Roll call: front to back: Bouncer, Cory, Zen, Macy (sleeping in her normal, ladylike position) Rollie, Tango. Doria was sleeping on the bed behind me with Lou and Dodger was in his usual position, across the threshold at the door (keeping watch...) so I was standing on/over him when I took this picture. Jason and Kelly were sleeping on the sofa.... I took this photo because no one realy believes that so many dogs live in the house...also because every time I come out of my bedroom in the morning and see that field of Newfs in front of me, I can start the day off in a great mood!

Doria was top girl...she was the only one who slept on the bed with us back then. She never fussed or moved, just stretched out between Lou and I on her side with her head on my pillow and I would curl around her back... Tango hates to be warm so she always sleeps closest to the door so she can go out periodically to get some cool night air. Dodger has slept across the threshold since he was a puppy...he never comes into the bedroom to sleep. It is his JOB to keep watch over us while we are sleeping.... DODGER RECEIVES AOM at WESTMINSTER 1998 Handled by Gerlinde Hockla Bouncer (Doria's daughter) was already planning on becoming top dog when this photo (top left) was taken. She wouldn't sleep in the bedroom because it annoyed her that Doria had the bed and she couldn't. And she couldn't have the threshold because Dodger had had that spot for years. So she slept next to Dodger and jealously guarded her position...none of the others were allowed to pass her in the hall to come into the room... They are actually sleeping in "pack order" A SPECIAL STORY We have a doggie door that lets the whole gang have access to a two acre paddock. Sometimes when I am half asleep in the morning I can tell who is going in and out by the sound of the doggie door...Dodger goes through slowly, Willow slams into the door with her body on the way out, Sophie goes part way out and looks around and then the door swings down after she moves through. We had been having a periodic problem. Every morning I would get up and find a book (or two) completely torn apart with hundreds of pages blowing around the yard. I could not find the culprit and each day when I went out to pick up the paper, the whole group would follow me around as I lectured them that this was BAD, Mommy's getting tired of picking up the papers, Louie's going to strangle the first dog he catches taking another book off of the library shelves. They would solemnly follow me around and watch and listen. One morning I heard the doggie door opening and closing over fifty times in the same methodical manner. I was just dozing and trying to figure out who it was going through the door. Then I sort of wondered why any dog would be going through the door that many times. (It was 5:30am...not usually my best hour for taking action or making decisions of any kind.) Occasionally I would hear the group barking playfully. Finally my curiousity got the best of me and I got up and went down the hall to watch. Zen was VERY BUSY. He was moving like a dog on a mission. He had a book in his mouth. Out he ran through the doggie door. I followed and looked outside...in horror. Twelve dogs were out in the yard ripping and tearing books and having the time of their collective lives. The entire yard was a sea of paper. Zen gave the book to Dodger and turned and ran back to the house, through the doggie door, into the library, and grabbed another. "Freeze, buster!" He dropped the book and ran back outside (I'm sure to warn the others). When I opened the back door, everybody dropped their papers, book remnants, etc. and nonchalantly walked past me into the house. I counted 27 book covers during my five hour cleanup. That was the last time anyone ever took a book off the shelves. BUT...two weeks later we were sitting in the living room and heard a strange crashing sound in the room with the doggie door. Lou offered to go investigate. He returned with Zen in hand AND the reading lamp off the desk. He said, "I believe your dog has graduated to small appliances." Another special story............. .... For over a month I had been arguing with Lou about his shoes. Every morning I would get up and find another shoe out in the yard, chewed beyond hope. He would complain bitterly that he was going to end up barefoot thanks to "my dogs" (they are always "my dogs" when they do something delightful like eating the remote control for the TV). I had absolutely no sympathy and reminded him that if he didn't put his shoes away, it was his own fault. He kept insisting that he never leaves his shoes out but I, cruel, disbelieving woman that I am, did not consider that he was telling the truth. One afternoon I was trying to take a nap and I suddenly heard the closet door opening. I sat up in disbelief and watched as Zen reached in, took one of Louie's shoes, put it down on the floor, AND CLOSED THE CLOSET DOOR WITH HIS NOSE. He then picked up the shoe and proudly left for the yard to share his prize with his less daring friends. Needless to say, I offered my humble apologies to Lou for "my dogs" and my disbelief! Click on any of the links below to go to that page INFO ON IRC DOG CHATS | JAVA DOG CHATS | OTHER DOG CHATS HOME | NEWS OF #NEWFDOG | CURRENT ESCALANTE RESCUE This page hosted by Get your own Free Homepage

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