Puppies

I love seeing how far they will go to open a door. if I'm ever incapacitated, this will be a valuable survival skill. After this, CPR, first-aid, and I'm teaching them to dial 911 and subdue an attacker.

Batman is dismayed when the video keeps asking him, "Where's your brother?" And in his best dog grunt he says, "I'm here! I'm here! Over here!"

I had the company truck and had to take Batman and Chewy to see grandma. They really didn't know what was happening because I own two crash-proof cages that are bolted to the child seat anchors in my regular car. However, when the boss told me to take the truck home, this is the only way to carry my babies.

Batman and Chewy greet Hunter, their new cousin.

Batman has a new stuffed yorkie and it's funny to watch him growling and trying to talk to it.

I was weighing myself in the bathroom and removed my favorite hospital scrubs. Minutes later, I was in the living room and heard a dragging sound--it was Batman, slowly dragging my shirt into the living room like an Anaconda on feast day. I thought it was so cute, I looked for my cellphone. It was nowhere to be found, so I grabbed my home phone and dialed the number, heard the annoying ring-tone and as I zoomed in, I realized it was in the shirt Batman had stolen. He looked nervous, like he'd accidentally bitten off more than he could chew. Thankfully, I found an even older phone that had lost connectivity over two years ago, but had a perfectly good working camera and shot this. That's my baby, Batman. He'll steal anything that smells like me--I once caught him trying to remove a winter glove after a walk, while I fell asleep on an easy chair. I woke to a tug as he tried to remove it one finger at a time. Clever little klepto!

Chewy, also temporarily known as Dog Dylan, has a funny reaction to harmonica. The door to the back yard was open, he was free to go and yet, he sat and howled. His brother simply grumbled and wondered why I wouldn't chase him into the yard.

This video is seven years old. I went to grab my workout clothes and found Batman, pinning Chewy down to lick Chewy's sore ear. Chewy is on prescription allergy meds because he's always had ear problems--if I stop the meds, his ear turns red and itchy and he scratches it raw. But here we see why they get along and why they fight--Batman is a nurturing brother but Chewy is a bit of a loner. Batman occasionally forcefully takes care of his brother and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Batman thinks he's in charge and as the older, larger brother, he may be right.

I set up a camera to capture my baby getting his weekly ear drop application. It's funny to watch his expression when he knows it's coming. He's not one to like affection, and neither am I. After a lifetime of being used and abused by people, I trust my pups more than anyone. They might not know how to love, but they still do it better than anyone I know. I can't help but want to shower them with love.