A Fantastic Family Holiday

Well Isabella and Edward spent their first Thanksgiving with their humble humans. The King and Princess spent the day being shooed out of Mom's kitchen while she cooked, but did manage to get a little turkey that "accidentally" fell while Dad was carving the bird.

The rest of the day was spent playing fetch with Wille acting as the runner for the rope toy. Dad throws the toy, Willie bolts for it with Bella and Eddie close behind. Then Willie has to battle his way back to Dad while Bella and Edward try to steal the toy. This goes on for hours if you will keep throwing the toy, only to be interrupted for the occasional water break and a quick stop for Edward to mark the playing field.

We ended Thanksgiving with three pooped dogs curled up on the couch snoozing while the People watched football. A great day for dogs and people!

Overdue Update!

Well, we haven't checked in for awhile, so we thought it was passed due. Sorry, but we have been spending all of our time playing with dogs!

All is well in the Kingdom! We have had great progress, and some minor setbacks. Overall things are going better than anyone could have dreamed. All three dogs have settled into their roles thanks to Mom's patient ambassador skills. Willie and Edward have decided to live in peace, and can now be left to play unsupervised. Bella loves to run and play no matter who will join her.

Edward has become a real clown. Like the character Marmaduke, he just doesn't know how big he is, and that has resulted in some comical situations. Has night I awoke to bumps in the night, only to discover that Edward had managed to squeeze his entire 60 pound frame under the bed to create his own "den". He also sits in your lap like he thinks he is a Pomeranian, all the time crushing the poor human that he has designated his huggie buddy.

Bella is a sweet and loving dog that likes to sleep at the foot of the bed. So you can imagine our suprise when she had to be muzzled during her latest trip to the vet! Seems that Bella, like Edward has a life long problem with itchy skin eruptions that get scratched into sores. So the vet was trying to get a scraping to check for bacteria, and Princess Bella went primal on him, hair raised and all. Thanks to Mom and a patent doctor, all is well, and the itchy patches are healing.

A Wonderful Week for Edward and Bella

Things continue to get better and better for Eddie and Bella! Edward took his first trip to a new doctor this week, and he was none to happy about the stranger poking on him. However, the results are amazing! All of Edwards's itchy spots are gone, and have healed completely! As a result he has stopped his chewing and scratching, and has taken up shredding giant rawhide bones for a chew hobby. He is laying next to me now with one, while Bella sleeps on the love seat (her favorite comfy spot).

Bella has done a complete turn around from the nervous little shy girl that she once was. She has given up her nervous pacing in favor of curling up on any available lap. She has also become quite an independent missy. Whereas she use to look to Edward for direction and "pack guidance", she is now happy setting off on her own adventures, and occasionally finds her big brother a bit of an oaf. She has become a sweet little cuddle dog that loves to play with Willie, or just lay quietly and doze while mom makes dinner.

One thing is for sure. These pups are not starving! We special ordered a 25 pound bag of their favorite food, and that won't last too long. Edward has a voracious appetite, and has gained a lot of weight and muscle. Bella is a more dainty eater, but can polish off a bowl as well!

A few words about living with Carolina Dogs, for which if there was any doubt about their breed, let me assure you they have made the truth evident. As par for the breed, our yard is now covered in "snout pits". Both dogs love to dig these small holes, and even chew on the dirt. The pack mentality is so strong around here, that we even have to get biscuits and go in and out of a door in the correct "pack order". More on this as the weeks progress.