Who's Who - Part 2

We've gone to the dogs.

But, that's nothing new.

You may have guessed from the occasional dog popping up in any given picture,

that we have a few dogs.

Yes, we do.

Have a few.

Five, to be exact.

Now, I have to tell you, we never intended to end up with five dogs.

Somehow it just happened.

It was all their fault.

They found us.

In the beginning there was Sadie.

Sadie is our 8 year old Bernese Mountain dog.

She has been with us since she was 8 weeks old.

She is loyal, true and infinitely loving to us, her family.

You....well, that's another story.

She might like you, and she might not.

There's no predicting....she's a little quirky...

sort of an autistic version of a dog.

But... we love her and she loves us...fiercely!

Then when Sadie was 2, we got Maddie, our Newfie...

thinking Sadie needed a friend for company.

Obviously, we did not consult Sadie.

If we had she would have reminded us that since she is not a dog,

then she doesn't need another dog for company!

Duh!

And so for the next 4 years life was uncomplicated with only 2 dogs.

Then Sadie had a cancerous tumor and we realized that she would not be with us forever.

Maddie, being attached to Sadie (even though Sadie did not return the sentiment) 

would be left alone and sad if something happened to Sadie.

So, we decided that adopting a rescue for a third dog was the thing to do.

And along came Oakley.

Long story, short.... we found Oakley online in a kill shelter in Kentucky,

(two days before he was scheduled to be put "down")

had him transported to Pennsylvania and quickly fell in love with this

sweet fellow.

He is the perfect farm dog and helps to keep our lands free from predators.

With the exception of a few incidents with skunks and a porcupine,

has been a perfect gentleman.

And so there were three.

Two months later,

Sam ended up on the farm.

Owned by one of our kids, but not a good dog for apartment life,

"Bad Sam" became the perfect farm dog as his life magically 

transformed into days filled with adventure and lots of exercised...

both of which he needs.

Sam is one quarter each of beagle, poodle, rottweiler, and chow.

And it's easy to see.... he hunts like a beagle, runs like a poodle, plays (growls) like a rottweiler,

and is the color of a chow.

And then there were four.

That same month, Hickory our Norfolk terrier (then 15) needed a home to save her from

finishing her life in a pound.

We couldn't let that happen....

Hickory is 17 now and such a part of our family...

we wish we could have her with us forever!

And then there were five!

So, you see....it just happened.

Eventually we will be back down to two dogs...

but we are in no hurry for that day as we love all five so very much!