Riley: Jack Russell/Blue Heeler, 16 weeks old

I've just completed a petsit in a lovely home keeping watch over two cats and a 16-week-old puppy named Riley. Riley appears to be a Blue Heeler/Jack Russell Terrier mix. He attends puppy class and is learning not to bite, herd and jump on people.  Riley is growing into a really GOOD dog! It's so important to spend time every day training a puppy for about the first year. The investment will pay off for a lifetime!

Daisy finds the perfect spot to avoid the rain

Cooper stays under the bed and comes out at night to sleep on my face

Riley is also learning to sit but cannot bear to "stay."  He has already figured out "find your ball - bring it here." He has no problem staying in his crate overnight and will readily enter his kitchen playpen and calm down when asked to.  Riley loves having all your attention, but can entertain himself as well.  

I really enjoy taking care of Riley and am looking forward to watching him grow into a wonderful, loyal family dog! Click this link for a really cute video of Riley at play!

The day ended in tragedy for this well-loved, stuffed dog toy. Something tells me there are plenty more who are sure to meet the same fate!                                                                                                                                                              

  Riley is learning not to jump up, but he has a long way to go, as you can see. Yes, those are my legs, having taken a beating from the Ike Turner of the puppy world.  Sadly, it was not until the end of my pet sit that I noticed the holy grail of puppy training.... the dreaded SQUIRT BOTTLE, which had been sitting on the counter all along. Once I employed its deadly stream of H2O venom, Riley suddenly understood what all the yelling of "OFF!" had been about.

Riley is fascinated by the television, especially shows about dogs and cats (go figure). Here is Riley watching some other dogs on youtube - super cute! 

 

I loved caring for Riley and his feline friends, and I look forward to watching him grow into a very loyal and very good dog!

Walking Lightly Farm - Cripple Creek, Colorado

In early 2009, I stumbled upon the website of Walking Lightly Farm and High Spice Alpacas. It is an alpaca farm located in the middle of nowhere, Colorado, owned and run entirely by a single female lawyer named Suzanne. She also owns quite a few livestock guardian dogs and her website contains lots of great information about unusual breeds, such as the Caucasian Ovcharka, the Central Asian Shepherd and the Great Pyranees - which are all monstrously HUGE breeds!

I instantly loved this woman's attitude:

A lawyer by profession, a conservationist by passion, a volunteer pet rescuer and puppy foster home, I have always believed in walking lightly on the Earth as its other creatures do. I recycle everything, avoid GMO foods, give the dogs homeopathic remedies, take in strays, hate crowds and cities, love and respect honor, truth, and courage even when it's out of fashion.

I wrote her a brief email and told her how much I enjoyed her philosophies and her website. It so happened that I would visiting her area of rural Colorado soon, and she invited me to visit her farm. Here is a photo showing the beautiful, remote area she lives in.

 What a delightful day we had! Suzanne's hearty smile welcomed me like an old friend and her gargantuan dogs, as well as the adorable alpacas, were excited to meet me:  

 

Suzanne explained to me how alpaca hair is gathered and processed for sale, and introduced me to her whole curious crew!

Here's a video clip of Suzanne feeding the alpacas. Check out her gentle manner & their CUTE noises!

Suzanne and I have stayed in touch over the past few years by email and holiday cards.  I am so glad I got the chance to meet Suzanne and all her lovely animals! If you are passing through Cripple Creek, Colorado, I highly recommend you pay a visit to this wonderful woman's farm.

 

My Favorite Cute Animal Videos From Youtube

These are some of my all-time favorites; sure to make you smile!  I have lots of links to great cute animal videos and will share them over time.

Dogs, Cats and Trust

Teddy Bear, the talking porcupine

Cats playing patty cake

Marnie, the most adorable talking parrot you have ever seen!

Amber the Weimarener sings opera

Puppy Cam captured the world's heart in 2008