Gone to the Dogs - Day 26

Spirit Eating an Apple  

An apple is a special prize

- the dogs' senses are on high alert     

 Casper and Spirit knew there were apples in my hand before I got anywhere near the dogpen. If apples smell good to humans, imagine how incredibly good they must smell magnified tens of thousands of times in a dog's specialized olfactory system.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 23

Spirit and her Shadow  

Spirit is enjoying the late afternoon sunshine    

- and her shadow puts another dog in the pen   

Spirit is waiting patiently for a treat, staying close enough to nuzzle up to where the treats are in the jacket pockets.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 21

Casper Hunting for a Treat in the Snow  

There's a treat buried in that snowbank    

- and I'm going to find it!   

We've had some fresh snow, and the dogs are having fun playing in it.
An added incentive is a dog biscuit buried somewhere in there. It's noses and paws, all out!

Gone to the Dogs - Day 20

Casper Waiting For Something Good  

Casper Lies Down    

- as soon as he hears the command    

We are trying to challenge the dogs to sharpen up some of their basic training.
Besides their own names, they are supposed to know "No", as well as "Sit", "Stay", "Drop It", "House", and "Lie Down". Somehow, the dogs were understanding the last two commands as one, and if we said either "Lie Down" or "House" they would head for the house, before they would lie down.
Now, that's not a problem for the "House" command, but it is a problem if we want them to simply lie down where they are.
Well, after some practice, and quite a few dog treats, Casper has got it. We're still working on Spirit.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 19

Spirit Eating A Carrot... just watch...  

This is the way to eat a carrot    

-  note how she uses her paws    

Spirit enjoys her treats, especially if they are treats that are bigger than just one mouthful. This one was good.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 18

Casper Eating Turnip  

Our friends were amazed and amused     

- watching our dogs eat turnip as a treat    

The digestive systems of domesticated dogs have evolved to allow them to eat a wide range of food that comes from humans. In the wild, wolves and coyotes probably eat root vegetables, if they find them, but I'm willing to bet that they don't enjoy veggies as much as Casper and Spirit do!

Gone to the Dogs - Day 16

Casper and His Treat  

Casper is waiting    

- and guarding to make sure the treat doesn't disappear    

Each dog has characteristic behaviors and postures. From the time he was a puppy, when Casper was made to wait for food in his dish, he would fix his attention on the bowl and not take his eyes off it. Now that he is learning to wait for a treat, Casper demonstrates the same behavior.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 15

A Reflection of What Spirit Sees  

In Spirit's Eye    

- you can see both Casper and me    

The flow of a dog's fur, or the shape of her head, or the way she holds her tail may be beautiful features.
For me, one of Spirit's most beautiful features is her dark shiny eyes. And surprisingly, as she looked at us, I was able to see reflections of both Casper and me in her eye. And the photograph caught the moment.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 13

Casper in Profile  

Casper Spots Something in the Distance    

-  and displays that handsome profile    

Casper and Spirit are cousins. They are "Mixed Breed" canines, meaning that there's a variety of genetic material blended in their makeup, and in many ways the two dogs do not resemble each other. However, in their profiles, there is the shared shape of nose, muzzle and lips that is obvious in this photo and the last one.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 12

Spirit in Profile  

Spirit is momentarily distracted    

-  and she shows me her profile    

Spirit is a highly alert dog. She is playful and she can be boisterous, but she is always aware of her environment, and if something catches her attention, she will break off play or eye contact to check on what is going on.
Here in profile, she displays the delicate shape of her nose, her muzzle and her lips.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 10

Casper Yawns  

Casper's stretch-and-yawn routine    

-  can you keep from yawning, too?    

Yawning is contagious, when you see someone do it, you yawn too, or else you try to suppress it.
There are scientific studies about how this comes about, but for me it is sheer pleasure to watch Casper pull himself out into a long stretch, first front and then rear, then yawn and bring in a deep breath, and finally shake his entire body to loosen up. And then I do it, too.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 9

Spirit's Eyes  

Is Spirit trying to stare me down?    

-  or is she trying to figure out where her treat is?    

Casper and Spirit have learned that they get a treat as a reward for doing something on command. So, responding to "Sit", "Stay", "Come" and "Lie Down" usually means that a treat is on the way. Right now Spirit is waiting to hear the magic word... "Okay!"... to collect it.
And while she is waiting, in those eyes I can see a lot of her wolf-background staring back at me.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 8

Casper Head on Paws  

Lie Down!    

-  Casper waiting for his treat   

Casper's command was "Lie Down" and he settled into a comfortable position right away, head on paws and waited. He knows that there is a reward coming, and now that he has earned it, all he needs to do is wait.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 7

"On-Ignore"  

Spirit is ignoring me    

-  and hiding so I can't see her    

Like people, dogs demonstrate different behaviors in strange situations. I asked Spirit to perform a command that she had obviously forgotten. Frustrated after several tries, she pulled back behind a post to gather herself together before she comes back out - a variation on the old wolf trick of hiding behind a tree to size up an opportunity.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 6

Close up on Forepaws  

Spirit's Forepaw

Casper's Forepaw

His and Hers    

-  different sizes, different shapes, even different colors, such variation    

Here are Casper's and Spirit's forepaws in winter. The nails are growing long and give the dogs grip in the packed snow, the fur is growing thick and long and it helps insulate between the toes and the foot pads.

Gone to the Dogs - Day 4

Portrait of Casper  

What a smile    

- and he's hoping for something nice    

"We always welcome dog treats. And if there are no treats, we'll chew on anything else we can find.
And we'll come back smiling, just in case."

Gone to the Dogs - Day 3

Portrait of Spirit  

Ears perked up    

- any sound could be important     

She knows something good is coming. Sometime soon. Any minute. Listen... concentrate.