BarkingProse

This is my brother Abel. We were in the first litter from my mom Wanda and dad Bug. That’s why all our names start with the letter “A”.

Abel’s real easy going like me. He likes everybody and all us house dogs really like him.

Then there’s my other brother Arrow. He’s not so easy going. He gets all worried about new places and people and doesn’t want to play with us.

Here’s the best picture mom could get of him while we were in the front yard.

I like both my brothers but they hardly pay any attention to me. They’ve always had each other so it’s like they don’t even want to get to know me.

It makes me a little sad when I think about it, but it’s ok. I’ve got Tess and Jack and there’s lots of other dogs who come to visit.

The last night he was here  Arrow tried to tell Tess that he was more important than her. He kept putting his head over her neck and then he grabbed her from behind.

I warned him that Tess wouldn’t put up with that stuff, and sure enough her bad redhead self flared up and she and Arrow got into it.

Mom was there and stopped it right away, but after that whenever Tess saw Arrow she growled at him. Good thing we’ve got two separate play areas.

Today my brothers are on their way back to Montana. I hope they come back soon. Maybe Arrow will be in a better mood next time. We’ll see. Gotta run.

OK. We’ve been goofin off. My two brothers Arrow and Abel came to stay with us, a coyote swiped our favorite chicken, and it’s been too hot to write.

Well, not really. I mean all the stuff I said is true except the part about writing.

These past few days have been tough on old Jack. I mean Tess and I get hot too, but an old black dog just gets worn down in the heat.

Of course mom worries about all of us. But when Jack was too hot and tired to follow her around like he usually does, she knew she had to do something to perk him up a little.

So out came the doggie ice cream. Dad still has to hold it for Jack. You’d think he’d figure out how to eat it himself. Tess and I grabbed ours and headed for the far corners of the yard. Jack sat in the shade and licked and licked until the little container was bone dry. Then just in case he left something on his whiskers, he stuck his tongue out as far as it would go.

When mom clicked the shutter I heard her laughing. We all peeked at the camera and had a good laugh with her. Jack didn’t care. He was remembering the taste of the ice cream and how much he loves it. I told him he should act real weak every time it gets hot and then we’ll all get plenty of ice cream.

Mom’s gonna start making her own doggie ice cream. For now we’re loving our Frosty Paws. You can get it at most grocery stores. Try it – you’ll like it! Gotta run.

See the guy in the picture? That’s my dad. I don’t bark about him much because he doesn’t like to be the center of attention.

A couple of nights ago I heard mom asking dad about his life when he was younger. I learned a bunch of stuff I didn’t know.

His parents came from Norway and he was born in Portland, OR. He joined the marines when he was 17 and got sent to fight in Korea.

He doesn’t much care about money or things, but he really cares about us dogs. You can tell from the picture how he feels about us.

Dad doesn’t know all our commands. It’s kinda funny. When he gets frustrated with us he sort of sputters and mom has to step in and bark out the orders. You’d think he’d be better about orders since he was a marine, but maybe he forgot. It was a long time ago.

Tess adores dad. She’s his dog and goes everywhere with him. Mom rode in the truck with dad a couple of days ago and Tess was really mad because she had to sit in the back seat. Mom calls Tess dad’s other wife.

When dad was a little kid he had to go live in the country because his mother was Rosie the Riveter at the shipyards. He lived with his uncle who raised chickens. I guess he still remembers that. Here, see for yourself. That’s my dad with his favorite chicken.

Jack and Tess want everybody to know that our dad has a really soft heart when it comes to creatures. He used to carry Jess, mom’s first Aussie, up and down the stairs each night when Jess could hardly walk. He cradled Cornelius, his beloved cat, as Corny took his last breath.

Dad never gets mad when we get sick or have an accident in the house. He just cleans it up and tells us not to worry. He’s real gentle when he puts the drops in Jack’s eyes. When he’s done he kisses Jack on the snout.

Me, Tess and Jack want our dad to know how much we appreciate all the things he does for us. That’s why I barked about him. Thanks dad!