Hiya Charlie!

I'm sure maybe a few of you remember big bad Charlie boy. I've neglected him in recent posts, so I feel I must make up for it today. Maybe a couple of videos, pictures, and that should suffice for the time being. :) Charlie is just as much of a handful today as he was when we first got him- still a brat, that is. lols Prairie dogs go through what is known as rut. Rut is basically mating season, and their personalities are drastically altered due to hormone changes within their little bodies. We failed to fix him before his season hit (and you can't fix them during rut), so now we have an even bigger little monster on our hands. Oh wellsy! He certainly doesn't get out as much, since he's pretty cranky these days, moreso than usual. When spring arrives, he should be back to his calmer and less irritable self. He's still my sweet little boy though, and I love him regardless.

I'm going to be absolutely honest here, but these pictures (I have several like this) always make me a little sad for him. He almost seems as though he's yearning to be out there- outside. I was told he came from a breeder, but after reading more about prairie dogs (after the fact) I highly doubt that was the case. He was probably taken as a pup, young and frightened away from his mom and friends. Of course, this is just speculation, he could have come from a breeder, though I think it unlikely as they're difficult to breed in captivity. The only comfort that I have, is thinking that maybe he was taken from a farm or an area that his life would have been in jeopardy. Maybe his life was spared in capture, rather than to have been shot due to his family causing destruction on a property that couldn't have that. I'd like to think so anyway. In efforts to save the lives of prairie dogs, they have been sold into the pet trade vs. being killed. I guess it's a better alternative though I do have mixed feelings.
I'm sorry Charlie, but there's no way you can go back. A domesticated prairie dog can not go back, he would die and/or be killed. These are the thoughts I have when I see him staring out the window like this; it saddens me.

And then he makes these silly faces and it makes me smile again.

My b-i-l asked me today (after I'd taken these videos), whether he liked the dogs. This video should answer your question, lol. But for those who can't decide whether or not he seems happy to see her, trust me, he's not happy at all. He thinks he's pretty tough apparently; it's a good thing Chloe can keep her cool. ;)