I'm Still the Driver!

   As everyone probably realises, I find animals most interesting especially dogs and cats. It has been interesting to watch Maddie grow. Most noticeable this visit was simply that, as she goes towards her second year of life she has matured to the point where she “Ain't gonna take no crap from Anybody.” I am always aware that not being at home definitely affects a dogs behavior at my house. This time Maddie first had her experience with Otis hooking her and she rightly gave chase. Next I had her down at the dog walk and we met a friend and although we are aware “T” sometimes has issues getting along with other dogs, when he went for Maddie, she met his aggression in kind, and rightly so. Seeing her with her hackles up was anew experience for sure. She uses them so seldom that they took awhile to go back down.! Maddie is not a fast responder to commands, but she did realise I disapproved and let the issue drop. Good for her. I have seen this change come about many times as a dog matures and it is all natural. Maddie went home last night a full day early, but I didn't mind as Jiggs had arrived and two hyper dogs make life a bit harder. On the flip side they wear each other out. Maddie seemed to have a different male admirer every night. She and Skipper wrestled for hours in the porch and then got so hot I had to take them outside for an unscheduled walk. Man can they run!! All good fun and when Jiggs arrived yesterday Maddie had another super romp outside. So in the end I think I did manage to keep her pretty happy. I had put down a couch cushion for Skipper and never put it up again and Maddie adopted it as hers so I told Maddie's owner it probably wasn't necessary to bring her unwieldy dog bed with her any more. I also mentioned the maturing and the first comment was “Aggression?” Well no its not that and the best wording is what I have already said she simply is “not gonna take no crap...” All natural and she is simply standing up for herself.

Jiggs is another favorite of mine and he is like “Velcro-dog” very much needs people alla time. He is one of Linda Murray’s spaniels and has been taught well under her. Easy guy to have around but I am finding a few issues this go with him as well. Is it the weather do ya think? Anyway at night Keeper likes to pace past the coffee table, but Jiggs chose to sit in the way to be near me.(Its what spaniels do you know) He growled his warning at her but that does no good as she cannot hear. Later he chose to sleep on her bed in the bedroom and in the night there was a scuffle and I called him to the side of the bed and held him there for awhile in order to giver her a chance to get to bed first. There are no less than 8 dog beds in this house and only five animals. The cats sleep on the my bed so you would think there would still be enough beds for everyone?? Not so. In the end I don't know where keeper slept. At her age she will not fight for food or bed and only occasionally takes umbrage with the cats for getting in her “space”. Poor old girl I guess she knows to “pick her battles” and often I will step in for her. But in the end its give and take world and here in Miracle House we all have to get along as best we can.

Back to work today and Jiggs will come along easily and takes the second back seat, as Keeper gets the first one and Teko the passenger seat. It all works out in the end , what the heck huh? So far I still get to drive anyway.