Koho

This is Koho.

She is my dog. I love my dog a lot. There was recently some concern over at Grandma J's about people who love their dog just a little too much by dressing them in clothing, carrying them in their bags, and bringing them to inappropriate places like restaurants, grocery stores, and boutiques. I assure you, I don't do those things. My dog weighs about 50 pounds so she is too heavy to carry around in a handbag and those doggy clothes don't fit her, besides she's a dog and although I love her to death, she's still a dog.

But, she's the best dog ever. Here's why...

• She's an Australian cattle dog which means she's super smart. She's so smart that she has taught me to stop trying to teach her tricks like rolling over and shaking paws. She looks at me like I'm the dummy. However, she does sit, stay, and do her business on command. Fetch and "Come here" are hit and miss. If she feels like it, she does it great, if she doesn't, she doesn't. Because she's a cattle dog, she also likes to herd things. Whether it be squirrels or small children, she's not picky. She really can't be picky living in the suburbs. I told you she is smart.


• She's a good guard dog. If someone comes to the door, even on TV, fits of hysteria come over her and she runs around barking her head off with the hair on her neck and back standing straight up on end. When we are invited over to the houses of friends, she barks when I knock on the door. "This is their house," I have to tell her.


• She loves routine. As soon as the alarm goes off to start our day, she has a schedule of what they day should be like. If something interrupts that schedule she is disoriented and has a hard time handling it.


• She's cuddly. She likes to be close to me at all times. That could be sitting on my feet, curling up next to me on the couch, or snuggling next to me in bed at night. I let her sleep on the bed. It's a big bed, so there's plenty of room, but I often find myself hanging off the end of the bed because Koho is sprawled out right next to me sound asleep. When I get up in the middle of the night, she usually has made my spot her spot and falls back to sleep. I have to push her out of the way so I can get back into bed.


• She's cute. She has brown freckles all over her legs and face. There is a black ring around the middle of her tail and the end of her tail is white, like it's been dipped in paint. Plus, when she lies down, she crosses her front paws like a princess. Some say that's a sign of intelligence.

She's just the coolest dog ever.

Here in sunny California, 104 is not only the amount it cost to fill up your gas tank, but also the temperature most days in the summer. As cute and cuddly as Koho is, all that hair sheds like a "motha" in the summer. So about June every year I have her shaved. Here she is shaved.

She sure looks funny and gets embarrassed when I laugh at her, but she seems cooler and doesn't leave white hair everywhere around the house.