Jinx

Today was day 3 with Jinx, it's been a lot of work as it is with any new dog brought into the family. This was a bit more different than most new dogs for us as we never brought home a 27 kilo puppy before. Aliaan has accepted him and they are getting along well. The only problem we've had is that Jinx plays hard, harder than we like as he jumps on Aliaans back and just flattens her as she is used to being the 'jumpy' and not the 'jumped'. And she loves to run from him and to make him chase her, which Jinx doesn't mind doing, but after he catches up with her he grabs a big mouthful (and he does have a big mouth) of Aliaans back and she either brakes free or he hangs on so tight that she yelps. So we're trying to figure out how to 'calm down' play time a bit. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Yesterday we took them both to the vet, we've got a really great vet here (we've been lucky in that respect in our travels). We first asked him if he recognised Jinx and he didn't but he got on the phone and called 5 or 6 other vets to ask them if they knew of a missing husky. We thought that was nice and we didn't expect him to do that. He said Jinx looked between 1 and 2 years old and in good health and gave them both some stuff for ticks and insects and the likes. After the vet we took them both for a walk and he is real good on a lead, no yanking my arm out of the socket or anything like that. Of course we're dreading seeing a cat. And as payback for the trip to the vet Jinx puked up his lunch in the back of the land cruiser on the way home. Not a good sign and we hope that he gets used to driving as we do quite a bit.

Tomorrow I'm on my own, Doortje had days off today and yesterday so we've been tag teaming the dogs (ok, she's done 90% of the tagging) but I'll have them all to myself starting early in the morning. Wish me luck. If you don't see any new postings by 1530, they've probably locked me out of the house and are in the cookie jar.

We appreciate you returning visitors and we hope you like the photos.

We've Been Jinxed

Jinx is to the left and Aliaan is to the right in all these photos

We've got a rather large 'puppy' for Aliaan to play with and his name is Jinx (you may have gathered). He's a stray that a woman found in her neighbourhood and had advertised in the paper and on TV which Doortje saw and had Darko (our indispensable 'man of all seasons' at the embassy) ring her and ask what the story was. She told him he was loose around her apartment block for three days and she couldn't bear to see him homeless and took him in, ran adverts in the paper and even got onto a local animal TV show that Doortje watches from time to time (that would be every time it's on). So earlier this week Door and Darko went over to have a look at him, she thought he looked ok, a bit thin but quiet enough and she didn't think he looked like he'd been mistreated. So yesterday we went over together to talk to the person who found him. She said she couldn't keep him in her flat and she was a student so she was usually at school or working (she also named him Jinx). The owner didn't come forward but she had a few calls from people who wanted to pay her for him but she liked the offer Doortje made earlier in the week, that he would have a nice house and a yard and a lot of love. So we brought him home, and he stank! We don't think he's ever had a bath, or had his collar off as his fur looks rubbed off around his neck. So last night it was a 'get to know you' type thing, he couldn't settle down and was always walking down the stairs to the front door. At bed time he did better, he started bringing Doors stuffed animal collection into our bedroom from the sitting room next door, one at a time and placing them on the floor next to Doortje. But I took them away and he settled down and slept ok. This morning we gave him a bath which he didn't appreciate at all and the bugs that were crawling off him, large ones too. He will need another bath but that's going to have to wait for now. As for Aliaan, she is accepting him into her house without a problem, the only reservations we have is that he is huge, I don't think he's a husky but either a malamute or a mix, he would be a super husky if he's a pure. But that's no matter, what is the problem is that he acts very young, and with that he plays like a youngster, but Aliaan is half his weight and when he jumps on her he really flattens her. So we'll have to pay close attention when it's playing time. And that's it for now, I'd better go downstairs and see what's going on. I get nervous when it's quiet for more than a few minutes, 'fraid he's locked Aliaan and Doortje out on the balcony or something.