Ahh…the boys. Out again.

Initially labeled Mutt & Jeff…for one is tall & smart, the other short & ahh…not so smart.

Small Jindo mixes owned by the neighbors down the street who for all intents & purposes have abandoned them to their backyard without a lick of attention or training.

But after several attempts at learning their real names & finally discovering that they’ve never been named (yes – that’s right, they haven’t been given any names) I am henceforth naming them. From this day forward they shall be called Squatty & Peabody.

Squatty is an obvious choice, but it also rhymes with Peabody – for Peabody is smart…like Mr. Peabody & the Way-Back Machine smart.

And if you get that obscure reference then bless your heart…I don’t feel so old around here anymore.

So after walking Maggie tonight I went back out to spend some time with them.

I usually sit down on the curb, play with them a bit & then we start our lessons for the attention span challenged. It’s still a struggle – they desperately need to get some manners in them.

Peabody picks up quickly, so he should be rewarded right away. But with Squatty still standing there looking at me like, “Do what?”…he gets frustrated & jealous that Peabody gets a treat & he doesn’t.

It’s a challenge. But a fun one. They’re just so excited to get the attention.

So tonight as I was playing with them their owner mom (a Korean national) came walking up to me.

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“You like dogs?”

- Yeah, I’m a dog person.

“I give you free.”

[holding back a smile]

- Do they have names?

[scrunched face, puzzled look]

“Names?”

- Names.

“Ahhh…no names. He’s big – he’s little.”

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We went through the whole exchange of how Koreans prefer little dogs & would rather have them live outside. Which was rather funny to me seeing as how they are little dogs.

But because they’re Jindo mixes – regardless of their stature – they’re automatically labeled big dogs.

She continued to share with me how they always get out, always get in trouble, how it was her husband who wanted them…on & on while I was still sitting, working with the dogs.

As she took a breath I looked at the pups & said, “Sit”.

Both sat at the same time – a first!

Startled she looked down & said, “Ooohhh!” and I shouted, “Yea, Squatty! Good boy!” Then as I gave them both treats the husband came walking out of the house.

[lovely]

The wife turned & shuffled off to her husband shouting,

“She train da dogs! She train da dogs!”

I heard him mumble, “Really?”

So I took that as my cue to go back inside.

I was embarrassed for them…even if they weren’t.