My name is Katie Ann Lytle. I'm a Jack Russell Terrier and I'm true to my terrier breeding My life is spent trying to get outside to stalk and catch rabbits and squirrels. I caught my first rabbit when I was three. It was just a baby and Mom cried when I brought it to her. I now go after the adult rabbits. And I'm pretty good, too. I manage to catch sevaral a year. I recently started going after ground squirrels, too! I could get lots more if I was allowed outside the fence by myself. Mom doesn't cry anymore when I bring her the quarry because she has seen the damage that rabbits can do to her flowerbeds and I think she understands that this is what I was made for. We have an over-population of rabbits in our neighborhood and since I am the only terrier on the block, I stay very busy. I know I sound really brave but there are times when we are out of our yard on a walk and I have to hide behind Mom's legs if I see a stray bunny--life is scary.

I'm pretty well-behaved, in the sense that I don't dig holes in the yard or chew pillows in the house or anything destructive. After all, I did graduate from Obedience School.

But I need a lot of attention and interaction and if I don't get it I can act out. I'm a master at making Mom and Dad feel guilty if they ignore me for more than a few seconds. I snort, sigh, roll from side to side, pout and stare into their faces relentlessly until I get that walk or that play time. I like to bring every toy out of my toybox and place them at their feet. It doesn't take them long to get the idea that I want to play. When I need a walk I circle a little drum table that my leash is kept in. They get the message rather quickly. To make them feel really guilty, I like to lay on my side, sigh heavily and stare at the ceiling. It drives them crazy trying to figure out what I want. Not only am I getting the attention that I crave, but I get to mess with their heads at the same time--life is good.

I have many responsibilities around the house, including: herding the cats to bed; keeping the cats away from my food; guarding the summer flowerbeds from rabbits and squirrels; notifying the house that the mail has arrived; notifying the house that a leaf has blown across the yard; keeping the kitchen floor free of scraps during meal preparation; and ensuring that no stains penetrate the upholstered furniture by keeping a constant, thick protective layer of my hair on it.