Doggy Heaven or is doggy_____?

Boy, we've been having a whole lot of fun here with dogs. My son Brynn and his girlfriend have taken over parentage of a pitbull/akita mix, named Duke. Duke sure stirs things up around here!

He and Rocky wrestle around, and Thunder freaks out. I believes he's jealous, plus he feels the need to remind Duke that he had better watch his step. After all, Thunder is top dog in this house. Not that it means much. Rocky is so mellow, you barely know he's here. He doesn't chew alot - he'd better not, with about $50.00 worth of chew toys strewn end-to-end in the house and yard. He's not a barker, or a jumper. When you say it's time for treats, he sits before you tell him to and looks at you with those big sad eyes. He is so pathetic- he warms hearts in an instant. I think he would be a good volunteer dog- one that visits nursing homes,hospitals, etc...

Duke and Rocky get going and it's comical! Duke will literally have Rocky's head in his mouth, but he never hurts him. In fact, Rocky comes back for more! Rocky will play like a hellion and challenge Thunder and Duke into a grand old wrestling match. But when he's done, he's done. We almost named him Crash as he is crashed out so much of the time!

Of course, our puppy still has "mistakes". Apparently, so does Duke. So we are on constant watch and endless activity.

The dogs will go out. They come in and have a huge drink. They go back out. When they come in, they practice their tricks, receiving treats. Better go out again. Come in. We go out to feed the goats- the dogs come out, too. We go in, they have ANOTHER huge drink. Back out. Come in. Go to bed. Pee in the house while we sleep.

But we love them dearly. My cousin Tracy has a dog that is experiencing a hip problem that will only get worse. Although the vet has given drugs to ease the pain and such, my cousin knows it' s only a matter of time before she has to have the dog put to sleep. She and her husband were discussing it today, and she said she bursted out crying. She is torn by her love for her furry friend. One the one hand, she does not want to see it suffer. One the other hand, it's like having your child put to sleep. We couldn't imagine it.

And now, another day has come to an end. The dogs are napping ( hopefully for the night!) and it's time for me to say Good night!