As I explained above, I don’t like rainy days. I especially dislike thunderstorms, but even drizzly, gray days like today are a serious bummer for all of us. I don’t like getting my feet wiped with a towel, but at least I’m cooperative. When Doug says, “Give me a foot” I lift a foreleg so he can wipe it off with a towel. Then he asks for the other foreleg, and I give it to him. I make him lift the hind feet, but I try not to fight him: he’s going to win anyway.

Blondie has a different technique: she struggles. She fusses and refuses to cooperate and it can take quite a while to get her cleaned up. Especially since she likes to tromp through the mud. I avoid mud, stay to the grassy areas: my feet may get wet but I rarely get muddy.

Lancelot has a style all his own. When Doug picks up Lance’s first foot, he just flops over on his side, saying, “Here they are, all four of them, do what you will. I’m just happy to be able to come inside.” He’s a funny one, Lance is.

Blondie and I are full-time house dogs.  We go outside when we need to, but we eat and sleep indoors with our peoples.  When foster dogs have learned the basic behavior lessons and can act in a civilized manner, they too are invited to stay in our house.  Usually, one at a time: it’s not a very big house and our foster dogs are generally 40 to 60 pounders. Blondie and I are 90 pounds each.  Three of us fill up a small house pretty quickly, especially at meal time.

Fosters start out being fed in their crate, which is in the food room so they can watch our meal time routine.  Then their blanket is moved outside the crate door and they eat on that.  If they prove they will not try to raid our dishes (Blondie and I prefer to dine leisurely; fosters often wolf their food then seek more) their blanket is moved to a position around the table with the rest of us.

Lancelot learned the meal time routine quickly.  He also learned that Blondie gets excited and tends to leave her blanket and pace around when the food starts arriving at the table.  She knows if she wants a dish she must be sitting on her blanket, but lacks my sage-like patience.

Eventually she does settle on her blanket to receive her dish, but sometimes she sits on the wrong blanket.  This causes all manner of confusion for the dog assigned to that blanket, unless it’s mine: I know she will move, so I just sit nearby and glare at her until she does.  Lance decided the best way to prevent encroachment is to reserve his seat well ahead of time: just camp out on it during meal prep so Blondie can’t horn in on his turf.

He’s a clever boy, that one!

Cochise and Blondie were adopted years ago and are full time members of our family who live in our home. They are very good dogs. So good that we give them toys and chewies to occupy them when they are inside (and not sleeping). Blondie has a whole basket of them on the fireplace hearth. Cochise is welcome to make selections from it as well when he wants to but generally, he’s not too interested in anything he can’t eat. Blondie likes to chew, so we refer to it as Blondie’s toy basket.

When padawan learner dogs get enough Good Dog points, they begin coming into our house for visits. Then for over-nights. Then for whole weekends. If they do well, they are invited to move in and stay until their turn comes on the Rolling Rescue bus.

Lupa is our most recent house guest. She did very well and progressed quickly. Her only issue is that she likes to take all of the chewie toys out of the basket, one by one, and carry them to her blanket to chew them. All of them: leaving nothing for Blondie. Blondie is kind and patient (and we sneak one or two back for her when Lupa returns to the basket).

Marie decided to buy Lupa a chewie toy all her own. Maybe she would not be so fixated on Blondie’s toys if she had one of her own to keep in her crate or bring out and chew on her blanket.

Of course, that initiated … issues.

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