One more from the archives...

Here's another email that I sent out in March of this year. It was actually a follow-up to the original email of Rosie's first night at home.

-

Noon and I have observed some very surprising things with the two dogs right from the beginning. Firstly, they don't fight over food! We thought we had to be extra careful when it came to feeding time, had to make sure Sam's bowl was put down first and then Rosie's to follow at a distance. What happened was we put Sam's bowl down, Rosie slipped out of our grasp and ran over. Sam was still sitting there waiting for the 'okay' command to allow him to eat, and here Rosie was sticking her nose into his bowl. No growling from Sam, no getting up, nothing! He just sat there looking at Rosie and then at us. We quickly let him go, pulled Rosie away and then directed her to her bowl. After a while, Rosie wandered over to Sam again and they both happily ate out of his bowl!! Again, no growling or fighting, just two dogs with their noses in the food. So back and forth they went, Sam finished her food while she was still eating his, and him wandering back and sticking his head in with Rosie's!


The other thing was that they don't gulp their food, Sam actually chews now!! And Rosie too. When we first got Sam home, he practically INHALED his food! Now instead of rushing since there's competition, they both actually take their time at eating! Another strange thing - Sam seems to be learning from Rosie. Bad habits, to be sure, but he's learning all the same. She's already taught him to destroy one of the plants. Sam's never touched it before, especially after we growled at him for chewing on the leaves, but now you can often catch them both chewing on the bare branches of the little bush.

Sam like bounding around in the backyard, especially when we're playing fetch with his toys. When Rosie tries to join in she often gets bowled over when Sam barrels into her at full speed. The yapping, growling, teeth baring and biting then comes in... Sam gets excited (and clumsy) and in the end, Rosie has to retreat (yapping all the way) to her safe-place: under the steps!! Sam's too big to fit under these steps now, so Rosie's worked out that she has sanctuary here.



There was one occasion two nights ago, however, that I went outside to see what Rosie was yapping on about, to find Sam stuck in the gap under the steps! He'd somehow managed to wriggle himself in but could not get back out. Rosie was indignant that he was in her private spot and was sitting just outside the opening yapping away at him! I cracked up, I really did!!

Rosie's using that spot less and less now. She's got no problems bounding up the steps (Sam was too intimidated to try for almost 2 weeks after we brought him home). She sleeps up on the deck, Sam leaves her alone when she's asleep, and they seem to play quietly when we leave them alone.


I think Sam's got the idea now that she has to be a bit more gentle with her when he grabs her ears or head between his jaws. They seem to be getting along much better now too.


Woke up this morning to find them in bed together again with Sam trying to pull her ear while she had his cheek in her mouth. Sam weighs 20kgs at the moment, and Rosie's just 4kgs. Big discrepancy there, but that should even up soon :)