I knew I would have to do a post about our animals eventually, but I also knew that the hardest part would be getting pictures of all of them. I think I finally did it (as best I could, anyway). T. and I have sort of a Brady Bunch situation with our dogs…we both brought two dogs into the relationship. Do the math….that’s a lot of dogs. On some days, that’s at least three dogs too many. T. loves the dogs almost all of the time, but I have a love/hate relationship with them, and a lot of the time, it’s more hate than love. You’ll see why as I introduce the critters.

This is Grim. He’s the most photogenic of the dogs, because he is the calmest. He was adopted by T. on a job site as a puppy, and T. still calls him “Baby Dog”. That probably tells you a lot about their  relationship. Grim has to sleep on the bed with us, and this has become less of a problem since we moved and got a king-size bed. He’s a very sweet dog, but he does like to eat/spread trash all over. Just don’t bad mouth him to T. Baby Dog “is perfect”. He’s the oldest of the two Blue Heelers; he’s also the biggest and not purebreed.

This is Ella Blue. Number Two Blue Heeler. This was the best picture I could get of her…she’s a sweet dog, once she calms down. But she gets very excited. She’s also VERY protective of us around strangers (I have a scar on my arm to prove it). She barks a lot when people come over, and though she’s gentle around our kids, she gets too excited around anyone for her to be inside at all. But, she is pretty, and Ivy loves her because her pink collar says “Princess” on it.

This is Duke. I adopted Duke from a humane society nearby. He was older when I got him, and had worms at the time that had to be taken care of before we could take him home, but how can you resist that face? He’s also very sweet, but when I adopted him, they said that they thought he was house-trained (he had only ever been in a crate, so they had no idea what they were talking about, it turns out). He also runs off any chance he gets. And a lot of times, he just runs down the middle of the rural highway we live on. It’s a miracle that dumb dog is still alive. There hasn’t been a birthday party at our house in the last two years that he hasn’t gotten out of the fence and humiliated me (and angered me, let me tell you). The worst was this last birthday party for the girls…he made circles in the driveway while everyone watched me chase him, until FINALLY my former brother-in-law grabbed his collar for me. We have to have an electric fence for him and only him, because not only does he run off, but he’s an expert at getting out of places. He looks thick, but most of it is hair, and he can squeeze through gates, under fences, whatever. Again, I don’t know how this dog is alive. It’s a darn good thing he’s cute and T. has a very soft spot for dogs, because otherwise, I would have let him loose a long time ago.

And this is Diver. We adopted Diver about a year ago, I think. His owner was moving in with a girlfriend, who’s child was allergic, I believe. He is also a very sweet dog, who also loves to tear into trash, so it’s a good thing that we have baby gates and close-able doors. He also sleeps in our bed, but he’s small and likes to snuggle with me, so it’s okay. He ALSO barks A LOT, that Beagle bark that you just can’t get away from. Oh, and he will get up on the table to try to find food. Are you started to see why I have a complicated relationship with all of them?

This is Bill. We had three cats that stayed at our old house, where my parents live now. I miss them, but I guess they were tired of being terrorized by all the dogs. But Bill (Or William, as T. calls him) came with the new house. E. Belle loves him, and so does Ivy. I’m glad he stays outside most of the time.

I know it sounds like I don’t like the dogs. I do love them, and I don’t ever want anything to happen to any of them. Just don’t ask me about them after they’ve barked all morning and kept me up, spread the trash all over the house, made me chase them all over the neighborhood, or gotten hair all over my pillow. I already have three kids to take care of all day, after all. It’s a lot. But I love them, I swear.

I have to give HUGE props to my husband. This house has a fence around the front porch and side of the house, where the dogs stay when they’re outside during the day. This weekend and last weekend, he and Henry worked hard on putting in a new gate at the end of the porch so the dogs have to stay at the side of the house and don’t block the front door anymore. Thanks, babe!