Meet my Dogs: Bandit and Max --aka The squares, The D's, Jerk Squad

"Two dogs are so much easier" they said. "They will play with each other" they said. Well, maybe the right two dogs. Not these two dogs. And by the way, don't be fooled at the pound by dogs that have just come back from getting fixed. They are not really that mellow all the time. With that out of the way, both of my dogs are supposedly mixed breed border collies. Bandit may be part lab or part spaniel. He is the people pleaser, easy going, easy to train. Max is very sweet, cuddly and playful, yet a very obsessive and sensitive guy. I am not sure he is crossed with anything but pure border collie intensity. Max was 5 months old when we got him from the humane society after a long search for a dog that Bandit would get along with. We had tried adult dogs and there was a lot of fighting and jockeying for position. We tried puppies and they really seemed to annoy Bandit. He would bark and growl at them. But Max was different. First, he was the cutest thing in the world, so I can't be held responsible. Second, he got along fine with Bandit at the meet and greet (see above re: getting fixed). Max for his part tried to love Bandit but Bandit was a strict disciplinarian always trying to maintain an alpha position. Now, they still do not play together, though Max takes security from Bandit being present, and Bandit shows protectiveness over Max. I enjoy them both for their different qualities.

I have been slowly working on a plan that involves driving cross country with a dog ala John Steinbeck. The trick is, which dog is best suited for the adventure. I have taken Max from Portland, Oregon to Yellowstone National Park and back and that was great. Family and friends suggest I stick with my sure thing, but I would like to give Bandit a chance. I have a brief weekend trip planned soon with just Bandit to find out if he is viable. I have also driven from Key West, Florida to Portland by myself. That was a good test to see if I was a viable option. I am. Though on multiple occasions, I threatened to pick up a dog to keep me company. So with that in mind, meet my dogs.