Our four-legged family members

Don't be fooled, they'll only look at you like this if you have a tasty treat waiting for them...

No update on the blog would be truly complete without news on how our little puppers are doing. BK and I have had some guilt lately because the boys have become quite familiar with their holiday home in the past few months. Don't worry too much though, they are at a place that's a little ways outside of Basel and is essentially a farm. They spend their days outside with about 20 other dogs and also have the opportunity to go on an off-leash "walk" around the property for a couple of hours each day. It's their holiday home- i.e. they're not cooped up in an apartment where they have to be leashed to go outside. As I've mentioned before, the owner thinks they're "lovely" dogs, which I think is a win.

Tanner seems to be the one who brings the most drama into our lives. He seems to be going through a phase where he can't stay well. He usually comes back from the kennel with some sort of digestive issue, which BK and I can't decide if he's just letting us know he didn't appreciate that stay, or if he is just trying to adjust back. Sometimes he goes on a food strike with this as well, but usually gives up and is hungry by the second morning at home. I think he also decides that he'll need some energy for all that walking. This past stay, he came back with kennel cough, which according to our vet has nothing to do with the kennel, but is actually a dog respiratory infection. She mentioned that Tanner seems to have a weak immune system, so she gave us some shots (that BK and I administered throughout the week) along with cough and throat medicine. He's fine now, and back to his normal, slightly-neurotic self. I'm convinced this dog is trying to do his part to prepare me for having a child.

How I usually find Tanner- stuck in a hole he chewed in the blanket

BK has now also coined Tanner as "Mr. Barksalot." He has recently taken up barking at all kinds of random things that he has decided he doesn't like. For example, they are doing renovations in one of the apartments in our building, and every time we go out the door Tanner HAS to bark at the workers. It's extremely irritating. With all of the trips to their holiday home, I think he's forgotten that I am the pack leader in the house and this is not good behavior (I say this only partly joking). And in case you've forgotten, Swiss dogs don't bark, so Tanner and Toby getting started on something is just never a good situation. Other dogs (and owners) walk past and look at us like, what is wrong with you all? Oh well, other things, like dog coats, make us stick out as well.

Toby is the steady eddie of the two of them. All he wants is to be where BK and I are. He always adjusts back fine from a stay at the boarder, and I think is just happy to be home and back to the routine. Regardless of how cold or wet it is outside, he's always up for taking BK to work in the mornings and going anywhere we want him to. Toby's newest post during the day is sitting in the dining room chair next to me while I practice German, or do whatever it is that I have to do that day. I think it would be fun to take him on the train and go hiking somewhere, but I'm not quite sure how Tanner would do, or what we would do with him if he didn't go.

While we were in the US for this most recent trip, I had quite a few people tell me that this three hours of walking that I have been doing with the dogs will come to an end when the Lentil gets here. I'm just not sure that can happen. If the pups don't get any exercise they tend to reek havoc in the apartment, which won't be good either. BK and I will have to learn how to balance walking, feeding and napping schedules together or something. Only time will tell, and we'll make sure to let everyone know how these antics ensue.