Friday, November 25, 2011

Random Highlights

Tommy and Louise march in support of Occupy Los Angeles last month. Deirdre the Brit puts them up to it...

Louise graduates from J9sK9s obedience class. She gets a star for perfect attendance and comes in first in agility competition. I'm so proud...

Tommy makes a good co-pilot. My neighbor says, "He sits in the front seat just like a person."

Louise makes herself right at home...

Let's face it: She's a permanent member of this pack. Tommy is not sure what to make of this...

25 comments:

  1. Hip, Hip, Hooray! (As always, Tommy is looking at the situation philosophically.)

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  2. Lovely photos, Sue! And did you say Louise is permanent? Does that mean no more adoption? Tommy and Louise look great in the parade together and also hanging out in the yard...what a beautiful pair! So good to see Tommy again..I have missed him!

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  3. Ooooooooh!!!! And it looks like they're getting along.

    I have a very big, very soft spot for Tommy, as you know. I'm sure Louise will develop a spot, too.

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  4. Woohoo, that's wonderful news, Susan!!! They look so gorgeous together ~ and I love Louise's little red star. Maybe it's also a sign that the stars have aligned.

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  5. Time is a wonderful thing when it comes to socializing dogs and tolerance levels. I can't tell you how happy I am to see this picture. Brought a tear to my eye! You sure have something to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.

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  6. Thanks for the celebratory comments. I'm so glad you're all pleased by the news.

    Hiker, Tommy has always been a deep thinker.

    Liz, they do make a beautiful pair, don't they?

    Petrea, maybe we can go for a short walk with Louise. She has really warmed to friends who've walked her. And my soft spot for Tommy has grown bigger and deeper since taking in Louise. Poor guy. He's still adjusting.

    Shell, I hope so! The dynamic is far from perfect so I can still use some help from the stars.

    Thanks, Daisy Dog. Yes, I do have a lot of gratitude these days. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.

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  7. Pictures do tell some wonderful stories! Happy Thanksgiving! So happy to see the young ones in your life obviously getting comfortable with one another. Love and miss your company, Cindy.

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  8. Hi Sue:
    Oh girl this post makes me SO happy. You and Miss D walking in the parade and so proud of your doggies! I am very happy to see that Miss Louise is bringing you so much love and fun. She is such a good girl isn't she? Well you know. Mr. Tommy could learn some things from his little sister. We are so thankful for the things we get to share, right? I love your stories of love for dogs/animals and their rescue. What really matters is love, right?
    Love you til the cows come home.
    Love,
    Kris

    I

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  9. Does this mean Louis stays? I occupied LA briefly - but didn't stick around (too cold)

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  10. Yes, PA, Louise stays. Am I crazy?

    Cindy and Kristen, it's so lovely to connect with my Babylon friends here. I miss you guys.

    Louise has taught Tommy to share his kibble. A very important lesson!

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  11. Susan - your comments on my blog made my day! Thank you! I'm always happy to know people like what I write. I can't tell you how much your Tommy looks like my Fenway. They have ghe same square jaw and sage eyes! I' m glad your 2 seem to be getting along better ;-)

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  12. Well, I am happy for Louse, and I hope you are excited about this. She's a sweetie, and I'm sure it will work out fabulously.

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  13. crazy? nah - but you might not want to volunteer for training "seeing eye" dogs.

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  14. Sigh, makes me miss LA

    Stop on by for a visit
    Kari
    http://dogisgodinreverse.com

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  15. What a wonderful news, Susan! I am happy for you! Tommy and Louise look great in the parade.
    Congratulations to Louise for the red star!
    Have a pleasant week ahead with your dear friends.

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  16. Checking in to see if you all weathered the storm, no power here in Sierra Madre. Hope you are all ok.

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  17. It took about a year but Sweet William Grey, Ranger Dog, and Francis Keating McTousle have all learned to coexist. It wasn't easy, it took a lot of vigilance and a lot of soothing of bruised egos and such but the other night, Keating went up to Ranger and got a nose lick. It was all worth it and I was hoping you would have the same experience. Yay! Louise is home!

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  18. Well...I HAVE to say this Susan...it's ABOUT TIME!!! Finally!!! You're finally realizing what all the rest of us have known from the beginning...that Louise had already found her forever home!!! Tommy's just like any other new big brother...not wanting to give up any attention to that new baby sister!!! She may be cute and lovable, but what big brother is happy about sharing mom's love???

    I brought home a 4 month old kitten to keep our older cat company after my two older kitties passed away. Cleo was about 5 and had been the one to try to play with my other two so when I went looking for a new kitty, I looked for a young one with a playful spirit...I found Sadie, a cute, cuddly, and mischievous kitty who Cleo instantly hated...at least when I'm around...they cuddle all time when we're gone which is why we wanted two in the first place!

    Tommy will learn to love Louise as much as you do! Congratulations "Mom"!!!

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  19. Oh, Chieftess! The day before the big storm last week we had an incident that has made me reconsider Louise's status. It was another fight and it wasn't pretty. Everyone is fine now but it was traumatic.

    I'm sorry to bring you all along on my emotional roller coaster. I'll post the story soon. Thanks for all the supportive comments, as always.

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  20. Boz and his best friend Sprocket had two fights.

    The first was over a bone. Boz had initially been the Alpha in their relationship. That complicated things because they hung out in Sprocket's yard, his territory. But he was the younger dog. Neither of them is a natural Alpha and Sprocket gave over to Boz, but something happened about that bone. One day Boz was Alpha at Sprocket's house and the next day he wasn't.

    But at our house he was, until the food incident, which was my fault. I should have known to separate them at meal time. They had been fine about it for a long time, but after the first change of relationship Sprocket was aware of his status and boom! Another fight. This one was awful, and they both have the scars to prove it.

    Sprocket is the Alpha now and they are fine together. It's been this way for a long time. Boz likes visiting Sprocket and hanging out in Sprocket's yard. But he doesn't like having Sprocket here, where he's forced to give over his turf.

    The nuances are subtle. Once they're settled, though, they're settled. At least that's been the case for us. I hope so for you, too.

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  21. Thanks, Petrea. We shall see. I appreciate the Boz-Sprocket tale. I'm glad they worked it out.

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  22. I was so excited to read your post and then not sure how you're feeling now based on the comments above. We have brawls at our house all of the time. Well, not all of the time anymore, but we used to:

    When we brought Téa home, she had no manners - which we knew. So we expected some correction from Toni and really figured that was part of her job: to mother Téa since she had obviously not had enough of it as a pup. What we didn't anticipate is Toni's toy possessiveness. It's awful. She'll share her food, but she's like a brindle Golum about toys. The very first day Chris went to work after our first weekend together, Toni knocked a tooth out on Téa's head trying to get a toy from her. Really - it flew across the room. I still have it.

    Then we learned that Téa is like a three-year-old. If she can't get what she wants, she'll lash out at whatever's close just to vent. Never people...which meant always Toni. So we'd be walking down the street in our old not-pit-bull-friendly neighborhood and Téa would see a dog across the street and immediately attack Toni. There I'd be: five feet tall with a pit bull in each hand (50 lbs and 80 lbs), holding them up off the ground by their scruffs until they could gather their wits about them and settle down. That went over really well with the neighbors.

    Then we brought Strut home, who is so easy going in most ways. But one night he decided to make a go for alpha status and Toni ended up facing the corner for the rest of the for fear of making eye contact and she had a gouge out of her skull to boot. That went on for a short while because we didn't recognize the passing of the alpha crown and so Strut felt he had to keep proving it. Also, if Strut can see over the fence and Téa can't, she gets jealous and takes a running leap at him. Sometimes she actually pushes him over with her front paws, but other times she'll grab his scruff to pull him down. Either way, he's not a big fan of it and is happy to give her some smack back no matter how many neighbors are watching.

    But they love each other. When one has to go somewhere without the others, there's a minor meltdown among the ones left behind. Literally, when Téa stayed overnight at the vet's following her surgery Toni made herself physically sick and Strut tuned my office into his personal toilet (more than once) to express his displeasure. That's love - even if it's inappropriately expressed love. I figure they're like the siblings I knew growing up who would torture each other mercilessly at home but beat up anyone on the playground who messed with one of them. If we sent one away, I think the other two would literally stress themselves to death.

    And it really has gotten easier, even if some days I have to remind all four of that I really am in charge and what I say goes!

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  23. Confessed Pit Bull Addict, such interesting commentary! Thanks for sharing it. Wow, that's quite a bit of wrangling you have to do. Poor Toni. She really had it rough, didn't she? Great that they are all so attached now. Sometimes I think Tommy and Louise are like fighting siblings, too. But I don't know if Tommy will ever fully embrace Louise. You know how Aleks describes Chick on Love and a Six Foot Leash? How he tolerates the fosters but doesn't love them? That could be Tommy toward Louise.

    On the other hand, no one is clamoring at the door to adopt her so... he may be overruled.

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  24. Dear Susan,
    Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a New Year full of peace, health and happiness!

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