Well, the fun this week is that Jake and Felecia feel the need to play 'mother' to all of the baby chicks and duckies hatching. They come and tell me when a baby chick is crying in the incubator. They are like little kids, they can't wait for me to take it out so they can inspect it. Then when I put the chicks or duckies in a brood box, the two will hang thier heads into the box at the same time and lick the little 'mite' all over. They just love those little chicks. If the two dogs are outside in the kennel during the day and a chick loses sight of Mama hen and cries for her, Felecia will set up a frantic barking until I come running to bring it back to Mama hen. I believe she probably would pick it up and carry it to mamma hen herself if she was out of the kennel.

Well, 'Mr. Jake' is quite the scamp. He loves to mercilessly tease Felecia to get her to chase him. Then he runs and runs, dodging this way and that and making quick sharp turns. He reminds me of the border collies at work. He revels in frustrating Felecia who isn't as fast as he is. When she gives up, he stops, turns and crouches low until she comes near, then he springs at her. He is so 'catlike' at times. I've never had a dog like this. He loves to play by himself, tossing a small item into the air then catching it or batting it across the floor and running after it.

What a pleaser Jake is. He tries to please in everything. If Felecia starts barking at the cow (which I hate her doing, the cow's bell excites her and she drives me nuts; a very irritating collie trait), Jake will get worried and keep looking at the house. Then he goes at Felecia growling for her to stop. It is almost like he is saying, "quit it, you're going to get us in trouble, she'll be out here any minute if you keep that up." He is persistant and almost vicious until she stops. If I do catch her at it and go out and tell her to stop, Jake sinks to the ground with a woeful look. He just hates to be scolded and he thinks he is being scolded along with her. It makes it hard for me to scold Felecia because in the background he is groveling on his belly towards me and I want to grin in humor. I thought I loved Felecia so, and that she was the smartest dog around , but this little 'buddie o' mine' has won my heart over like no other, he truly has her beat in the smarts department (and he isn't stubborn and slow to obey like she is apt to be).

Felecia is still very much loved, don't get me wrong, but Felecia has always been Meghan's dog. Jake is mine alone. We bonded the moment I picked him up. Guess we liked one another's smell. (you know ' Frito feet ' and 'puppy chow breath' and all) Shhh, don't let Rick hear that. I tried to look like I was taking my time in deciding on a pup, weighing this and that, but Jake and I knew instantly we belonged to each other.

> Then when I put the chicks or duckies in a brood box, the two will hang thier heads >into the box at the same time and lick the little 'mite' all over. They just love those little chicks.

Elaine wrote:
>This is amazing- they don't eat them?

Nope- It amazed me also. Felecia taught Jake to be gentle with them. Last winter and early Spring before we got Jake, Felecia used to spend time with me in the barn while I milked. Felecia would amuse herself with the two Mamma hens and their chicks. She would nudge a hen with her nose to get the chicks out from under her. The chicks would scatter and Felecia would round them up with her long nose and push them back to the Mamma. They would disappear under Mamma hen, then Felecia would nudge the hen again. It was fun to watch. I was amazed that she never once hurt those tiny little 'cotton balls'! and now Jake is just as gentle with them, he's not as intense about them as Felecia, she's definitely the herder in the family. He is just comical to watch with his floppy ears, cocking his head this way and that watching that chickie or duckie, and then he'll dip his head in and wash it. He thinks it is just another play toy. Felecia, who loves to mother everything and everyone, thinks its another 'ward' for her to take care of and she takes her job very seriously. (:->)