These Two

These are my dogs, Sidney (the white one) and Peggy (the black one).

Sidney came about because I wanted a turtle. Went to the pet store and found a border collie and lab mix and was overwhelmed by memories of a dog we had as a kid.  Thought she would be a great family dog.  She hates children.  She doesn't just herd them, she actually bites their toes.  I have to lock her up when people visit.  She's grown accustomed to our three kids, but she only puts up with them for the food they drop on the floor.  She knows everything we say to her, and reads our facial expressions.  Why do I keep a dog that is not kid friendly?  Because it's hard to get rid of a body that big.  And we love the old crank. We all do.  She's 7 years old and we've grown accustomed to her and her ways.  We'd be a little lost without her. Albeit, cleaner and less afraid for the neighbor children's toes.  Sidney has ridden in a police car.  She's a total whore for riding in cars, in fact.  So when she runs away...which has been a few times...you can chase after her with a jar of peanut butter or you can just calmly get your keys and go  after her with the door open. She's knows the sound of both cars and will totally forget about the whole world and all its smells if only she can get up in that front seat and ride like the wind.  She is named after Sidney Bristow the spy on the tv show Alias.

Peggy is the dog that Robb picked out.  She was the result of a bet.  I was working at the gallery on a slow, boring day.  He was out with the kids and found this puppy at one of those pet adoption events at Pet Smart.  He called to say he was in love with the puppy. I could not see the puppy and was therefore not smitten.  I told him that if I sold something that day at the gallery, we would get the puppy.  He told the kids to pray.  Three little kids in a minivan praying, "Dear Jesus, please let Mommy sell something." A scant 10 minutes later, a couple walked into the gallery, picked up my most expensive item and bought it.  It took them longer to write the check than it took them to decide to buy it.  So we have Peggy. The worlds sweetest dog.  Who has a sock fetish. She rarely chews them, she just likes to have one in her mouth. In case, you know, you wanted to chase her and try to get it. That would be fun. Except she would never disobey on purpose.  She always gives up the sock with complete compliance and respect.  The higher you raise your voice, the lower she gets to the floor. She is perhaps the best dog I've ever had in my life.  Charleigh is her biggest fan. What she lacks in manners, she makes up for in just being a sweetheart.  Sadly, she is a chicken murderer, though. She spends her days looking through the fence at the neighbor's chickens, scheming how she might chase them and bite their heads. Like socks. She would never dream of running away and cars are loud and scary.  She is named after Ronald Reagan's speech writer, Peggy Noonan.

These are my dogs. They are the reason my carpet is gross . They are the ones that chew up the fence and dig up the flowers and sneak up on the table to lick the remains of a meal.  They are the ones that sit beside me when I'm quiet and look up at me with total devotion. They are the ones that make me feel safer when Robb is away at night.  They are the ones that make me cuss and then laugh. They are as ritualistic as toddlers, not quite as demanding, but definitely as dirty.  I don't know how I got to be a dog person. But I am.