See Charlie run! Run run run!

Well, he's practicing, but hasn't achieved another catch yet.





Whew!

News Flash

No action pictures yet, but Charlie caught a Frisbee in mid-air today!

More at 11, or whenever we can convince him to do it again with reporters on the scene!

Would "The Nose" Lie?

Charlie says "Listen to Meeshka"!

Quick!! Grab your human and take them over to your food closet right away. Make them check your canned or pouched food to make sure it's not involved in this terrible recall!! And have them check your kitty siblings' food too, while they're at it.

Lots of pet food in the US, Canada, and Mexico is affected, because it's a big contract manufacturer called Menu Foods that seems to be having the problem. If you go to this website, you can get a list of all the 40 or 50 brands affected and how to tell if you're ok. And if that main link is too slow, here are some more direct links:
      Dog foods affected
      Cat foods affected

And just because you haven't bought food in awhile doesn't mean you're safe - - the recall spans Dec - March!

So don't accept "No" or "Later, Charlie..."; make them do it now!

Woo Hoo!

If you like Charlie's Nose Pose enough, head on over to Dogs with Blogs' Bone Zone this week and put your Photo of the Month vote where that nose is!

You have to be registered there to vote, but consider the rewards! Not only can you log in and vote for Li'l Charlie and The Nose, but you can post to your heart's content. It's a great site for dog (and hamsterrier) lovers. Sniff it out!!

The Nose Pose

Charlie has the silliest way of lying half-in and half-out of the kitchen, forelegs extended, and face resting on the floor. It doesn't look very comfortable, but it seems to be his position of choice in that location (and only that location).

Often he'll lie like that, eyes open, just watching.





Other times he'll fall fast asleep in the position.



Perhaps he discovered this pose when he found his elbows slipping out from under him on the smooth kitchen floor. Or maybe he likes the feel of the cool linoleum under his neck and chin. Or maybe he's just conserving energy for those all-important play sessions.

I don't know. And he's not telling!

Happy Birthday and Thanks, Aunt Karen!

It all began 10/26/2004 with email from our good friend, Karen, in Indiana: "Look! I am going to call about this litter. I don't know how old they are now, but there are 4F and 4M. They said the father was the same color as the mother (whose name is Abby). :-)"

Many years ago Karen, a vet in Indiana, had saved the life of our golden retriever, Lindsey. Karen had loved Lindsey's "you are my slave, give me what I want" personality so much that Lindsey made a litter just for her. We had each kept a puppy, but after long and wonderful lives, they had both passed on, and it was time for another.

                        Charlie (Bailey) on top of the pile

So we'd previously enjoyed having golden siblings, and when Karen sent her email, you could just feel where things were headed. She liked the looks of the new litter and selected a puppy (Sophie) herself. We asked her to pick out a Lindsey-like one for us, too. There was one puppy (called Bailey at the time) that stood out to her: "Wasn't it cute that Bailey was always on the top of the pile?"

From there things progressed pretty quickly: "I told the puppy people that you have dibs on Bailey". The puppy people's response was: "We won't have to mark his nails, his personality says it all; he tried another escape after we raised the board." And as they grew: "Bailey, aka. Charlie Jr. is starting to 'pounce' when he plays...very cute. He is the first to eat and the last to sleep. Get ready... ;-) "

So Karen is the reason we have Charlie. And on her special day, all of us here want to wish her a very Happy Birthday and say a big
Thanks! Karen's Sophie (L) with brother Charlie (R)

Bits 'O Honey

Like MJ, Texas, and Big Charlie, our Charlie has some great bits. Here are some particular favorites.

The Ridge. Like his predecessor, Husker, Charlie has a a slight ridge of fur down the center of his face. A spot where the fur angling from one side of his face meets the fur angling in from the other; in humans, I guess we'd call it a cowlick.

In some dogs it's wild and crazy. In Charlie it's understated and perfect; in some lights you almost can't see it. But it's there. And it earns him the endearment "my ridge-faced boy."

The Featherdusters. I suppose I should clip them, I know many people do, but I just like the look of these little wisps of fur sticking out between Charlie's toes. Not to mention they help keep the floors dusted. And then of course, there's that whole bitey, keep-away-from-my-feet, get-away-from-me-with-those-clippers aspect.

The Eyes. Big, brown, expressive, and ringed in permanent mascara, Charlie achieves effortlessly a look that human women daily slave to imitate.

The Nose. Often encrusted with kitty food or the remnants of a licked pan, Charlie's nose is a very well-used part. It not only smells out good things, but is used in smooshing (that's where the food encrustments are particularly useful), and is key to a really good sneeze-in-mom's-face.

It's turned slightly dudley over the winter, but I expect it'll be back to fighting form this spring.

The Teeth. Lest all these quiet pictures give you the sense of a lazy mellow dog, I give you Charlie's favorite part of himself -- the teeth! Charlie is all about teeth, more than any other part.

As a puppy, Charlie's teeth were razor sharp and usually clamped or trying to clamp onto my arm. They shredded every toy and, within the hour, put great holes in his money-back-guaranteed chew-resistant dog bed. As an adult, they're employed more selectively against me for control, yet they can put away a small retriever roll before we can eat dinner.

Despite such power however, Charlie's never chewed a shoe or piece of human furniture or anything else off-limits in the house (kleenex excepted). And considering what his puppy sister Sophie did to a kitchen floor, we're very grateful. Outdoor plants and humans watch out, though!
-------------So these are some notable parts of Charlie. What are your best bits?

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Often, when I'm in the kitchen working, I'll be at the kitchen sink, kind of daydreaming out the window, when I hear a SMACK behind me! The sound of a ball being dropped on the floor, a gauntlet literally and figuratively thrown at my feet.

I know that when I turn, Charlie will be looking at me with an expectant look and a twinkle in his eye. And I'll have two real options, neither of which involves ignoring him, because Charlie will not be ignored.

Trying to ignore Charlie is like trying to ignore a hurricane -- a pogo-sticking, face-licking, ear-nipping hurricane. You can try, if you feel like dog wrestling. No, the better course of action is to turn, crouching, and say in a firm growl... "I'm gonna get that dog!"

And so begins the game, "Chase Charlie."

He grabs the ball, runs back to the dining room doorway, and turns to face me.

My role is to feint; to jump toward him as if to snatch the ball out of his mouth.

Charlie's role, in turn, is to run around to the other end of the kitchen, racing like a madman, where he knows I'll be waiting to "surprise" him.

And back and forth we go, feinting and racing, racing and feinting.

Kind of a silly little game, really. But one played almost every day in this household; usually more than once.