My Bestest Four Legged Friend

Nothing spectacular here for a Monday morning...just another day of snow and winter advisories for here and pretty much throughout a major portion of the country though I dare say we're getting the least of the wintry lash out.  I, along with a huge portion of the population, are so over this season called winter and spring fever is going to be raging everywhere if it's not already. 

Yesterday was cold but sunny so I took a bit of time to play with my Jack Russell 'Terror' (Parsons Terrier as they are now called), Gertie, or rather she was running around and I was trying to snap some pictures.  Here she is getting snow kicked into her face from my German Shepherd, Maggie, as she tries to keep up with the 'big' dog!! 

She is an extremely obsessive compulsive little dog with a heart of a lion and when a ball is in your hand she will run and run and run til near exhaustion.  We tried playing ball outside yesterday but it became more of a 'search & forget' when she couldn't locate the tennis ball buried in the snow but every time I 'fetched' the ball from the snow she was ready to keep trying as she shivered from the cold.

She is such a joy to have around and adds much comical relief to the family.  Unlike the common belief of a Jack Russell being a complete 'terror' at all times Gertie's favorite thing to do (other than play ball) is to snuggle in your lap.  The minute I settle into my recliner she will leave any lap she is currently in and come over to get cozy with me.  Sometimes you wonder if, in a past life, she might have been a cat as her ultimate goal is to get under the lap blanket even if it is only for a few minutes.

But...true to her breed she is not a kid's dog.  The other two dogs in the household can be put in with a roomful of kids of all ages and will allow themselves to be mauled, grabbed, dragged, mugged or dressed up in kids' clothes...not Gertie.  She deals better with  older kids so knowing this we just never let her be with young kids...no reason to set anyone up for failure.

One of her sweetest traits is her never ending love for me.  Whether I am gone for a night or a week she just has to jump into my arms when I first come in the house, snuggles as close to my face as possible, and literally starts to 'whine cry' as if to say 'where have you been?'  I'm not so sure how she'll deal with my being gone for a month in Australia but I guess we'll find that out soon. 

I'm guessing she will do her 'whine crying' and when she's done with that will snub me in true dog fashion and punish me for daring to leave her.  Only time will tell but I'm guessing that it won't take all that long for her to forgive me and snuggle back in.