Dances With Wolves... er... Mutts, Actually

I've apparently neglected to post much about the canines on our little urban farm, so today we'll catch up with the Usual Suspects.

Jodie was the first member of our pack. She's a Korean Jindo and possibly has a bit of Whippet mixed in there somewhere. She will be seven this year, but that hasn't slowed her down one bit. In fact, she's probably in her prime. Jodie's favorite words are:

• Hungry
• Car
• Park
• Hike

Did you mention hiking?? One of our favorite activities as a family is hiking on the many beautiful trails here in the Pacific Northwest. No matter where you are around here, you're never more than an hour from a fantastic hike. Jodie was the first to get a backpack, and she knows when it comes out that an epic adventure is afoot! Dogs can carry about 20% of their body weight in a backpack, depending on their age and physical ability. Jodie weighs 35 pounds, so she carries poo bags, a few dog biscuits, and sometimes her own water supply.

Caleb enjoys getting outside no matter what we do. He has a backpack, too, but he has a hard time figuring out that wearing it prevents him from skinnying through tight spaces, so he gets stuck quite a bit. He's wearing his in this picture, but it's hard to see anything but his tongue. Caleb is two going on three this year. He's as close to pure-bred black lab as you can get without having papers, and he frequently has to put up with him calling him a pretty girl. He's gorgeous.

Caleb's favorite words are:

• Hungry
• Pretty girl
• Jodie

Aengus likes a good breath of fresh air, too. He's a cross between a gorilla and a woolly mammoth. This picture was from his first hike last year. He had a great time, but then he always has a great time. As they say, ignorance is bliss. Aengie is about as blissful as they come. We think he may actually be Black Lab mixed with Irish Setter. Either way, he's enormous. At 18 months, he now weighs 80 pounds, and he's a skinny little beast.

Spring is in the air around here, and we're already planning the first dog hike of the year. It's always a gamble to head up into the mountains this early, and we may run into snow, but that can be fun in its own way. Sometimes the best part about living in the city is getting away from it all for one day. It's time to taste freedom.