SPOTLIGHT ON......Duchess-the (no longer) loner

Been meaning to do this for weeks, but I get so tired at the end of the day --when there is time.

SO I'm going to talk about Duchess.  

Duchess on PetFinder

 We adopted Duchess into our tiny pack that consisted of Galen & Sheba. She was a very good addition to the family.   She was very non-responsive to the older two and was accepted rather easily.

I would brag about Duchess as being "chill".  She was laid back and there were no issues.

First pic of the new pack

Eventually as she became accustomed to the family, she began to show her true colors. She would often try to get Sheba to play and would often be found playing with her food.  She was a doll and made me smile often.

As time marched on and nature took it's course, we lost Galen and it was just Duchess and Sheba.  Duchess was the perfect companion to Sheba. She definitely helped her through her grief of losing her Life mate.   


Next came Athena and Duchess liked her as well. In the beginning the 2 of them would be wrestling and playing in the house.   It made me smile knowing Duchess had a playmate.  

We began bringing the girls to the park and Duchess would go off by herself. She would sniff the entire perimeter, stay by herself, and would not play with any dog.   She was "fence aggressive" to new dogs entering the park and we had to watch for new people entering all the time.


As Athena became more socialized, she gained new friends and didn't want to play with Duchess.  In fact, these two just didn't seem to click the way any of my previous dog combos had.   

1st family photo with Athena

Any park, any time that we took them to, Duchess was off by herself.  She might interact with a bigger dog here or there, but nothing ever came from it.

We started taking them to this awesome park in the country that was almost always empty and huge. Duchess LOVED it. She loved to run free and do her own thing. The happiest I'd ever seen her was at this park.

Duchess and Athena

Along comes Peryn.  The girls were NOT happy when we first brought Peryn home.  Duchess loved going to pick him up as she got to run with a pony, but the actual coming home..not a fan.

Yet, within a week, Duchess had a playmate.  Not just any playmate..one who took her on. It didn't matter if she towered over him, Peryn would dish it out as much as he took it.   

Still at parks, Duchess did her own thing.  She may allow her siblings to tag along on her perimeter searches, but she still didn't participate.     We joined a husky group because she was a husky, but our husky NEVER played.


At the beginning of this year, right after adopting Lada, we began sending Duchess and Athena to daycare with Peryn.   I was concerned at first due to her disinterested attitude.  At first, I felt my fear was a bit justified.  In the photos they posted from daycare, she was just lying there. She never looked like she played.  

Through 2017 a few other things in addition to daycare came to play.
First,  Lada is obsessed with her big sister. She might antagonize her and interrupt her play, but Lada adores Duchess.  And I really think Duchess loves Lada.  In spite of how they play, she's never "attacked" Lada..and she's had reason to.

And with the 2 puppies, more park visits were happening. The most shocking thing started happening. 

We like this blue dude.

At the dog park & at meets, Duchess didn't necessarily go off on her own.  She'd be right there in the middle of the chaos. Now, she wasn't necessarily playing, but she wouldn't be off by herself the whole time.   She would occasionally play a bit with the right dog, but she wasn't really a longer any longer.  

The big change is when I went to drop them off at daycare one morning.  Normally the hub would do it, but for whatever reason, I did this morning.  Duchess started getting super excited and howling in the car on the way to day care.    Then it eventually turned into going nutts in the drop off area.   Then it was knowing it was day care day.

Big Sis & baby sis

Duchess & Lada

Duchess & her shadow

The BIG change is when the owner of the daycare tells me she's got a "crush".  Duchess actually plays with other dogs and especially one she likes to follow around. 


 So you're reading it right here. Duchess, once a loner, now has a boyfriend!!!  

Playcare and her little annoying sister have forced this loner into a participator.    Who'd of thunk it?

I think I love you

near the boyfriend

She's becoming a stalker

Duchess and her love