Hi; my name is Holly.  I was a foster brat of my family over the Christmas period.  I am mostly husky but who cares?!  As you can see, I am an inquisitive little brat.  I’m always up to mischief, just like all pups.  I especially like tearing toilet and kitchen rolls apart.

I was quite tiny when I was first fostered.  Both me and my sister, Abby, fitted into a single carry crate.  That won’t happen anymore.  I’m too big, and I now have my own crate to sleep in.

I was supposed to return to those nice folks at the SPCA after Christmas but I had already become part of my family so that didn’t happen.  I was adopted mid-January, along with my sister Abby.

I like some fusses but as soon as I’ve had enough, I’m off to play.  If one of my family is holding me, they have to be watchful because when I want to go play, I just leap out of their arms.

I am usually a quiet puppy except when Morris the cat is around.  I like to bark at him, but I’ve learned to do that from a distance because Morris isn’t impressed and he hisses and growls at me and swats me if I get too close.  Luckily, he doesn’t put his claws out.  I guess that’s how cats get when they are old like Morris.  He is 16 years old.

I also like being an alarm clock.  I bark in the morning around 5:00 a.m..  My adopted Mom, Donna, usually comes down and lets us out of our crates into the backyard for a pee.

I like to play with my adopted brother, Bagel the Beagle.  That’s him and me in the fenced backyard.  He’s a hound so he barks and howls and my owner, Richard, doesn’t like it when he does that.  I don’t either because I’m not sure what he’s barking at.  I run to the back door when he does it in case there’s something spooky going to run out of the ravine at the back of our house.

I like going for walks now.  I wasn’t so keen at first but Bagel really likes to.  Richard had a bit of a problem with all three of us but he bought us all nice new harnesses, so it’s easy to walk.  Bagel pulls a lot even though he’s been to school.  Just wait until I get big.  I’ll show him how to pull!  Richard says he’s going to make a buggy so we can pull him along because he says he’s getting old.

I’ve learned to go up and down stairs in the house now.  My family tries to keep me in the kitchen and living room by putting up wooden baby gates but all huskies are escape artists.  I know how to open them!

I have also learned to ring a bell when I need to go out.  I have also learned that my family lets me out every time I ring the bell so it’s fun to see how many times I can get them to let me out in an hour.  In, out, in, out; it’s so fun.  Even though I go out a lot, I still have accidents in the house.  I’m getting better at this thing called house training though.

Well, I’d better go now.  I have to go have breakfast and then I will play with one of my many toys.  My favourite is still the toilet roll though.  I discovered that if I tug one end, the roll will reach all the way through the hall and across the living room!  I don’t get to do that too often because Richard says “No!” and I listen.  I’m a smart dog and my family is going to take me to puppy school.  I’m looking forward to that.  Bye for now.  Stay tuned and perhaps I’ll have time to give you an update when I get older.  I’m now about 15 weeks old.  That’s me on the left at the end of January, lying in the snow chewing a treat.  My nice thick coat keeps me warm.

Bye everybody.  I’ll see my friends Carole and Jennifer at the SPCA this month to get my shots.

Holly

Update June '09 ...

Hi guys; I thought you might want to see the girls, Abby and Holly, at 7 months.  The pictures were taken around my cottage last weekend, where they really like to be.  They especially like playing in the fields behind us and then up into the hills.  Holly even presented me with a deer's leg bone, avec hoof (residue from winter kill).  We "camp" in our RV, which they also enjoy.  They are really good travellers.  I don't get to sleep in though.  They religiously jump onto the bed to wake me up at 5:30.  At home, they are crated at night, so I'm more in control of my beauty sleep.

They are really sweet dogs but boy; what a handful.  I need three hands to give equal fusses, otherwise I get "gentle" nips to let me know I'm not paying enough attention.  The toilet training issues (touch wood) appear to be history, thank goodness.

My arms were getting excessively long because the three dogs (Bagel the beagle is the worst) were trying to pull them out of my arm sockets while on a leash.  I now drive them to an off-leash walking area at Bowesville and Leitrim twice a day, where they can run, play, socialize and even swim in a sandy-bottom pond.

Update June ’10 …

Abby & Holly are delightful dogs.  When I picked them up, they were only a couple of months old.  I immediately pegged Holly as a mischievous, liveable little devil and Abby was a cuddle-butt.

Now they are all "growed up" and my predictions hold true.  Holly is into everything and (unfortunately) still likes to chew on my wife's favourite shoes.  She is also adept at opening containers so cookie boxes or food in containers in general are not safe.  If I ignore her too long in her opinion, she woofs at me to get attention and looks at me with ears perked and a devil-may-care look.  She still thinks she is a lap dog and bounds onto my lap every now and again.

Abby we affectionately call tickle-butt.  She too will bark at me and roll over so I can rub her tummy.  If I stop she'll woof at me again until I resume.

Update September '11 ...

They are indeed pretty girls and they enjoy life to the fullest.  They especially enjoy riding in the RV, going for walks and chasing rabbits.  Abby is still the cuddle-bug, always looking for fusses and tummy rubs and Holly is still the bratsky, giving me nips any time she feels I am ignoring her wishes.  They just had their annual check-up and the vet was very pleased with their weight, coats, teeth and general all-round health.

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