Outdoor Nature Hour: wolves, foxes & dogs

First of all, we should be experts on this whole dog study. At present, we have five. We seem to hover around a constant four. When you come to our house, you have to share the sofa with the dogs. Here is Shadow ("the protector") with the kids last summer.

Shadow is some sort of water spaniel mix - he dunks his whole head underwater to catch frogs. We're afraid Shadow will be the next to leave us. He's at least 10 and acting stiff in the hind legs.
Of course, I have to show the picture of Hayes watching Cherish birth all nine puppies almost five months ago

and here is a recent picture of two of the puppies, Reset and Smushy, exhausted on the bed.

I've left out Sophie Too Much, who would not let me take a picture of her dew claws as beagles are the only dogs to have dew claws on all four feet, and Ruffian, our catahoula leopard hound mix.
I finally learned why dogs bark as they're chasing something - it's to let the owner know where they are and what they're doing. And I have known that dogs have a different bark if they've encountered something special. My old girl, Gi Li, had that special bark when she found a turtle in the yard, or there was that bark of Ruffian's when he found the possum a couple of weeks ago.
We spent an hour on the creek after spreading some cattail seeds in the middle pasture. It was in the mid 30s and the outer edges of the creek were frozen.

Hayes scaled a hill on the island and Reset did her best to follow.

Hayes and Chooj gave our new addition Gracie some loving before heading out to explore.