Since Martha's new chow chow pup, Ghenghis Khan, arrived in January, he's been a source of amazement (and a thorn in the side) to Daily Wag bloggers Francesca and Sharkey. Here's the, er, "tail" so far, as told by Sharkey.

You've probably all heard by now that Franny and I have a new brother who's come to live with us, wrote Sharkey. If you saw Martha's show soon after his arrival, you also know that I am tolerant of Ghenghis Khan, but it's quite another story for Franny. She's having a bit of a snit about the whole thing. So, I thought it best to lay down some ground rules, but things didn't go according to plan.

Hey, wait a minute! Martha, we were setting the ground rules for this new pup, and look what you've gone and done! Ghenghis Khan will start to feel superior to us if you treat him so well. I know that Ghenghis Khan, the Mongolian, was quite a horseback rider, but this is ridiculous!

Martha thought it would be a good idea to have G.K. (that's our nickname for Ghenghis Khan) watch how things get done while Francesca and I got our baths, so he'll know what he's in for. I don't mind G.K. very much -- I think he's sweet. Franny, on the other hand, needs to chill. She hasn't been very nice.

"What am I supposed to be telling this fluff ball?" she growled. "Why do I have to sit in this laundry basket with him? I'll just hide under this towel and maybe he'll go away."

G.K. is a very curious and rather brave little tyke. We've been working hard to teach him all about things on the farm. We told him about the miniature donkeys and how much fun they are to chase. Well, wouldn't you know it! G.K. trotted right out the door and down to the donkey paddock to say hello. Aren't you curious to know what they talked about?

That dog sure has a lot of confidence. He isn't bashful one bit. It's kind of amazing just how curious and friendly he is. Take a look at this little adventure he went on:

"I keep hearing interesting sounds coming from the brown room. There seems to be more animals that I need to meet."

"Whatever these things are, they are lovely."

It turns out G.K. was hearing Martha's striking red factor canaries -- his latest best friends!

One day, Martha needed us at the TV studio to be part of the show, and G.K. wasn't invited. Well, wouldn't you know it -- that pup has a lot of gumption and clever know-how. And he's also a bit too assertive when we're not around watching him.

He played with my favorite toy, and even had the nerve to sleep in Francesca's bed! That turned out to be a mistake, as you'll see later.

We have always heard that having a new puppy is a lot of work, and we could not agree more! There really is no rest for the weary. When we're with him at home, G.K. runs circles around us, wanting to play all the time. And talk about popularity! Everyone showers him with attention. When he wandered over to the greenhouse, Shaun gave him a private lesson all about plants. I suppose we shouldn't feel too badly because while G.K. was with Shaun, we got some well-deserved rest. Plus, at the rate G.K. is growing, he won't be so cute and cuddly for long.

"I can tell, G.K., that you really like this Scadoxus, or paintbrush lily," Shaun said. "It has a very unusual flower."

As it turns out, G.K. comes from royal lineage. His grandfather was the one-and-only Paw Paw, and his father is the great Maddox, currently the No. 1 chow chow in the United States. Francesca and I have to admit that we are proud to share our home with a pooch of such stature. Of course, to keep him looking majestic, G.K. requires a lot of maintenance, and that means regular visits to Martha's laundry room, where all the dog grooming takes place. Funny, though, unlike Franny and myself, G.K. doesn't seem to mind one bit.

"Okay, Maria -- same time tomorrow? It's a date!"

G.K. is a very curious little chow chow. He wonders about many things, and he asks very good questions. You probably know that Martha likes her eggs really fresh and even raises her own hens. The eggs get collected daily and are delivered to the kitchen and placed in a large bowl. G.K. has been observing this routine, and he wanted to know what eggs were, so we pointed him in the direction of the chicken coop.

"My name is G.K.," he told the chickens, "and I need to learn. Maybe you could enlighten me as to which came first -- the chicken or the egg?"

On another day, we Frenchies decided to take the Kawasaki out for a spin, and Martha asked us to take G.K. along for the ride. We don't mind as long as he knows he belongs in the back seat.

As we were passing by the stable, Betsy was coming back from a ride with Rinze, and Rinze started chatting it up with G.K. big-time. That little pup sure has a lot of personality. He is making friends galore.

Next thing we knew, he was up on the saddle, ready for a ride!

G.K. is most rambunctious, and he is certainly curious. Franny and I know that Martha waited a very long time for this puppy, and we feel a huge responsibility to keep him safe from harm. We just weren't prepared for all of the work involved with dog-sitting.

I suppose that when you are a puppy, there are many things to get excited about. Francesca and I keep forgetting that for G.K., the world is a totally new place, and that things like snow are real curiosities. It's amusing to see his enthusiasm. It's kind of infectious, actually, and I have to admit that I am now looking at the world with renewed vim and vigor.

Recently, Franny and I were sleeping peacefully when we were awakened by the sound of running water. We looked over to the sink, only to see a strange skinny little animal being bathed. On closer inspection, we discovered that it was a dog, but we couldn't imagine why another new dog would be in our home.

To our amazement, we suddenly realized that it was G.K. -- a very unfluffy G.K.

You may know that Francesca had a bit of difficulty accepting G.K. into our lives. Here's how she tells it:

"Things were great with us Frenchies as the keepers of our domain. I know that Martha really misses Paw Paw and that she really wanted another chow chow, so I decided to spend some time studying up on the breed. I remembered seeing a book, 'The World of the Chow Chow,' by Dr. Samuel Draper and Joan McDonald Brearley, in Martha's library. Looking through its pages has given me a whole new insight into how to deal with little G.K."

Well, Franny still has a way to go as far as understanding. Getting used to a dog brother is a big adjustment, and you know how territorial dogs can be. Franny is very set in her ways, and she's had to learn to back off considerably. Things really came to a head when Franny found out that G.K. slept in her bed while she was away!

Franny, back off -- I've got the situation under control.

In the end, Franny's ladylike upbringing prevailed, and she allowed G.K. to test out her bed. "Are you feeling better now, big boy?" she asked, then quickly added, "Try not to get too comfortable."

In the spring, G.K. was told that he had to go and visit a dog groomer because he was to make his acting debut in a PetSmart commercial. He had been given baths and brush outs at home, but had never been to a groomer before. You might expect a little pup like G.K. to be nervous. However, keep in mind that he comes from a champion lineage and there is no coward in champion. Here he is looking cute (and not so small!) but a bit ragged around the edges.

This is the magnificent beast that returned from the groomers! "Ooh-la-la!!!" Francesca exclaimed. "Is that our handsome little G.K?"

"Why, hello, Ladies! Why are you giving me those funny looks?"