Greetings…

We’re celebrating two birthdays this week. The two having a birthday
are now teenagers and definitely showing independence, even though
they are also needy as heck…

Of course, I’m talking about Coco, aka Moose and Ginger, who are
celebrating their second birthday!

Anyone with dogs know that although the puppy phase is definitely
trying and a lot of work, the second birthday which puts them into
the teen years also has some equally challenging moments…

At this age, they are in FULL control of the house and the people that
live in the house. They know every trick in the book to get what they
want and are not ashamed to use each and every one of them!

They have temper tantrums when they don’t get what they want and when
something in their routine is changed, they will show their displeasure
by doing something that they may have not done for a long time, and of
course, it’s not anything that you’d be happy about or proud of…

Case in point…

While I was gone, Moosie and Ginger didn’t like the fact that mommy
was gone. That nice fire pit that I planted flowers in took the
brunt of their displeasure at being separated from mommy. It has been
over a year since they dug up the flowers and deposited the dirt all over
the patio, but their memory clicked and they realized that the reaction
of horror from the humans was enough for them to get their point across!

They removed the little fence that surrounds the flowers and took them
into the grass, but first made sure they chewed a few hunks out of them.
Next, the dirt and flowers were displaced to the patio, although they did
leave some of them intact in the pit, so they would have some more “fun”
the following three days…

I fixed the flowers in the pit when I came back and they haven’t even
looked at it since…

Dogs do have feelings and emotions even though some people don’t believe
it. Dogs also are capable of “paybacks” even though some dog experts
would tell you something different…

This all just adds to their personalities and reasons for loving them
so darn much…

The first few days after I got home, they stayed pretty close to me to
make sure I wasn’t going anywhere. They are back to their regular routine
with mommy home and back to chasing lizards, rabbits, and giant bugs,
followed by 5 hour naps…

Happy, Happy Birthday Ginger and Coco, no one on earth is happier than
I am that the two of you were born and found your way into my life…

Love, Mommy