Sheriff Ivan, King of the Ranch

So yesterday I stopped by my sister's ranch to visit for an hour and a half on my way home from seeing Dad. This is my oldest sister who is married to a cowboy and they have cattle and horses and other various animals at various times along with several dogs. My second oldest sister is also living there. And she is the one who has decided that Ivan is the Sheriff of the entire dog posse...and king of the whole ranch. Ivan is a minpin who hasn't missed too many meals. He's low to the ground with big ears that stick straight up, but everything else is round and robust which prevents him from jumping up on the couch to cuddle, so he just whines until his favorite human picks him up for a nap. Snoring is his specialty.

There's Stinger who is the boss of the outdoors. He likes going into the house too, but finds it ever so much more fun to sniff through the bushes and generally patrol the property. He's a mostly big white dog with some blonde patches.

Fancy is a miniature schnauzer who is eight years old, so she's quite finished with caring about most things except for naps on the couch. That is her forte. She's a little old gray lady.

Squeaky is a fluffy black thing with a pointed nose. I think he looks and moves (waddles) just like a skunk minus the white stripe. He's a little love and nested right in under my arm for petting and devotion. He's also portly and has a habit of wheezing.

Shiloh is a teenage movie star. She is a glamorous red-headed standard poodle with curls for days and big brown eyes. She plops herself on the couch literally sprawling ALL over with her head resting on my sister's thigh or belly and her own legs splayed open. Her only concern is to be stroked by my sister. She hasn't quite grown into her legs yet but makes friends easily by licking and licking and licking every finger and hand she can find. Shiloh is currently fascinated with Tallie's pups and wants to see one really, really bad, but Tallie isn't having it.

Tallie is a cow dog. She works hard with my sister's husband and is an Australian Shepherd. She was bred with another dog and gave birth to 8 pups five days ago. So yes, I was holding four day old puppies yesterday and Tallie was just fine with that. She completely trusts all the humans. Other dogs? Not so much. She watches her seven sons and one daughter like a hawk and if anyone comes near, such as the ever curious Shiloh who will be bred next year and have her own turn at motherhood, Tallie just tears right out of that nest of babies shrieking and barking like no other. Shiloh is just going to have to wait awhile before she can seriously become an aunt. These puppies are with their mother in a dog house on the front porch (the one that's shaped like an igloo). Tallie goes inside the house when she feels like it, but the other five dogs are inside a lot, so it's rather a menagerie. With their separate and distinct breeds, I couldn't help but wish for a dog family portrait. Shiloh would have to be front and center being so tall and glamorous, with the others posed around her. But this, of course, would be impossible really. They would never sit still long enough.

Unless there was toast. Toast might work. At six o'clock every morning, the dogs all get toast. With real butter. That's simply how each day begins on the ranch.