Who’s that Good Dog?

Lindsay Barstow

Steve, Sophie, and Addison MacCracken with Nala and Callie

Condolences to the MacCracken/Barstow family on the loss of Callie this week. She was a Very Good Dog indeed.

Family: Steve, Devin, Sophie and Addison MacCracken and Lindsay Barstow

Pet: Callie and Nala

Age: Callie is 12-plus and Nala is 4 1/2 years old

Breed: Rhodesian Ridgebacks

Adoption Story: We got them from different Ridgeback breeders in Santa Rosa. With Callie, there were only two females left when we went to pick up a female puppy. The other female was extremely shy and hid from us. So we picked Callie. With Nala, she was one of 12 and we wanted another female with personality. So we got alpha girl Nala who can be quite naughty but is also very sweet.

Likes: Both dogs love to sunbathe and move around the house and backyard to maximize the sun spots. If it is cooler out, they prefer to stretch out on beds, couches or any soft surface and be covered with a blanket. Callie is too old to run now but Nala loves to run on off-leash hikes and is very prey-driven. Nala is obsessed with squirrels and gets loose on walks sometimes to chase squirrels into people’s yards. Nala’s best buddy is a yellow lab named Duke and they love to wrestle and chase each other.

Dislikes: They do not like to swim or be bathed. Callie does not like to be pet if she is trying to beg.

Interesting Facts: Naughty Nala has caught three squirrels, had an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting, eaten numerous things that she should not have (including a hand warmer, countless cookies, lasagna and anything else she can snag).

Anything else? Our girls love to snuggle with us on the couch. Nala might be 75 pounds but she thinks she is a lap dog. They are wonderful and very much loved dogs!

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