The best amigo ever

Kody and Larry are sharing some quality time this morning. What sort of quality is highly debatable depending on your point of view. I for one think the quality of life in the house is greatly improved when Kody doesn't smell so much like.....well, a dog.

Kody is a keeshond (pronounced for the most part "quiche hound") and he's pretty much an indoor doggie. He used to go with us lots of different places, but now he has a job, and he takes it very seriously. It is to bark furiously at every stranger who passes by when we're not home, and let them know that the house is protected by a ferocious beast who will tear any would be trespasser limb from limb and toss the remaining pieces to the seagulls and pelicans. He is very good at it. Except with girls. He LOVES girls, and makes an absolute idiot of himself to get an approving pat or scratch between the ears.

I met Kody about three years ago in January. He was walking on the beach near San Clemente with his owner, Janet. When I saw them approaching I fell to my knees and held out my arms. He was an absolute clone of a dog we'd had quite a few years back -- Rascal. At that time I thought I was special when he started doing his oh-you're-a-girl-let-me-please-you-and-delight-you routine. Little did I know! But he also took a shine to Larry when they were later introduced -- this MUCH to Janet's surprise. Kody and Janet and I met quite a few times to share walks on the beach.

So along about March of that same year Janet gave us a call. She had just moved to California when we'd first met. She'd come there to start a singing career, and caring for Kody was getting to be a bigger responsibility than she'd planned on. She'd been walking on the beach praying for a solution when I showed up in her path, literally on my knees. She'd scoped us out pretty well over the next several weeks, and finally decided that Larry and I could provide a good home for her friend, if we were willing. Were we ever! It's been pretty much a love fest ever since.

Kody is happy as a little clam in Mexico, even though the culture here isn't as welcoming to "mascotas" as say, in Europe. There he'd get an honored place under the table at the restaurant, and the waiter would bring him a dish of water! But he gets a walk every morning on the beach, and he's friendly with the children who aren't snatched away in terror by their parents. And just for the record -- the bath photo proves it: our dog is NOT gorda (fat). He's furry!

By the way: Here's a link to Janet's website. Click the music part, hear a sample of her singing, and understand why Kody gets a pained expression on his face when I serenade him. He was raised with a much higher standard. www.jdpetersonmusic.com