Maggie

When we finally sold the condo and moved into a house we got the dog we had always promised the boys. Her official name is Maggie May Mc Neal, but but most often you can hear me calling....."Baby Girl". She's a Westie – A West Highland White Terrier - Extremely Smart – and has us well trained!
*When she was about 6 months old she used to try to "trade" her puppy Milkbone biscuits for Brian's toast after her morning walk. I'd give her the biscuit and she'd drop it by Brian's feet and then stare at the toast in his hand.

(She'd also give it back to us to break it into smaller pieces for her.)
*At about the same age she decided she wanted her dry kibble wet. She’d take her nose and flip the water to the other side of the bowl to wet her food and then wait until it was the consistency she wanted and then would go back to eat it. When she figured out that by bumping the bowl across the kitchen floor achieved better results to get the water to the other side she did that. I put a stop to that quickly as I'd have a trail of water going across my floor.
*She "talks" - "coughs" or "hacks" in that order - to get our attention when she needs to go out.
*She barks at car-carriers when they go by - she knows which they - and has been doing this since she was a puppy and we haven't a clue as to why.
*She naps on our bed if I haven't made it yet. Once I make it she's not interested and moves to Brian's bed.
*She can jump on our bed, but if I'm already in it at night she makes me lift her up onto it.
* Also, if I feed her bits from the table and then show her "empty hands" and say "All gone - no more" - she'll try someone else or leave. She doesn't "beg" - just sits there and looks at you and takes food very gently.
*If you ask her to find her ball she'll usually track it down and then wants to play "fetch". If you're at the bottom of the stairs she push the ball with her nose to drop it down the stairs. She sometimes even "throws" it to you.
*If you don't give her a treat after she's been out - she'll follow you around to you do.
*At dinnertime if you haven't put her food in her bowl she'll "talk" or bark at you to let you know she want's to be fed.

*About 2 years ago when we had so much snow, Paul made trails for her in the backyard with the snowblower. Being that it was so deep she stayed in the trails and we didn't have to walk her. As the snow melted she continued to stay in the backyard. Then one day Paul thought Brian had let her in, and Brian thought Paul had let her in, and when they realized what had happened, Brian ran to the front door put on his shoes, and was about to head out, and there she was sitting on the front porch looking at the door.
*When Paul comes home she runs to him at the top of the stairs and "talks" to him and gives him “kisses”.
What a character!
That's my (hairy little) girl!

Oh, and her adorable sweater was made by my childhood friend, Carol. Now that’s a friend ...taking time to knit a sweater for your dog!

Copyright © 2005 Deborah Sharp Loeb