“Fermi”

Fermi is a really sweet boy with a good dose of intensity, much like his mom, Penelope.

He is the "Mad Smiler." A greeting from Fermi is highlighted by a full toothy grin. If his entire body was not wiggling from his furiously wagging tail, one would mistake it for junkyard dog snarl. But Fermi is just one of those dogs who smiles.

At Fermi's core is enthusiasm. Whatever is to be done, it should be pursued with rigor and positive attitude. His leadership qualities make him unafraid to be independent and to make his own choices. That may include bounding over a six foot privacy fence from a mere stand still, simply to see if there is a squirrel on the other side. That is just Fermi, he has things to do..."Fermi things."

Fermi is an early riser and as a pup, used to let us know he was ready to start the day with his soft moan of "now-now-now-now." So he'd start our morning with a chuckle. We partition our home with baby gates to manage the pack. For Fermi - even at the age of 13.5 years at this writing - these are merely wonderfully fun toys to jump over. Partitions don't interest him, but jumping over things is definitely high on his list of hobbies. He doesn't mind challenging himself to go high or far. Fear is for the other dog.

In regards to running, showing, and doing obedience Fermi is up for it all. He has the standard operating protocol of an optimist. He just loves to run, do obedience and show. We would say that Fermi likes to work, but we don't think Fermi would think of it as work. For Fermi it is all about something to brighten his day. One of his favorites is the butt scratch. Fermi will return the favor of a butt scratch with a performance of the Fermi version of a Butt dance, complete with all the high stepping and butt swaying. Fermi performs his butt dance with his normal energy and enthusiasm - think Richard Simmons after a few drinks.

Humans making funny noises or high-pitched sounds drives Fermi into a frenzy of joyful excitement! Do that, and we feel that we are boxing a kangaroo. Official household rule: never sing any Franki Valli songs if we are wearing nice clothes.

Fermi continues to be extremely tight with his brother, Feynman. They seem to have the ability to keep any rivalry out of the picture and gravitate toward sticking together. It is pleasant to watch. We often call them the "two-headed monster," as they are almost always together.

Fermi is an uncomplicated dog. He is a life enthusiast with just a touch of alpha.