Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Never Too Many

Once upon a time we were a one dog household. Then DixieLee came to live with us. Before I came to live with Mom and Dad they had two dogs so having two dogs was no big deal for them. Or so they thought.

The two dogs they had before were litter mates.  One was a boy and the other a girl. Since they lived together since they were babies and they knew that the girl dog is always the boss, there was no problem who got to make the rules.

DixieLee and I both had to make changes in how we did things and it wasn’t always easy. DixieLee likes to be the boss.  I get to do what I want most of the time so I don’t care. Besides, we both know that the real boss of the house is Mom so if DixieLee gets too bossy, Mom steps in and makes her be good.

Dogs are pack animals and in the way long time ago it was important for the survival of the pack that all the dogs got along.  I don’t know about you but sometimes having a sister gets on my nerves. Like when I have a good toy or when I get the best seat on the couch she tries to be a bully and make me give in. 

There are things peoples can do to help dogs in the family get along better. Everyone knows that a tired dog is a good dog so seeing that we get lots of exercise is important. Exercise gets rid of energy and stress. Yes, we get stressed too.

When she first came to live with us, DixieLee got fed in her crate. Mom called it preemptive action.   It took time but she knows I am not going to steal her food so we now eat side by side in the kitchen. Mom still takes preemptive action when we have extra special treats like marrow bones or carrots. No sense looking for trouble.

We have to be a little careful when we play fight too. Most of the time we play fight good but Mom makes sure we take breaks so we don’t get too excited
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When Mom or Dad comes home DixieLee wants to be petted first so sometimes she pushes me out of the way. Mom says “Hello Girls” but doesn’t pet either of us until she has taken off her coat and put her work stuff away. Then she pets us both at the same time.

Dogs can get jealous so making quality time for each of us is important. I love to play catch with Mom and Dad and sometimes when we go for walks, Dad and I take a short cut home and Mom takes DixieLee for more miles.

Relationships take a lot of work and it’s important that we all work together to make us have a happy family. Mom says as long as we remember that she is the BOSS, everything will be just fine.

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant Self Promotion. Pawpalsboutique.com has the bestest pet gift baskets in the whole universe.  See for yourself!



5 comments:

  1. Hi, Zeva,
    I've never had to worry about not being top dog. I'm the only dog here. But I have always shared my homes with cats.
    When I was first adopted, Mama and Aunt Nora had three kitties and two rats. They had one chicken, too, but she found a new home not long after I was adopted.
    Two months after I came to live with them, we lost Kimba, the Himalayan. She had kidney failure, Mama tells me. Then after three more months our Lady, the Maine Coon, went from complications of diabetes. At this time, Mama and Aunt Nora had rescued our tabby, Meeko, who has become my best brother. Then the rats went to the rainbow bridge. We were very sad to lose so many pets in that one year. I came to live with them because their dog, Halley, went to the rainbow bridge two weeks before I came to live with them. They also had two hermit crabs that went to the Rainbow Bridge. So that left me, Meeko and the yellow tabby, Pumpkin, in the house.
    Aunt Nora had to go home to Naples because she was losing her mother, so Mama, Meeko and I moved in with Uncle Mike and Uncle Jack. They had three cats themselves: Matea and Lumas were brother and sister, longhaired domestic cats, and Joshua, our Khao Manee, and then Matea and Lumas each died and went to the Rainbow Bridge, too. So now we are three again: Meeko, Joshua and me. We are a happy family.
    I am very dog aggressive since I had been attacked by an American Staffordshire Terrier.
    I made one dog friend..a pit bull, Tripp, but unfortunately, after fighting and beating cancer twice, he got internal injuries in a car accident on the way home from the vet and went to the Rainbow Bridge last year...two days after we lost Lumas. I miss him every day. His family has two cats we visit with when we see them: Motley and Harry.
    Mama says we wouldn't get another dog because I am not happy around them.
    Love, Jasper.

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  2. Wow Jasper! You have had lots of brothers and sisters and I'm sure it was sad for you when they went to Rainbow Bridge.

    Mom said she would love a Maine Coon but will stick with just dogs for now.

    Our neighbors had chickens and I liked them a lot. They would come over to our yard every day and eat the ticks and other bugs. At first I didn't like them but soon found out they were pretty good neighbors and fun to talk with.

    Rats.... no one here would even consider one of those.

    For the moment we are going to keep the animal and human population at our house two each. It's working out just fine.

    Love to you all

    Zeva

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  3. Hi, Zeva. Mama said she never thought she'd want rats either. but they were very nice. Of course, I didn't have much to do with them. They were about at the end of their age cycle when I came into the household. Mama and Aunt Nora had two chickens, Rose and Holly, but Rose was killed by a raccoon or opossum about three weeks before I came to live with them and they sent Holly off to a chicken farm where she met a rooster and had little chicks.
    Sometimes animals need better homes and have to be sent off. It was for Holly's safety and she is a happy Plymouth Rock chicken now. Rose was a Rhode Island red.
    Mama says people do what they can and two cats and me is enough for now.
    Love, Jasper.

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    Replies
    1. Sorry to hear about the chickens. Our chicken friends were lucky. The only one that got died was because she got old and one day she didn't wake up. I don't know what happened to the other ones because like Holly, they got sent to another farm when the peoples moved to the city.

      We would like to have some chickens but Dad said no.

      Our friend lives with two big birds. One is a pretty green parrot and the other is a HUGE white Cockatoo. They are loud and not all that friendly. The Cockatoo is new and he bites his Mama.

      Their house has a dog (Missy is 15), two cats and one person.

      Our other friend has goats and chickens. The goats are like funny dogs. We aren't allowed to play with them though.

      I guess having different animal friends is a good thing.

      Love
      Z

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    2. You are right, Zeva. Mama says she and her siblings had 32 hamsters as children. She had many dogs and cats and guinea pigs and a parakeet. Also lots of goldfish that didn't last long. Very many varieties.
      Love, Jasper.

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