Lennon has been accepted by Lucky Dog Rescue in Wisconsin.  He will be leaving us on June 1st.  I got a preview of how that’s going to go over yesterday: I took Lennon on a trash run.  When we got back, he decided to stay in the yard while I went inside.  Blondie and Josephine mistook the situation:

Sable

Our wild child is learning self-control, and that when she does control herself (not jumping up on me and grabbing at my arms or hands with her teeth) she gets petted and belly rubs.  When she gets demanding, she does not.  If she insists on being demanding, she goes back to her kennel and that play time is over.  She’s got a ways to go, but she’s learning.

She’s also doing better about not getting growly and nasty when she’s got a treat or food and another dog comes near.  Before, if I gave her a bowl of kibble and Lennon stood outside her kennel to watch, she’d drive him off with fierceness.  Now she just eats and ignores him.  Before, if she found a yard bone or an especially tasty stick (they seem to like the little peach tree branches I trim off) while in group-play, she’d get nasty if another dog came to see what she had.  As you saw above, she was fine when Rocky came to see what she had.

Rocky

I expected to have trouble with Rocky, being the dominant one in a bonded pair, when I separated him from his brother: Blaze.  At first, Rocky got quite aggressive with Blaze when I let them play together.  That’s typical: trying to bring the submissive back into his control.  So I didn’t let them play together for a while.  That calmed him down.

Rocky plays well with Sable and Lennon too.  He even plays with little Josephine, and she likes it!  Rocky does get vocal when others are in the yard and he wants to come out and play too.

But he’s doing MUCH better at night.  All three normally are quiet all night long, unless a deer puts on Brogans and stomps around in the woods.  That would set off any dog!

Rocky is also doing well at keeping his kennel clean.  He has the concept that pottying is to be done in the yard.

Blaze

Of the two brothers, Blaze is gentler and more affectionate.  He can turn the steam up and play hard with the other dogs, but with me he’s usually pretty subdued and well behaved.  He has also learned to walk on a leash:

I’m happy about that!