Last week was a milestone achieved for our two little black scamps, they reached a full year of age. They're not all that different than they were as puppies. They're still puppies, in fact. A year of age does not confer adulthood on small dogs accustomed to ruling the roost in their own inimitable scatter-gun method of cutsey-appeal.

Jack and Jill, three months of age

They weigh more than they did when we brought them home. They're not much larger than they were at three months of age. They aren't as frantic to chew everything, but they still have an urge to chew, and our slippers and shoes remain prime targets. Jackie is still as fond of licking bare toes; ours; as he ever was. Jillie still runs off to hide when we tell her it's time for a walk. The former is explicable, the latter inexplicable, since she does enjoy those walks.

Jillie in her favourite little bed

Although they love one another and are constant companions they are also content in many ways to separate themselves from one another. They don't cuddle together to sleep at night, but during the day they do often warmly lick one another's muzzles; and they must know at all times what the other is doing.

Jillie, distinguishable from Jackie because of her white blaze; chin and chest

Jillie has it over Jackie in the brains department. She is far quicker than he is to clue into things, despite her wide-eyed, innocent look. She's also a manipulator, someone who wants to take control; Jackie is a follower. Yet neither has taken on the 'alpha' mantle; instead, they share it. Sometimes he initiates things, sometimes she does. Each is capable of pulling the other by the ear, without restraint.

Jackie's favourite perch

If Jackie feels particularly rambunctious, he will began flying about manically, inviting Jillie to join him. Sometimes she does, often she won't. And the reverse happens as well; when Jackie isn't particularly interested in having a good runabout, it will occur to Jillie that he should and she will challenge him to do just that; he may respond and he may not.

Jackie getting fitted with a light-weight walking halter

What they do have in common is an avaricious appetite. They will eat just about anything at any time. Fruits and vegetables remain their favourite snacks. Button and Riley would never accept cookies from strangers, and certainly never in the ravine. Jack and Jill insult polite manners by their alacrity in accepting offerings and then looking for more.

While they are partial to cooked chicken, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, yogurt and chicken soup they are not averse to yanking foliage off spruces; needles, that's right; to grind away at them, and nor do violets escape their notice, their very particular favourite backyard treat.

Jackie favours the back of the sofas in the family room, where he fits himself snugly into the gap between sofa back and sofa cushion, while Jillie prefers her little bed sitting on the rug. On the other hand Jack floats like a leaf in a reverse-hurry in great leaping arcs to reach surprising heights, bounding about as though gravity is no concern of his whatever. For her part, Jillie doesn't believe she is capable of leaping, though when we're out in the ravine she's perfectly able to leap and clear distances.

So when Jackie is feeling wickedly provocative, he teases her by leaping onto a sofa or a bed, while she fruitlessly and feebly jumps up repeatedly to try to reach him when they're in a wrestling/tumbling playtime mode. We're just wondering if it will ever occur to Jillie that anything Jackie does she can too?