this is ... my pets

We have many pets (ten at the moment!) but Muzzle is our most beloved. She is part whippet, part mutt and very, very bouncy. So bouncy that she can jump most of our fences so we can't leave her unattended in the back yard but instead have to lock her in "jail" during the day - a space along the side of the house where we have extended the fence and installed a gate. She doesn't seem to mind though, obediently trotting in when we command her to "go to jail". Muzzle suffers from a common whippet behavioural disorder known as "excessive greeting disorder" - she gets so excited when anyone she knows enters the house that she dances on her hind legs howling "He-wo!". The other word that she knows is "walk". If we pick up our house keys, pick up her lead or mention the word she dances again, this time saying "A waaall. A waaall." Not perfect diction, I know, but hey she is a dog after all.


Another pet worth mentioning is Beaker, our cockatiel. We never had the patience or inclination to teach him to talk but he has learnt to make the sound of the telephone ringing, water going down the drain and my sister's laugh. He adores taking a shower with me and has decided that I am his mate - he will only sit on me and bites anyone else who comes near. Like Muzzle, Beaker is also good at greeting - he recognises the sounds of our cars and starts chirping as we pull up in the driveway.

If you want to get to know our pets better you can join my partner's social networking site for pets, My Star Pet.

Thanks so much to sweet Kyla for suggesting this week's theme. Check out three buttons for links to everyone else who is playing along.