John Dixon teases Jake with The Heggie Pig. Life has been interesting around our house since we added a new Australian shepherd puppy to the pack. Since it had been a long time since we had a youngster in the house, these past months have been a course in Canine Psychology. We've learned much about non- verbal communication and the leisure pursuits of one curious and energetic puppy.

It's all in the angle of the ears

Australian shepherds have some rather impressive ears, and Jake uses his quite expressively, perhaps because he has no tail. He can hold his large, bat- like ears straight up, pull them flat against his skull with the points touching behind his head, or hold them out like airplane wings. Each one of these positions corresponds to a specific attitude.

When he folds his ears back, it usually signals he is excited or about to run off. When he holds his ears up straight, it means he has heard something unusual or is on alert. Jake's neutral position is what we like to call "airplane ears." This position is most frequently observed when he is comfortably lounging or while he is observing an interesting television program (Yes, this dog actually watches television). I guess the humans in his pack have corrupted him already.

Jake wins The Heggie Pig Hunting The Heggie Pig

This dog loves toys… almost as much as The Poo did. In fact, Jake gave the Poo's beaver puppet an almost daily workout until it was worn completely out and had to be replaced. My dad being more of a softie than he likes to admit bought Jake a new toy each time he went to the store until he finally hit the jackpot with a fuzzy, oinking hedgehog. This Heggie Pig has become Jake's favorite toy. He will pounce on it and roll over on his back, squeezing the Heggie Pig mercilessly in his powerful jaws just for the joy of hearing it oink. It turns out Heggie Pigs are very versatile, they can be tackled, bitten, and even fetched. Jake has enjoyed his Heggie Pig with such great gusto that despite the fact it is only a few months old my mom has already had to re- stitch it once.

Jake's list

Some folks have the need for speed. Jake has the incessant need to chew. He chews everything he can find. The list lengthens daily. It started with innersoles and the occasional boot, but he has graduated to a greater variety of things. In the past week he has decimated a cardboard box in the kitchen, chewed the tips off of the shoelaces on all tennis shoes, dismembered the AV cable to my Wii, eaten about a pound of carpet underpad and about 12 pencils.

Where he gets these things we do not know, but just when we think we have everything put up he trots into the living room with something new. To date, the most interesting things include a toilet brush holder, a rattan basket, and assorted skeins of yarn.

Until we started shutting the bathroom door, it was not uncommon to enter the bathroom to find the trashcan tipped over and an entire roll of toilet paper unrolled on the floor. Enterprising young puppies can find a number of ways to entertain themselves. For those of you who are considering getting a new Canine American, be sure to puppy proof first.

The Taming of the Chi

The Chi is quite old and more than a little testy. She has ruled the roost around here for a long time and is not yet ready to pass the scepter. Jake has made several unsuccessful attempts at Canine Diplomacy, which have been soundly rejected. These brief but intense encounters usually end with Jake standing bewildered as the Chi hangs from his jowls or disappears under the sofa. You'd think he'd have learned by now that the Chi is not interested in being friends.

This ends this month's installments of Canine Capers. I hope you have enjoyed them. There will be more to come next month.