Our "Girls"

I suppose I should complete the family profile with the introductions to our four legged “babies”.

Cayden and Lizzie are the oldest at nine years. Cayden, our alpha female, is the ultimate princess. She expects the household to revolve around her and to some degree it does. She is bright and beautiful, she still loves her toys and in every way she lives up to her name which, although we have changed the spelling the root means “Beloved Companion” in parts of the Middle Eastern world. She has the distinction of being a Canadian Champion; maybe that is the edge that she uses for leverage over the rest of the pack. According to our Vet, Sandy, there is snobbery and prejudice amongst canines!

Lizzie is Cayden’s littermate. There are hundreds of little idiosyncrasies that make up one little Miss Elizabeth Talbot. She has the face of an imp and yet the wisdom of an old sage exists in her eyes. Like most canines she is a master manipulator and knows just how to get what she wants by beguiling me with her dancing, her leaping and her general dressage moves as she pulls out all of the stops for an extra treat. But, to her great credit, Lizzie Dizz also recognizes when her “people” are in need of a little TLC and she is always happy to oblige with some quiet snuggling and some doggy hugs and kisses.

Six year old Ayelish is Lizzie’s daughter. She was “the pick” of two litters. Ayelish is so very beautiful and loveable but she is the most neurotic canine that I have ever met. We have no idea what causes her neurosis; she would make a good case study for the nature/nurture debate as she was born and raised in our home and has had the same degree of spoiling that they all have. I wish that she could just be afraid of storms and vacuum cleaners and leave it at that but no . . . away from her own back yard she is afraid of everything. But we love her and probably encourage her neurosis by “protecting” her from all forms of the bogyman. Last year she had her first litter of puppies and as her mother and aunt before her she was a perfect mother!

And finally there is Hadley. Haddy will turn four in September; she is Cayden’s granddaughter. She is a great big ball of affection. I think that Hadley must have taken Ayelish’s portion of easy and added it to her own which makes her the most laid back animal in the kingdom! When it comes to play time and toys, Hadley is like her Granny; although they all like their toys from time to time, it is Cayden and Hadley who are the most likely to unpack the toys that I have set aside in boxes.

They all love the motor home and on some really superficial level they seem to understand that they are going to Mexico in Gertie. Now, mind you, it is impossible to know what they think but I do believe they have linked Gertie and Mexico as we have been telling them for the last two years that that is the plan. “If you can be really good there will be no more snowsuits, no more snowballs between your toes . . . you are going to Mexico”. It is a mantra that we have repeated over and over. Now when we head out in the motor home to go park at the river and have dinner, some scrabble or read, they are very well behaved. I think that in their minds the river and Mexico are one and the same!