Alys told Pete at dinner that today I’m six months old. Pete replied that this probably doesn’t mean anything to me. Alys wasn’t so sure. Well, the truth of the matter is that, yes, I know that today is my half-birthday – as Alys often says, “I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid.”

No, I don’t remember being born. I do remember having lots of brothers and sisters and a very attentive and good mother. And I remember all those kids who played with us all for hours on end. There were four boys, and they were all kind and gentle, as were their parents, Brianna and Zach. Zach is a small and large animal veterinarian. He cut off all our tails, he said because this is what the new dog owners would want. Not me. Not

Shadow and Ryder

Pete and Alys. It’s just too bad they didn’t arrange to purchase me when I was born.

I remember one of the children handing me to Alys and Alys holding me all the way home. It was a very hot day and I threw up on her lap. She said to Pete that dogs, unlike horses, can throw up, a good thing because a horses being unable to throw up is often the kiss of death.

We got home and Alys introduced me to the horses, the goats, and the other dog, a border collie they called Ryder. Ryder wasn’t very friendly, and if she had had her druthers, I would have gone back to the Kaiser household. Even then, I knew I would have to work hard to win her over. She’s gradually come to like me and now we are trail buddies. She sometimes acts fierce, but this is just an act. Ryder is a very gentle dog.

I have now graduated from Puppy 1 class and am still attending puppy socialization hour. I was scared the first few weeks and hung out in the time out area; then one evening I decided to join the other dogs. To tell you the truth, puppy socialization hour is sort of boring. We play in a large, fenced in yard. I much prefer to run in the woods, which I do nearly every day. Pete and Alys are good about getting me out there. Today, maybe because it was my birthday, Pete took me out in the morning and Alys took me out in the afternoon.

Alys and Pete purchased dog agility equipment last Saturday. Today I tried out the tire jump and the PVC pipe jump. Alys’s very enthusiastic response made it seem like it was a big deal, but it was not. This, we all think, is going to be fun. Puppy agility class is going to begin a few weeks.

Tyra, the horse, was at the hitching post, watching me do dog agility. She does horse agility and is ranked #2 internationally. She said that I at times need to act disinterested; otherwise, Alys will just keep asking me to do the same old same old.

At night, I play the itsy bitsy spider game with Alys, then go to sleep next to Pete, on his side of the bed. Life is indeed good – at six months I have no complaints.

Next: 285. 10/15/20: Alys has a Conversation with Shadow