Callie was sleeping on the cushy quilt-topped dog bed HairyFace made for her in the den. She follows him around like a shadow, so he accommodates her when he’s “at work”. I came in and looked at her bed and said, “That looks pretty comfy, Callie. I’d like to try that out.”
No response.
“I’m the Big Dog here, you need to move.”
Roscoe is leaving us this afternoon, and I’m glad. Everyone else loves him, but I find him annoying.
This morning he is again snoozing in the den with Hairyface. Lately Roscoe has been forgoing that, preferring to stay in his crate until it’s time for the pre-breakfast yard run. I’m pretty sure that’s his way of pouting. He wants to sleep free-range like the rest of us, but Hairy won’t let him.
HairyFace’s sister sent our family a Christmas card that included a Petco gift card and instruction to get us doggies something nice for Christmas. Hairy went shopping. He found himself looking at snuggle beds and decided to use the funds to get me a really nice orthopedic dog bed (figuring that, like each dog bed in this place, it would get shared and used by all four house dogs). He explained to NiceLady that he chose that one because I am 8 years old and my joints are getting cranky, especially in this cold, damp weather. A feeling he understands all too well! This bed is built to relieve stress on my joints.
The new dog bed arrived in a box SO big there was no reasonable way to set it aside for Christmas morning, so he unpacked it and set it out in my place in the sleeping room. He then moved my old bed to Josephine’s spot as an upgrade for her – which she appreciates – and moved her old dog bed out to the picture-box watching room for sun snoozing, which all of us appreciate.
Josephine is a Big Scary Dog in training. She worships her mentor, Cochise, and dreams of being big and powerful like him one day. Of course, Cochise is an American Bulldog and Josie is a Beagle/Dachshund, but that won’t stop her: she’s a determined lil gal!
Cochise taught Josie to bark like a big dog. When they are out being fierce together she abandons her cute Doxyish yap-yap and projects from her diaphragm with a louder more cutting version.
When she’s feeling impish, Josephine will sneak into the den while I’m working at my desk, sit in the middle of the floor, then issue one loud “BARK!” — which scares the living daylights out of me because it’s so unexpected.
Then Josie bounds over, hops up to put her front paws on my knees and giggles, “I scared you! I’m a big scary dog!” and demands that I rub her head.
She thinks that’s a great game.
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Around 2:00 this morning Ty Steele, one of our foster dogs, woke us up. I say “us” because he went from Marie’s side of the bed to my side, back and forth, poking his nose into our faces. We thought at first he was wanting to play and we encouraged him to go back to sleep. He has been good lately about sleeping the night through.
But last night we had a going-away party for Ty because he’s leaving on transport today (thanks to the good folks at Jefferson County Humane Society, who loaned Steele Away Home their big van when the one we’ve been using and had planned on using tomorrow was suddenly made unavailable to us). The Oinky he enjoyed so thoroughly probably made him thirsty and he probably drank more than usual for late evening – maybe I’d better take him outside.
Ty is a true herding dog. HairyFace had to put a cone on him after his surgery yesterday. But, being extra bright, he learned quickly how to navigate and even use the dreaded thing to his advantage. I mean, besides ramming it into the People’s legs at every opportunity so they can share his discomfort.
This morning we all went out for our morning run. Everyone but Josephine came back in. When she arrived, Ty went to the door with Hairy. The sight of old cone-head standing in her way was enough to spook Josie and she backed away.
After NiceLady left us to go off on her daily all-day-long-car-ride, HairyFace put my harness on me.
Blondie Bear and I got excited because that means we’re going off-property. I don’t need to wear the harness when I’m in my yard, just to go out on a leash. My muscular neck is bigger around than my head, so no collar will keep me securely on a leash if I want to get off. The harness does. Looks cool too: like a biker-dog.
Blondie Bear got upset when Hairy told her she needed to stay home. She huffed and harrfed at us while Hairy and I went out and loaded into the truck.
Sylvia is a Shar Pei mix. Shar Peis have a reputation for belligerence if not handled properly. Add to that a history of having come from a hoarding situation. She came into rescue and foster care as a scared, confused dog. Her first foster home helped her get past the fear and some of her aggression.
When she started visiting here, she would wander our play yard with a mixture of us dogs in the yard with her, and she was fine with all of us. She basically just ignored us as she went about sniffing and peeing on everything.
When she moved in to live here and got settled, she started thinking of this less as a park and more as home — and she got a bit territorial. But, Blondie Bear was the only one she really had any issue with — and we never figured out why. Blondie IS a mentor and Play Yard Trainer, but is the sweetest, most gentle girl you could ever meet.
But Sylvia started out with some dominance challenges:
HairyFace was in the food room fixing bacon and eggs for breakfast because it was breakfast time and the food room is where Peoples fix food. Usually. Sometimes NiceLady fixes food in the picture-box watching room using the box of fire in the wall. But that’s only when it’s cold, and only on occasion.
We like bacon and eggs. He gives each of us a little on our kibbles when the Peoples get bacon and eggs for breakfast. Hairy was by the food-cooker-thing. He pealed off a few strips of bacon and put them on the flat pan. He set the rest of the bacon aside while he poured egg stuff into the pan with sides. NiceLady was by the food vault at the other end of the counter, doing something. She opened the food vault door.
Hairy turned to put the rest of the brand new package of bacon back into the food vault, but it wasn’t where he left it. He assumed Lady had put it away for him since she was in there. He went back to cooking.
Buddy Beagle has to wear an e-collar to keep him from licking wounds. Josie Beagle is playful and inventive.
It didn’t take Josie long to decide the velcro strap that holds Buddy’s e-collar closed made a good toy to tug on, especially since the velcro unzipping makes a wonderful ripping sound.
So one afternoon, HairyFace went out to the yard to check on The Beagles and was shocked to find:
