Introducing...Zara!

Hellooooooo everyone!!! I know I've been AWOL from my blog for two months, but there's been a lot going on around here! My big news is that my sister came to live with us! When I say my sister, I mean my REAL sister, as in littermate, and I'm not speaking metaphorically! (Come to think of it, I almost never speak metaphorically.)

So ta-da! Here she is! She's an attractive little beyatch, doncha think? I mean not super good-looking like me, but still kind of a pretty girl! We don't look that much alike because, although we had the same mom (a kind of a Heinz 57 sorta German Shepherdy mix), we probably had different dads. You didn't know that could happen in the canine world? C'mon -- grow up! Happens all the time! My dad was a Border Collie; hers was probably a Rottweiler.

So here we were at about four weeks. That's me on the right with my eyes closed, lookin' cool, and Zara in the middle, with our three brothers. This is the picture that M and C saw (thanks Sita!) that made them want me. I was the first one to be adopted -- that's called pick of the litter! The girls at the vet office named the other puppies with names starting with "Z", and one by one they all were eventually adopted.

We don't know a lot about Zara's life before we were reunited, but the people that adopted her had nine other dogs, and she didn't get much in the way of attention or treats -- didn't even know how to "sit" when she got here! They got her to be a "companion" for their chocolate lab, and then they all moved to a town north of Dallas, and she and the lab were outside dogs. When she and the lab got picked up on a "walkabout" and taken to the shelter, the owners were called and they said "Um, we'll come get the lab." So there she was, abandonned, homeless, terrified, and about to be euthanized! (That means murdered in cold blood.)

A nice lady at the shelter called Twyla's Friends, and they called Sita, who originally rescued us in the park when we were one day old. She drove all the way to Lewisville, TX to pick up Zara, and took her back to Dr. Pat's, where we lived when we were puppies. C went to Dr. Pat's to meet Zara, and when she found out that she was my sister, she brought her home. I didn't really remember that she was my sister at first, but something about her just smelled right!

When she first got here, I thought she was just visiting. I've had other friends come over, like the lovely Ocho. But she spent the night, and then another. She ate breakfast and dinner with me, and got treats, and pretty soon she got a matching bed. Then I figured out that she was gonna get to stay! It's only fair -- we have two cats, and there are two humans, and I needed a canine pal!

We have lots in common and like to do some of the same stuff. We like to take walks and don't mind the leash at all!

We also both love the pond! I'm more of a swimmer; she likes to chase frogs at the edge of the pond best.

And sometimes we chase each other around the pond! She's a little more serious than me -- I always want to play and I gotta bark at her and poke her with my nose to get her going sometimes! Of course she's not as fast as me! I'm chasing her here but I like it best when she chases me!

We both love to roll on our backs on the grass, 'specially in the garden!

And we like to play and fight! She's pretty tough and a worthy opponent!

She doesn't hesitate to use her teeth! In fact last week I had to go to Dr. Pat's for a lacerated ear. M and C weren't pleased, but it's all good with me!

Still, I'm not an idiot -- she's not totally trustworthy! She can be all sweet and cute and then try and rip my flesh! If we both get a bone, pretty soon somehow she has two and I have none! Spoiled only child meets streetwise beyatch!

M and C learned their lesson about trusting her -- here's the couch cushion she chewed up! Other things she does that I would NEVER do: jumps on the furniture; steals food off the counter; barks at the neighbors. Then there was that time that she showed me how to get out through the hole in the fence! Pretty much fun but M and C put up a new fence and now we can't find a way out!

All things considered I'm really glad she's here and we're havin' a blast! Stay tuned for the new adventures of Sparky and Zara! But hey -- don't get the wrong idea! It's still MY blog!!!

Woof woof!