Introducing my dog, Mudge. Sir Mudge McDuff of Windyhyll or Mudgie to his family and friends. Also known as Mister. What a great dog! He's intelligent, playful when he wants to be, loves people, a loud barker, and rodent control. He loves to run and do figure eights through the house bouncing off the edge of the sofa and skidding across the wood floor.

We bought Sir Mudge over the Internet when he was just a baby. After looking at all the cute doggies, we picked the one with his little pink tongue hanging out because Big Fred said the dog had a sense of humor. And he is a riot. He is such a lovey and most people warm up to him right away.

Big Fred took him to work with him when he was little and for some reason the dog has a thing about shovels, moving wheelbarrows, pushbrooms, and hoses. Mudge loves to bark and bite at any of these objects. He got a tooth knocked out while biting at a moving dibble.

And, did I mention that we had just bought a new dining room table and chairs and new rugs for the living room just before we bought Mudge. Usual stuff happened like a gnawed chairleg and missing rose patterns in the carpet. All thanks to a new puppy. Of course, he took over the newly upholstered sofa and has claimed the bed in each bedroom as his own.

He has never been to obedience school so I have been working with him this summer to get him to sit when people pull into the driveway. He also has the bad habit of jumping up on his company. I think he gained three pounds from the dog treats I have been giving him.

What can I say, but that he is a terrific person. He has his own recording label, gets e-mail, and receives messages on the answering machine. Let's hear it for Mudgie. O.K. Mister, get off my pillow!!