big dogs, they could bite you in half, we love you and wouldn't want that to happen so you need to stop being a bully and be a good boy

I have a feeling Max heard it something like this:
Max blah blah blah good boy blah blah blah big dog blah blah blah we love you blah blah blah good boy

Notice Sadie on the other side looking on...can't you just hear her saying "I told you so!"