Six months ago today, I adopted a bonded pair of pups from the Friends of the Jackson Animal Shelter in Mississippi. Pinkie, the black female, was approximately three years old, and Rocket, the tan male, was about eight months old. We couldn’t be happier. Here’s a little update on my furry family.

As best anyone can tell, Miss Pinkie is a Chiweenie – Chihuahua and Dachshund. Rocket is probably her son, as he is Chiweenie also, but with a dash of something else – maybe Basset Hound, from the looks of his front paws. Another clue that Pinkie is Rocket’s mama is the infinite patience she displays with him; he is constantly trying to play with her, biting at her ears and legs and dragging her around by her collar if I forget to remove it between walks (or by the nape of her neck if I do). She never just hauls off and lets him have it (and I wish she would), but she threatens any other dog that gets near her.

Neither dog is a barker. On occasion Pinkie will growl or bark at a noise she hears outside, and Rocket will join in, but it is always brief. We are working on not jumping up when greeting humans. Both dogs would lick your skin off if you’d let them!

I feel almost guilty adopting dogs who adore tiny humans so much. Rocket and Pinkie brighten at the sound of little voices and want to play with all children. Rocket would especially like to playfully chase kids running or bicycling.

Both dogs enjoy traveling on the RV dashboard, watching the world go by (alternatively, sleeping) as we drive down the road.

They love riding in the car even more so, and the entire back seat has been ceded as their domain to hunker down and hang out when we are in the toad.

While sightseeing I sometimes crate them, and they do very well together for hours. If I can, I take them with me. For long days apart, they go to a doggie daycare.

My heart is especially warmed by the relationship that has developed between Rocket and Boss Tweed. (Pinkie has no affection for the Boss Man, although he still makes overtures to her from time to time.)

Boss licks Rocket’s head every day.

Lately they have been pursuing each other back and forth over the length of the rig, Rocket on the chase one way, and Boss on the return. The have also started to wrestle and play pretty hard together, when Rocket pins Boss down and Boss rabbit kicks him to get away. I haven’t captured it on video yet, but Boss also balances on his hind legs and “boxes” Rocket in the face!

On walks, both dogs want to greet every human they meet, and the tracking and treeing of squirrels is Priority Number One. Pinkie has no interest in toys, but Rocket loves them; he has a toy box and brings each treasure out onto the floor, one-by-one. I put them all away before bed, then awake covered in them each morning. He is Master Destructo, sometimes taking less than five minutes to decimate a toy I lingered over in the store, convincing myself it would survive his punishment.

We have discovered such amazing off-leash dog parks!

You may recall the my sweet Olive was pretty anti-social, so taking her to a dog park would have been torture for her. Rocket, on the other hand, has never met a dog he didn’t like, and his favorite thing is to goad other dogs into chasing him. Sometimes when he bites off more than he can chew and three or four large dogs are after him, the hair down the middle of his back stands on end. He will run under or into small spaces to get away and regain his composure.

Pinkie plays chase only with Rocket, and he is always doing the chasing. She is so flipping fast, and she corners on a dime; it is funny to hear Rocket’s cries of protest, because he can never catch her.

Both animals are in great health. Neither of them care for nail trims, so we are slowly desensitizing them to the experience. Down here in the South ticks continue to be an issue; along with Frontline and Heartguard, both pups get sprayed with insect-repelling oils before walks.

I miss my Olive girl, but in retrospect I feel she never really warmed to the RV lifestyle. In that way, her passing was a blessing for her. In Pinkie and Rocket I have found dogs that not only tolerate travel – they love it. And I love them.