Thursday, August 27, 2009

Peace... And miscellaneous

Suka and Dakota have made peace. Suka is boss, but doesn't get to abuse her status - And both of the girls seem quite happy to relax and let go of the tension.

Dakota is off-lead in the house full time now, and out of the crate most of the time. She's responding very well to command and instruction - She's actually a bit more crisp than Suka is, on some commands. Suka, meanwhile, has benefitted from a trip back to school - She's also doing very well, though is a bit more vocal than she'd previously been. She's also sporting a small scar above her right eye, courtesy of one her sets-to with Dakota. Well, when you push a big dog back into a corner, you can expect to pay a bit. This is, I suspect, one of the reasons Suka doesn't abuse her status as top bitch - Dakota could clean her clock in a heartbeat, if pressed. So Suka doesn't press. No more gatekeeping, chokepoint sniping, cheap-shotting, or resource guarding. Not by either of them.

There's a bit of thunder and lightning to accompany the storm overhead - Nothing loud or close, but Dakota is anxious - And crowding up under my chair. Right in Suka's face. And Suka is just sitting there, watching the big sissy, bemused. Suka could care less about lightning, thunder, or fireworks - She's remarkably calm, for a BC/X, in the face of noises.

Food issues have been resolved - Both are on the same diet now - and Dakota's putting back on the mass she lost whilst getting settled. Dakota's stools are a bit soft, but nothing serious. They're otherwise normal. Suka's had some small digestive upset with the shift in diet, but she's adjusting well. I've got to tweak Suka's intake, though, as she's put on a couple pounds she doesn't really need. Still within normal weight, but showing a slightly less svelt figure then previously. I will NOT have a fat BC like you so often see in conformation shows! So - A bit of tweaking, some longer walks, and we'll see her back to the nicely slender tucked-up waist. Not that she's far from that now, but I make a point of watching the dogs closely as they walk, and I can see a touch of thickening in the waist. Running my hands over her ribs tells the rest of the story - I can still feel her ribs, but they're a little deeper under the flesh than before. Not, mind you, that she'll object to the extra walks!

Not, mind you, that the extra walks will hurt me, either. :-p

5 comments:

Holly said...

it sounds like the girls are settling issues and that is a good thing. I am not surprised though, Suka is a stable girl and Dakota sounds that way too.

Anonymous said...

I've been following your new pack! It sounds like they have come to a nice compromise and I'm so happy for you. I hope that it keeps working out well for you!

MaskedMan said...

Suka is indeed a stable girl. A bit cling-y, but not out of control. She's always happy to see us, and is pretty much free of annoying behaviors.

Dakota is a bit reactive to thunder, wants to dig the carpet up before lying down, and is a bit of a picky eater. Oh, and she's got definite opinions about obeying commands. Still, that's hardly anything that I'd call a serious fault, and most can be either mitigated, or completely corrected.

Someone suggested the phrase 'satellite dog' for a dog that's not an insecure velcro dog, but is instead a normally-functioning, stable dog that still likes to be nearby. A 'Satellite Dog' is always orbiting nearby, and is on the same frequency as you.

Looks like I've got one satellite dog, and the makings of a second one.
:)

The Wades said...

Man, oh man, you are the best dog owner ever! I'm sitting here smiling at how good you are.

MaskedMan said...

And I'm blushing.
;-)