Collar Embarassment

The Dogs went to Petco for their monthly "spa" day.  I take them to Petco for two reasons.  First, the Dogs are both big enough to be a pain to bathe at home without making the whole Zoo smell like wet dog.  And second, I hate smelling like a wet dog after I finish bathing them!

"Spa" day is one of the Dogs favorites.  It combines some of their favorite pass times: car rides, water, attention, and snacks.  When I pull in at Petco, they start whimpering in the back because I won't take them inside fast enough.

This is what I found when I picked them up a few hours later:

Duchess

Bantley

They turned my Dogs into poodles!  Usually, the Dogs come home with a bandana tied around their necks.  The bandanas they love - if you take them off before they fall off, the Dogs will whimper.  The frilly collar was in place of the bandana for the holidays.

My Dogs look like lapdogs - but they love the collars!  Heathen #1 took it off Bantley, who promptly tried to stick his head back into it!

Here's the best part: instead of looking ferocious when they play, they look STUPID!

As each of the Heathens arrived home from school, I heard from the front door, "Momma, WHAT is on the dogs?"  Looks like I'm not the only one to think they look ridiculous.



Bobcats & Jingle Bells

Last evening was the Cub Scout Pack meeting for the month of December. Heathen #3 earned his Bobcat badge!  After a lot of work, the boys in Heathen #3's den were thrilled to get their patches.

Heathen #3 (right) and his cousin (left)
are so excited to get their patches!

The den gets their patches.  I'm in the green t-shirt, with
Heathen #3 in front of me.

Also at the Pack Meeting, our favorite December person paid a visit!  Unfortunately, the Asst. Zookeeper wasn't able to be there (he was at "work").

Heathen #3 with Santa

Heathen #2 with Santa

We were home from the Pack meeting for approximately 15 minutes before the Asst. Zookeeper arrived home from "work."  The younger two Heathens were convinced that the Asst. Zookeeper had played Santa that evening at the Pack meeting. 

The Asst. Zookeeper promptly called his evening maintenance foreman at the mine and asked him to explain to the Heathens that he had been at work all evening.  Thanks to Mike Gerber for talking to the Heathens so that they knew Daddy had been at work!

"Rescue Stupid" Boots

Every morning, the Dogs eagerly wait at the back door so that they can go out and stare at the Huge Rabbits that moo at them.  It has become a morning ritual at our house.  Wake the Heathens.  Put a Dog outside.  Listen to the barking and mooing commence.  All Creatures seem happy with the arrangement.

While Duchess is smart and never gets tangled, Bantley can NOT say the same.  It is only 8:00 and for the third time this morning, I looked outside and found this:

Doesn't he look pitiful?

For some reason, if he is outside for more than a minute, he manages to tie himself around this handrail.  This "figure 8" isn't the worst he's done.  Last night, he literally managed to tie himself to part of the railing.  How he did it, I have no idea.

The best part isn't that he continually does this.  It isn't even the pitiful look on his face when you discover him.  Or even the excitement when he realizes you are coming to rescue him.

The best part is that he thinks you are trying to kill him while you try to unwind him, so he struggles the entire time to tangle himself up farther!

Considering I plan to die in this house, and Bantley is only about 4 years old, I have many more mornings of this to look forward to.  In preparation, this morning I placed an old pair of boots at my back door that I can just step into.  I've dubbed them my "Rescue Stupid" boots.