Whose dog is this?

Blair and Gus. That child loves that dog. He’s basically her best friend. (Thanks to mom and dad who keep her cooped up away from germs for most of the year!) She talks to him, reads to him, and plays with him. And when she hugs him, she says, “I’m lovin’ on ma dawg.”

And she’ll say, “Whose dog is this?” (Because she knows he was mine at one point.) And I’ll answer that he’s mine, and she’ll say, “No, this is MY dog!”

She likes him to be on his “yeash” – even though he really won’t go anywhere without us.

Gus has more names than anyone I know. Gus, Gussy, Gustifer, Mutt, Mutt Dog, Herbal (Blair original), Buckey, GusBucket, Brown Dog, Gusbo… And he actually answers to many of them! And Blair continues to make them up.

Finally, after breaking our hearts for months ignoring her, Gus actually comes when Blair calls him, and he’ll “load up” on her bed on command. Hiding seek is the game of choice right now, and this is how I found her and Gus! He always has to play – he hides and hunts!

The only thing is that she thinks she needs to be told “load up” to get in the Ranger (“Tell me ‘load up,’ Mama!”), and she’s told a friend to “load up” onto something a time or two. Oops. I told her that she couldn’t talk to people like that!

Gus knows and obeys “Gus, go to Blair’s room.”

And here we have “Gus, get in your kennel.”

He also uses the camera remote to take pictures. (Look how patient he is with her!)

So glad this baby has “her” dog!