Our friend Jeep is SO happy that the groundhog saw his shadow this morning! Bring on the snow and ice – Jeep wants to play outside ALL day! It is supposed to snow quite a bit this weekend so I promise to post some pictures of the big fluff ball in the snow. Maybe I can even convince Dot Com into going outside with her. Good thing Dot has a winter coat. I wonder if she would wear boots.
Jeep will be there right as the doors open at 6 PM on Friday night at Palombi Middle School. Our wonderful Lake Villa PTO is hosting this FREE event for families. Last year Jeep was quite intrigued with kids playing in the Bouncy House and flying down the slide. Jeep didn’t get to go in it herself – it is tough having big paws with claws not to mention double dew claws.
This year there will be music provided by DJ Maximus as well as face painting, a balloon artist, a funky photo booth and Bingo with prizes.
Family Fun Night runs from 6 – 8:30 PM. Kids tell your parents and grandparents it’s time to have some fun! Hope to see you there!
This weekend our girl Jeep decided to take disappearing snow matters into her own paws. If you can’t play in snow, at least you can always play in mud. (Personally I prefer her rolling in the snow.) Oh, Jeep, good thing you are cute!
Many dogs love squirrels – love to chase them that is! Dot Com and Jeep are no exception, although I do have to say Dottie is probably overly enthusiastic in this regard. Dot gets so excited when she sees a squirrel in a tree or on the ground, she actually starts to tremble and shake. Because she is a German Shorthair Pointer, her hunting instinct is quite strong. I sometimes feel quite sorry for the squirrels she torments.
Often Jeep will join Dot on the squirrel chase, but then usually she loses interest and starts eating snow. Jeep is much kinder to the squirrels. She thinks every day should be Squirrel Appreciation Day! Check out how one person celebrates by making a squirrel obstacle course – the squirrels are going to get to your bird feeder anyhow so you might as well make it interesting! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWU0bfo-bSY
(Check out our fuzzy snow cruncher in this short video. I think her snow beard looks cute, don’t you?)
Our friend Jeep celebrated her second birthday on January 2nd!
Do you remember when Jeep first came to school how small she was? She could sit in my lap, take a bath in our kitchen sink and be carried up the stairs. Not anymore!
I am sure the one who is probably most surprised about Jeep’s growth spurt is Dot Com. I am sure Dottie had no idea that Jeep would grow more than twice her size. Now there is just more fluff to love!
I am often asked by students how old Jeep is in people years. There is a common belief that a one dog year equals seven people years. Using that formula Jeep would be fourteen people years old. However, the math is not that simple.
According to the American Vet Medical Association, the first year of a dog’s life actually equals 15 human years. By year two, a dog adds on nine years for a human. So how old is Jeep now in human years? (See if you can do the math in your head BEFORE looking below at the handy chart.)
Keep in mind the size of a dog matters. Large dogs (like Jeep) age faster than small dogs. Researchers are still trying to understand why that happens. The average life span for a Great Pyrenees is 8 – 10 years although I met a male Great Pyr who was 14!
(By the way, I am delighted that the designer of the chart chose a Great Pyrenees picture for the “Large” dog. That’s Pyr Power!)
Finally the last day of school before Winter Break has arrived! Jeep is certainly getting in the holiday spirit with all of her friends. Looks like someone we know will be settling in shortly for a LONG winter’s nap! Nighty Night Jeep!
In the meantime, be sure to check out this video of none other than Santa and his puppy elves! That’s right! See for yourself all the puppy elves working at the North Pole!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6NS77HLjEE
You might recall seeing Nora the Polar Bear last year. We thought she might be the perfect friend for Jeep. (SSSHhhh! Don’t tell Dot Com!) Not only do Nora and Jeep look alike, but Nora also enjoys playing in a kiddie pool – only her’s is filled with ice cubes, not water. The holes on the sides of the pool look a little familiar.
Below is a video of Nora one year later. Boy! If you think Jeep has grown a lot in one year, wait until you see Nora! (Besides, we all know Jeep isn’t big; she’s fluffy.)
Jeep wishes we would get as much snow as Nora did at her zoo in Ohio. Jeep is keeping her paws crossed for a BIG snow storm. All our buddy Jeep wants for Christmas is SNOW and maybe a play date with Nora. Let’s hope Santa delivers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaEEbFHlvnQ
We are only one week away from Winter Break and Jeep is getting in the holiday spirit with her friends. Jeep is hoping that Santa will bring her more snow to play in. She is such a good sport about donning reindeer antlers. All she needs is a red nose!
I did have to remind Jeep earlier that Santa is watching her when she decided it would be fun to sit on top of a table we have outside that is covered in a tarp. Who knew Jeep could even get up on a table? I bet Dot Com tricked her into going up there. It is not like our Jeep to be naughty just nice.
The lovely Paige Turner and Booker the Lake Villa District Library dog were married today in front of dozens of young children and their families. The puppy nuptials were followed by a cupcake reception and dance party. Our friend Jeep was pleased as punch to be an official guest of honor.
For those of you wondering if Jeep is going to get married, she has no plans to do so. She is enjoying her single status. Besides that, since Jeep is not quite two years old, she is way too young to date!
Jeep the Dog 