Dogsitting

Our friends Pam and Andrew are up at Notre Dame for the football game today -- Pam in the band and Andrew to watch the game itself as well as watching his lovely wife perform. Sadly, but not unexpectedly, UT lost rather convincingly, although I can only ever be half-sad when Notre Dame loses, having spent many enjoyable afternoons and evenings with friends back in California cheering for the Irish.

Happily, though, they dropped off their super-cute Labrador Retriever Abby for us to watch. I managed to get a picture of all three dogs together, and you've gotta agree with me that these are three really great dogs. Sassafras is presiding on the couch, Karma is kickin' it on the rug, and Abby is playing with Squeaky the Squirrel.

Abby is a little rambunctious, but she's less than a year old. All three dogs like playing football. Both Abby and Sassy like to chase after the ball when I throw it, and all three dogs fight over it when they get it near me. Abby gets a little scared of the older dogs when they approach and try to take the football from her mouth, but she does seem to get the idea that part of the game involves trying to take the ball away from the other dog. Abby is not so clear on the concept of "Give" when a human uses that command, however. Hopefully her parents can teach her that command and there won't be a problem.

But it's great fun having the dogs around and giving them lots of love and play. It's also good that they get tired out with each other, because they sleep longer at night.

Now, the cats have a different opinion of this doggie house guest. You should hear them hiss at her! Abby, like the other dogs, acts completely oblivious to a cat's threatening hisses and claw-swipes; she thinks it is just play. Abby is also the worst offender of the three -- and all three are bad offenders -- at chasing the cats up and down the stairs. It sounds like thunder cracking when all three dogs go chasing after Jordan the Soccer Ball Kitty, who is not the most quiet of critters herself.