Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Dog Days


It's hot here in Indiana. Very hot. And we have a new dog. It's actually been over a month now. His name is Kipper-a Shetland Sheepdog. As much as I didn't care for a dog in the household, the little guy has grown on me. He's 12 weeks old and NOT housebroken. But he can sit and lay down upon command. The coolest thing is that he can sound just like Snoopy from the old Peanuts cartoons when he's playing or asking for something. Impossible to describe with words. You just have to know the sound.

He's social, loyal, and possibly smarter than your average hound. I'm thinking about letting him stay.

Quick review of origin: He was a gift from one of Laura's student's families who breed Shelties. Of the 3 pups in the litter, were going to take the female. Our dog was going to be Marley. But on the last visit before the adoption, Warren, Laura's student, told her that one of the males was his favorite, and that it was only right that he went to his favorite teacher. How do you refute that? So Marley was almost Moose who finally became Kipper upon Harrison's insistence. Remember the little British dog from the cartoon? A kipper is a small type of fish that I believe is often salted down or packed in oil like a sardine.

Speaking of dogs, here are a couple of dog friendly links. Lazy Dog Outfitters is a kayaking and fishing excursion company in Key West with a line of apparrel that shows an affinity for all things canine. The site has an active discussion group on many topics. Lazy Dog sponsored a "Win A Job In Key West" contest last year which I entered but obviously did not win. Check them out at www.lazydogadventure.com/ A fun place for a bite and a drink is the Salty Dog Cafe in Sea Pines Plantation in Hilton Head, SC. Just head to South Beach. Take a look at www.saltydog.com/