"Paws" a Moment

Here at the Carter Acre, we have gone to the dogs!!! Our three lovable, adorable, huggable pups keep us on our toes, for sure. But, I wouldn't trade a single one of them for the world. They are all special and have distinct personalities, melding into a pack that even Cesar Milan would be proud of!

Scout, the oldest at 9-/12, is the diva and leader of the pack. I got her in June, 2000, and she has been a constant and faithful companion. She has always been "Momma's baby" and is definitely spoiled and probably a bit neurotic. I didn't choose her, she chose me. When I went to visit the breeder and she put a litter of pups out with their mother for me to look at, all the puppies stayed huddled around their momma, except one. When I squatted down and called out "Scout", she came right to me and snuggled up in my arms. She was the bug-eyed one of the bunch, but I never put her down. She has endured so much through the years (a broken leg from an unfavorable jump off a bed, major surgery to correct a blockage in her stomach and two hernia repair surgeries, and herniated disks in her back), but she still has some get-up-and-go and is queen of the living room ottoman.

Jake is our 3-1/2 year old rescued Australian Shepherd. We got him when he was two and he just blew us away with his quiet, easy-going attitude and intelligence. He loves to go everywhere in the pickup with Ed and is his faithful "podnuh". I swear that dog knows every drive-up where they hand out doggie biscuits and he is a shameless flirt with the ladies. He stays outside when it's warm enough, but has beautiful house manners and loves sleeping in the house. When I say he is intelligent, well, I mean it. He has figured out how to open the center console in Ed's truck and raid the "treats" in there. He has also learned how to open doorknobs and we now have to keep the door from the mudroom to the garage locked because he has gotten in and spread trash from one end of the house to the other. But, generally, when he is in the house, he is curled up between the coffee table and sofa and you just forget he's there.

Pepper is our 11-month WalMart puppy. Yep, that's right. We bought her in the parking lot at WalMart last New Years weekend. Ah, this one...she is her own little self. A blend of both Scout and Jake, she is fearless, loving and full of energy, not mention somewhat goofy. She doesn't jump - she leaps. She can load into the backseat of the truck all by herself. She has no use for potty pads except as chew toys (thank goodness, she is finally housebroke), and she never meets a stranger. We are working through a bit of a chewing issue with her, but we're going to get through that becuase she is a quick learner. I can't imagine not having her as a part of our pack.

Now, we treat our dogs well. Mind you, we don't dress them up or carry them around in strollers or bags, but we do treat 'em special. Just about their favorite outing is going to Sonic for tater tots. They recognize where we are the moment we turn in and hang out the windows, charming everyone around us and watching for their tots. We love them tremendously and relish the joy they bring into our lives. Sometimes I think we don't even need tv...just turn the dogs loose and watch them play.

Our dogs bring great joy into our lives. I hope that in return we give them a good life and a little bit of doggy joy.