Although the ghosts of Button and Riley, our two beloved little dogs haunt us still and likely always will, it has now been two years since we brought Jackie and Jillie home to live with  us. Just as humans have diverse personalities and idiosyncrasies so too do our canine companions. We see some traits that are common to all in a general way, but there are many others that distinguish the characters of individuals.

One cannot help but contrast what we were long familiar with, in the traits of our little miniature and even littler toy poodles with the two who now live with us. An interesting mental project, since our two current companions are twin siblings, the only two in a litter of poodles and their personalities are each quite different from one another's.

Jackie is high-strung and emotionally needy while his sister is calm and although given to cuddling more than her brother, holds her emotions in a more stable, moderating manner. Each can be excitable, however, since they're still in puppy-mode, and like many small dogs may be like that for most of their lives.

Because they're small we tend to baby them, which isn't unusual. But it does lead to certain inconveniences such as their puzzlement should we ever lead them to believe we expect them to exit the house into the backyard on their own to evacuate. When we slide open those patio doors they expect us to accompany them. Sometimes they leap all about us, wanting us to run and play with them, an expectation dashed soon enough.

Most often, they turn to one another in challenge-mode and run about excitedly, racing at top speed to outdistance one another, then turn back to physically clash in mock wrestling matches. Their acrobatics and athletic physical prowess provide for us a front-row entertainment.

Now that it's very cold and wintry and a firm snowpack covers the ground they don't spend much time outdoors. And never any on their own, though from time to time when the sun is out they'll ask to go out on the deck on their own to bask in the sun briefly. Their major time spent out-of-doors is during our shared daily hikes in the winter woods adjacent our home.

Jackie knows when we're prepared to dress to gird ourselves against the cold, and he becomes excited with anticipation. Jillie knows as well, and she hastens to hide under the coffee table although why she does this is beyond us since she enjoys being out in the forested ravine fully as much as her brother so obviously does.

They have become reliable company in the kitchen when food is being prepared. When they hear me chopping up vegetables their expectations are high; they'll eagerly consume whatever is on offer; green beans, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, bell pepper, strawberries, mangoes, apple, pear, you name it.

When they've been out to the backyard in a newfallen snow and their little paws are packed with snow as well as their hairy flanks from colliding with snowbanks, they enter the house and immediately leap onto the settle we have positioned against one wall of the breakfast room which we line with towels, to await a towelling to remove the snow before leaping back down again and resuming their normal routines.

Funnily enough, when we return from one of our hour- or hour-and-a-half treks in the ravine, even though they'll have come across other dogs being walked and race about a bit with them, on our return home, soon as they've been wiped clean of snow, their coats and halters removed, they initiate a game between them of madly dashing about the house, sliding on small area rugs, leaping onto sofas, boxing and wrestling, with Jackie, the vocal one, emitting emotional little sentiments as they struggle with one another.