Bug (foreground) and Sage are purebred Rhodesian Ridgebacks ruling the John James roost. Bug is three years older than Sage. They are not directly related.

Both Bug and Sage share two passions in life: sleeping on the couch and eating treats. We actually bought a bigger couch hoping to be able to better share the sitting area with them, but they have responded by stretching out longer in an effort to keep the humans - and each other - from having enough room to join them. They both love their treats, and insist on them after breakfast. Bug will actually lead you to the kitchen, then look you in the eye and glance up to the cupboard where the Pupperonis are kept, trying to get you to follow her eyes up to the treasure.

Bug has always been my dog, while Sage has always been Ann's. While Bug has always been a fairly tightly wound dog, she was never much of a watch dog until Ann became pregnant with our son Jack. At that point, Bug stopped favoring me, started guarding Ann, and became very protective, barking much more at sounds she heard, and rather aggressively guarding the front gate and fence line. Sage, on the other hand, is almost oblivious to strangers or strange noises in her surroundings.