Alley's first snow

Today Alley saw her first snow. She was very uncertain at first. She doesn't like to get her paws wet and she kept trying to shake off the snow that was falling on her back. Kapono (Anne's dog) has experienced snow a couple of times. He loves the stuff. Sassy has seen and played in many snowfalls, but it's been 10 years since the last one. She was confused at first, but she quickly regained her memory and enjoyed the flurries.


What is this stuff?


Mom, this white stuff is cold.


Alley just wants to go back in the warm, dry house and sleep on the couch.



Alley chooses to stay on the dry side of the deck.


Sassy is an old pro at dealing with snow.


Kapono just needs a playmate.


Not able to convince the girls to play with him, Kapono decides to play in the bushes.


I know Alley will like the snow if she just gives it a try.


Sassy's little paws sink into the wet snow.


Kapono finally convinces the girls to play.


Uh-oh kissin' cousins.

Sassy loves "American Idol" nights

During "Idol" season, my friend and co-worker Sonya comes to my house to blog during the show. Sassy and Alley love Sonya and look forward to her visits. I know what you're thinking — those dogs bark at strangers. But since "Idol" lasts about 55 weeks a year, Sonya is hardly a stranger.

Sassy knows it's "Idol" night when I turn on the porch light and unlock the door. She patiently lies down by the front door and waits for Sonya. Here she is...

Mardi Gras at Beaver Court

Jeff and I celebrated Mardi Gras by watching President Barack Obama deliver his recovery plan message to the nation. Sassy and Alley had other things in mind. I'm not sure what they did to "earn" these beads. I asked, but the only answer I received was a pant and a whine.

Time for toys

Sassy loves to play tug-of-war. She'll grab a toy and hold one end tight while trying to lure Jeff or me to grab the other end. Alley only likes to play tug-of-war with Sassy. Alley seems confused when a human tries to play with her toys. It's funny because Alley is certainly the more cuddly dog. I guess Sassy is the more playful. Here are a couple of photos that demonstrate their personalities.

An unusual bar guest

When I feel guilty leaving Sassy and Alley at home while Jeff and I go out, I explain that I would take them with me if I could. I tell them that dogs just aren't allowed in bars and restaurants.

Unfortunately, it looks like there's a German Shepard out there who wants to make a liar out of me. This dog was at the bar Saturday night. Don't tell Sassy and Alley, they'll be very jealous. All they do is wait at home by the phone.

A new friend in dog world

Sassy and Alley got to meet a new puppy this week. Oscar, who will likely weigh in at 80 pounds when he's done growing, is an adorably awkward little Boxer mix. His people parents brought him over to my sister's apartment for a play date on New Year's Eve.

Alley was immediately friendly to this new face, as was Anne's dog Kapono. Sassy took a bit longer. As soon as Oscar's little face appeared in the front hall, Sassy started barking. A very mean, I-want-to-bite-you sort of barking.

My sweet Sassy, who won't utter a growl when kids pull her tail and ears, is the alpha female of her dog world. Any new dog introduced to her pack must not threaten her top- dog status.

Worried that Sassy might attack Oscar, who just wanted to play, Jeff and I held her back and used the furniture to keep the two dogs separated.

I tried explaining things to her. "Sassy, we don't bark and growl at our guests."

I imagine if Sassy could speak people language she would say, "Mom, this is not people world, this is dog world. That's exactly how we greet our guests. How else will establish our pack order?"

We eventually had to release Sassy, of course. She snapped at Oscar, which didn't seem to surprise him. She didn't bite, and Oscar must have communicated his lack of desire to be top dog because everyone (well, every dog) happily sniffed butts and shared toys for the rest of night.

I guess I learned a little about dog world this week.

Christmas goes to the dogs

Sassy and Alley had a great Christmas. Their cousin (my sister Anne's dog Kapono) come over for several days and Anne bought giant peanut-butter flavored candy-cane shaped bones. YUM!

All three dogs consumed their treats immediately. No leftovers from that Christmas dinner. Alley was first to finish and Sassy was last. Sassy was smart, though. She ran into the other room and faced a corner while chewing her treat. She wasn't going to let the other two near her while she was chomping away. Alley, of course, plopped down right on the rug where we, her human friends, were opening presents. Kapono found a sweet spot in the sun-soaked sunroom to enjoy his treat.

We didn't get any photos of the giant bones. They had disappeared before I hunted down the camera. But we got some cute photos of each dog on Christmas day.