When Jake Was Little...

Jake was such a klutzy dog, and still can be (see Walking on Air post).

He loved to chew on things he shouldn't, like drywall in our garage, and taught Isabella new ways to misbehave (she was never a chewer beyond her toys until Jake). We've since corrected that behavior, fortunately, though I don't know that I'll ever trust him alone in the house for long periods of time-- he'd still snatch and chew on little things like Kleenex and bread ties if left to his own devices (see Silent, Sneaker Snatcher post).

When we first got Jake, he was a very light silver gray with all-white legs and belly, and I (mistakenly) thought he'd stay that way. I didn't factor in that he'd probably end up looking more like Isabella in the end because they have the same parents (yep, they're full-blooded brother and sister, just from different litters). They do have similarities, but Jake never has gotten as dark as Isabella, plus he has more tan areas of fur than his sister does. Still, it amazes me just how much his coloring has changed since his young puppy days.

He'll be a year old in a couple of weeks. Guess his growing days are pretty much behind him. He never got quite as big as we thought he might, with his bigger paws, but he is slightly bigger than his big sister now, and I believe he's a bit stronger as well. To think that he once was small enough to walk under Isabella...

My husband has always thought of Jake as a bit of a wimp, because he backs down and shies away pretty quickly (unlike Isabella, who's fearless). However, I think it's turned out to be a good thing-- I'd rather not deal with an alpha male, and he listens and responds alot better as a result, I think. I didn't know if that would change as he got older, but it hasn't -- I guess Isabella has always made sure to keep him in check. :)

To see more photos of Jake when he was little, scroll through my early posts on this blog, or visit Jake's link on my photography website at http://sjames.zenfolio.com/jake.