It has come to my attention that simply laying on the sofa is no longer comfortable enough for the boys. Instead they prefer that at least two pillows be stacked on top of the sofa cushions. I'm thinking we have reaches a new level of spoiled around here.
The weather is so lovely that when I go from the nice conditioned air in the house outside to take pictures my camera lens fogs up. As far as I'm concerned, October can't get her soon enough.
When asked what I love about Benjamin, Henry & Luna, one of the things high on my list is that they make me laugh every single day. I was treated to a fine example of their silliness just the other day when we came home from running errands.
When we let the pugs out of their crate, in their excitement, the boys always grab a stuffed toy and run around the house with it in their mouth. Well, apparently, Henry was thirsty and had a bit of a dilemma on his hands because he didn't want to put down the toy down to get a drink. So, he just dropped the toy on the side of the water bowl.
Benny was thirsty too, so he grabbed a quick drink with the toy hanging out on the ledge.
And Henry came back for another drink and that is when the stuffed toy went for a swim.
You may also notice that the stuffed toy is a doll. It was another baby toy that we bought for Luna that was from the same mermaid toy set. However, one again, Henry commandeered it.
For all the trouble it was raising two puppies at the same time, I wouldn't trade it for anything given the tight bond that the boys share. Sure, they welcomed Luna and Sol into their pack, but for a good, long time it was just the boys and from time to time it shows.
After all, these two broke their puppy teeth in together by devouring a wicker toy basket, learned to climb stairs together and always had someone else to blame for potty accidents in the house before they were fully trained.
I don't think Benny can remember a time when there wasn't a Henry around and as much as he likes to play it cool, I don't think Henry would know what to do with himself if there wasn't a Benny around.
After 8 years, they have mellowed more than I could ever imagine. But, from time to time, the boys will be playing and Henry will grab hold of that big wrinkle on the side of Benny's face and pull him around by it, the way he always used to do when they were pups. And, in that moment, it is like having two, clumsy puppies playing at my feet once more.
Henry's swim camp is all about fetching. We have lots of toys that float, but his favorite is an orange lobster. I think he likes it because it is easy to grab out the water and easy for him to hold in his mouth.
Henry's routine is to stand on the first step and wait for someone to throw the lobster. He then jumps from the step and is off to fetch the lobster. Once he wrangles up the toy, he swims back to the step and jumps out of the pool with his catch to take a little break. Once he is rested, we throw the lobster back into the pool and Henry happily fetches it again.
Out of the 3, Henry gets in the most swimming because he actually swims up and back the whole length of the pool. Unless someone throws the lobster short
Henry has also mastered pushing off the edge of the pool to gain momentum when turning around to swim back to the step. You can get a good look at his turns in the video
We have so many dog beds that the pugs have started combining them to ensure maximum comfort. Like they are saying to themselves, "This bed does wonders for my back, but I love how this bed supports my neck. No problem, I'll just drag this bed over next to the other bed and voilà!"
And when it comes to dog beds you know I am willing to help in any way I can.
I have been trying to work on capturing action shots of the pugs to help improve my photography skills. Well, that, and my collection of photos of the pugs sleeping or being lazy is getting out of control.
While my skills as a photographer haven't really improved, I have been getting a good laugh at some of the photos I have been taking. Today's photo is a prime example.
I have found that the best way to get the pugs to "do something" is to play our treat catching game. The game never disappoints as it always gets the pugs moving and me laughing.
In this case, we have Henry intently focused on catching a treat I just tossed in the air. The focus, and the touch of crazy in his eyes just kills me. And Henry subscribes to the theory that the pug waits for no treat. His technique is not to wait for the treat to get to him, but to jump up and snag it out of the air.