Single digits

"Single digits" is Clay's mantra. He says it all the time, mostly as wishful thinking, hoping that I'll keep our total nose count to under 10.  With yesterday's addition of Charlie we are up to nine, but that's still within his aspirational limit.


However, this week the temperature is also in the single digits which means that all nine dogs are spending the night indoors and most of them are in here during most of the day as well. That's not really a problem. We have four crates set up in the office, with only three used at night, plus another crate set up in the kitchen downstairs for Sparky.


Charlie is doing well with everyone and he was great being crated last night. He didn't eat yesterday or this morning but he finally did when I offered food this evening. He can negotiate the stairs, both up and down, and it does seem that he's got some house manners. He scrambled out of the dog yard fence yesterday evening at dusk, but he came to the back door. I think I know how and where he did it and I think I've prevented it from doing it again, but at least I know that a four foot fence won't really contain him, but also that he didn't really want to run off. He had been a stray but they may have been leaving him outdoors on his own so naturally he was going to wander off sooner or later.


Max and I did five miles on the trails this afternoon. It was chilly but the ground was solid, not muddy, and we had the trails to ourselves. All the pictures are of Max. He may be mental, but he is one good looking shepherd.