"Your music is very pleasing to me" is how the title of the song playing on this page translates. It is music of high celebration and praise and expresses much of what I feel about the joys of living and working with dogs.
     I once wrote in my column, "All I do is take care of dogs, and write, about dogs mostly. I work at home, because I’m a writer, and, because I have dogs. Or they have me, I’m not sure which. Either way my hobby is my profession and my profession is my hobby and that’s my life and I can’t get away from who and what I am...." even if I wanted to, which I don’t.

Here are the dogs with whom I live and who inspire my work.

The Pack:

• Libbet. A Norwegian Buhund, who was picked up by the Humane Society during a blizzard. Based on information I’ve been able to piece together, Libbet probably was separated from her mother and litter mates at the young age of four- to five-weeks. She was found in West Virginia near the Virginia border and was saved from the cold by people traveling back to our area from a ski resort. A quick escape artist, Libbet got away from these people before they could take her to the local shelter. Several days later Libbet was once again saved from a winter storm and taken to the shelter where I found and adopted her. Libbet is the alpha bitch of the pack. She loves to sleep on the bed at night, play ball and visit her "grandmother." Every morning she leads the other dogs in "singing" a very melodic group howl. For more information about and a picture of another black Norwegian Buhund, click HERE.
• Wylie. A Norwegian Elkhound and alpha male of the pack. He is also called CH Ashlawn’s Wylie Wascal, CGC, TDI. Wylie came into the group at the age of four-months. His favorite puppy play activity was to steal blankets and sheets from the bed and drag them through the house. Wylie has spent considerable time in obedience classes, but has not yet entered competition. He has also been training in agility and will start competing soon. Although he loves to catch moles and chase squirrels, Wylie is a sweet boy and good pack leader.
• Oslo, another Norwegian Elkhound. People who know Oslo, call him "the old man of the mountain," because he has been stubborn and set in his ways since he was a puppy. Oslo is the funniest dog in the pack, but he gets upset if you laugh at him. If he gets in trouble, he tries to blame the other dogs. At his first dog show, he won Best Puppy in Show. Oslo is a champion dark-barker and does not understand why Libbet sings in the mornings. He loves to horde toys in his crate. His favorite activity is posing for the camera and eating...anything.
• Shadow is a rescued Norwegian Elkhound. When she came here, she was at least eight, but possibly 12-years-old. There are few pictures of Shadow as she hates to have her picture taken. Despite her age and arthritis, Shadow is a happy girl and shows this side to others when she visits nursing homes. Like Wylie and Oslo, she is a registered Therapy Dog. And, like Oslo, she loves to eat. Shadow always listens for the refrigerator. When she hears it, she runs for the kitchen to beg her favorite treat — an ice cube. Mostly, Shadow enjoys sleeping on the heat and air conditioning vents, but between naps, she collects piles of chew bones between her paws.
• Vinca. Although she thinks she is another Elkhound, Vinca is an American Eskimo and maybe Chinese Crested mix, and is the baby of the pack. Since she thinks she is a large and powerful dog, she does not like to be called, "Little Dog." Vinca was "sent" to me about two months after my father died. With her all-white color and playful, sparkling personality, she reminds me of freshly fallen snow. Having Vinca around is like having the gift of perpetual winter playtime. Vinca spends her time tormenting the two boys. She has earned the titles of "Vicious Vinc the Squink" because of her play tactics, and, "Most Wanted" because everyone that meets Vinca wants to keep her. Like Libbet, Vinca was a "pound puppy." When she needs a little extra reassurance or affection, she will jump onto the couch and ask to have her dinner hand fed to her, one little-dog bite at a time. Vinca’s favorite activity is being a dog.

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