Changing of the Guard

Our new puppy arrived today. Well, not so much puppy as 18 month old. 

Another wolfhound cross. With markings very similar to ginger. Slightly smaller in height and about the same weight.

Wolfieboy thinks he's beautiful and ginger not half as pretty. Yet I swear there's more wolfie in her face than there is in him.

He's a sweetheart and well on the way to worming himself into my heart. I still miss my big boofy fred, but at least there's more of a stop gap now.

After all the palavar about naming, perhaps mainly because I couldn't decide for good, wolfieboy helped me name him, and we ended up with 'Larry.'

Perhaps not my first choice, and definitely one that I'm not at all sure I'm comfortable about incorporating into my family, but the name suits him. So, Larry it is, and I'll just have to suck up the rest.

Larry came and met Ginger, and from the minute he arrived she was desperate to play with him.

They seemed to get on just fine. Unfortunately the minute his foster dad left, he pelted out the gate and chased him down. And no amount of yelling brought him pack. For a few moments there, I thought it was all over before it had even begun.

He had actually barrelled through the bottom of the gate. I had been eyeing that little keyhole just that morning but had decided it wasn't big enough to be an issue. In the face of a determined wolfhound, I guess I was wrong.

And then to make matters worse, Ginger then jumps into my veggie garden and then shoves herself through the chicken wire. There is a ginger sized hole there now. Grr.

I gave up after that and trudged home to make a call to the foster people and prepare for the worst. Luckily, he came pelting back just as i got to the door. What a relief.

Put them on leads pronto and then decided we'd go for a walk to burn off some energy. He was good in lead with a few false starts. But settled in nicely. Wasn't fazed by much in spite of two wolfiepup tantrums and Ginger going AWOL halfway through when I decided to let her run on her own for a bit.

I'd been warned that as a stray he would be skittish, but so far I have yet to see it. I guess they broke him in good. Lol

After the walk they played together in the yard. Their energy levels matched and he gave as good as he got.

But they obviously need to get to know each other better, as they were still arguing about being top dog when they were let inside.

Like Ginger, he struggled initially trying to figure out what was what. And it took him a while to settle. Every time I got up to do something he would get up to follow, and then that would rev up ginger, who then would take it out on him. Voi..

Ginger was the same when she first arrived. Every time someone moved she would get up. Took a few days to her to relax enough to chill for good. But Fred was pretty indifferent to her and just lay around. Whereas this time around Ginger gets up when she does... Two big dogs trotting around, with wolfiepup in the middle trying to navigate. What a choatic mess!

He also tried to follow me into the bedrooms, but a few stern words sent him back into the common areas.

The following reminds me of Fred. Fred used to follow me everywhere too. Follow to the kitchen, follow to the bathroom, follow to the door. Rinse and repeat.

Ginger is slightly put out. She vascillitates between "I am a submissive dog" to a prim and proper 'sheesh. We don't do that kind of behaviour here.." and sits upright watching as I give him cuddles.

I think she appreciates having a buddy though. And I feel better about this decision than the one I had getting her. Her interest in Larry puts it all into perspective re how Fred was actually not that interested in Ginger when she arrived. Perhaps he never really wanted another companion, and the push for the second was really me trying to fill up the hole that Elsie left behind. Or perhaps he just never really warmed up to her, or was already too sick to pay her that much attention. I feel bad that his last four months weren't spent in peace and quiet and solitude with his humans :(

Having dogs in your life is a journey. You learn something new every time a new one comes into your life. But by the time you have it all down pat, I think it will be too late to do anything about it. You just have to live in the moment and do the best you can at the time, armed with the knowledge and instincts that you have. A bit like life, really...

What a sobering thought.