Thursday, December 9, 2010

Dog Antics

We're just hanging by the fire, my Jackie and I. We're up to four dogs again, with the arrival of Blue, Jackie's four pound Chihuahua. The canine dynamics are amazing and go like this: Jake-the labrador/great dane mix. He is the king of the castle, and is allowed priveleges that no other dog has due to his age and first dog status. He uses this relentlessly and is quite vocal when things don't go his way. His bark is loud and moves the furniture when he lets loose. He is a pussycat. He tries to be the alpha dog, but point in fact is that he is just a big baby and is imtimidated by a four pound chihuahua named Blue. When Blue arrives, Jake comes to say hello, and then goes to bed. In the past, we have had instance to suspect that Jake might have had a stroke, and after crying and saying goodbye as Jackie and her canine companion left, we were quite surprised to see Jake standing at the doorway wagging his tail as if to say "bye bye". He was only taking to his bed because Blue was there. Now we know that it is all a drama and he is quite fine, just a little annoyed. He'll get over it. Bailey-the Hound/Pointer mix: Bailey and Blue are arch enemies. They are both the alpha dogs, and when they are together in this house, it is a constant battle for the top dog position. There are also alot of jealousies going on. This morning after a little "tussle" in the living room, because Jackie had given Bailey a little extra attention and loving, we were surprised to see that someone (?) had peeed in Bailey's water bowl. The bowl happened to be empty and so we were able to see that it clearly had something besides water in it. Now we don't like to place blame without being absolutely sure, but Jake's arthritis is so bad he can barely pee outside without being sloppy. Daphne would not have been able to place herself over the bowl as her stomach is dragging on the ground. The obvious culprit is Blue. Talk about a statement! Bailey is lurking everywhere making sure that Blue doesn't have access to his favorite spots. It's a game of "Can You Top This?" It's going to be an interesting couple of days. Daphne - Chihuahua/Jack Russel mix: Daphne is smitten with Blue, and he likes her too. We have established that this relationship is something like the Queen of England going after Ashton Kutcher. Picture that. It's hard to do isn't it? They just don't go together. Well, that's how it is with Daphne and Blue-they are not a match made in heaven, but they're giving it the old college try. It's pretty funny. Love is in the air, every where you turn. Dancing, cuddling, hopping around. They just can't help themselves those cute kids. The actual "match up" has not happened, much to Daphne's frustration and Blue's youth and inexperience. Kind of sad really. I wish they would just get it over with and we could all move on. I'll keep you posted! Jackie is enjoying the new guest bedroom digs and has reported that the queen size bed is wonderfully comfortable. Keep that in mind as you make your weekend getaway plans - come see us! We're off to the shops today, and will pick up Allison from school to add to the fun. It's promising to be a busy day.

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