Usagkateer!

I took the above photo to thank lead Fiskateer Wendy Jo for the most excellent Fiskars Valentrio corner punch she sent me. That's Usagi. Unlike Revco, she is not very fond of the camera, being dressed up, or any of those diva-like things. She likes to fade into the background and watch the action, rather than be the center of attention. She's cursed with being completely cute, however, so sometimes I just have to take a few.
Because I have put her in a "sit", and from her perspective, I'm putting a bunch of weird new things around her, then looking at her expectantly. She decides I must want her to do something, though she isn't sure what. We clicker train together, and "throwing" behaviors (basically it's a game of "hot and cold" you play with your dog) to guess what wins a treat is how we start the game. So, here she is slapping the bumper sticker with her paw to see if that works.

Quickly she switches touching it with her nose, another "answer" that often earns a treat. Oh, but then her attention is caught by something else. *Sniff. Sniff.* "What is this thing anyway?"

*Nibble Nibble* Maybe just a tiny taste. Is that glue? Yum!

"So, um...you weren't actually *using* this for anything right? I mean, say, if I was to take it, you wouldn't, oh, chase me now, would you?"

"Chase me? Now? Would you?" Check out that tentative look in her eyes. She *wants* to take it and run, but she's not sure if she'll get away with it or not.

" Clearly you don't want to play and you don't have any treats, so I'll just take this thing away and chew on it. If you'll just, um, let go of it, please." *Tug tug*

"Yay! Mine mine mine mine mine!"

See how quickly taking pics with her degenerates into "hey, let's play!" Even when they seem to pose so nicely in the picture you see, they're nuts in the photos you don't. :) You can't take the dog out of the dog (and why would you want to?)

So, thanks from both of us, Wendy Jo!

P.S. Winners of the tote bags mentioned in the previous email are Mardi and Leesa! Thanks to everyone who left a message! There will be more giveaways to come.