Bone, Hugs & Harmony

Interesting time with the dogs this week.    With all the changes going on , their day care days have been switched, Mommy is working from home, & Volos is truly starting to gel with the family.

Volos spends more time out with us than hiding away.    We've had him out in the living room with us as we watched TV after dinner (and this weekend).   He's coming into the bedroom all of the time.  In fact, he slept in our closet the other night.   Now, I don't know if that is something he's going to do all the time or if it had something to do with the loud thunder that was happening.  Either way--progress.

He's even hanging out at our feet while at the dinner table. While this isn't all the time, I'd say it's more often than not.   It's hard to believe that just a month and a half ago this dog was hiding in the corner of Rich's office if not the crate.     

He adores both of us and I couldn't be happier.  He is very 
confident in his role now and is barking more and more each day.   

Peryn trying to get Daddy's attention

His relationships with his siblings is a bit--there are drastic distances.  Athena- with whom he is home most often with, 
he has zero interaction with   She's in one of her beds all the time since she is unable to move or get up.   When she's in her cart, she is usually either barking at her younger siblings as they play or she's barking at the people walking by on the trail.  She and Volos don't bark or growl at one another. I guess they live in mutual respect with one another. 

He and Lada have a decent relationship.  She and he have 

Hey Mom

licked each other and almost started playing one day.  They 
acknowledge each other and show some affection.  They both 
often are attempting to get my attention at the same time, so they are often side by side.   I would say they are definitely 
fond of one another.     Hopefully that will grow as time goes on.

Peryn....  Peryn. Peryn. Peryn.  We have often said that Peryn is the best dog we've had. He listens, watches out for his pack, doesn't beg for food, and gets along well with the pack.     

Cute but annoying

Lately though.  .... I don't know if it's because Duchess is gone and he's mourning her or trying to take over her role as "Leader".  He and Duchess were pals. He ADORED her.  I don't know if it's because he feels threatened by Volos.  I don't know what it is but lately he's become an aggressive little shit. 

One of the things he has been doing for a long time is try to reign in Lada.  Lada--for those who don't know--is VERY HYPER.  She's very reactive and the BIGGEST DANG DRAMA QUEEN you've ever met.    

Peryn often shuts her down or at least tries to.  When we let the dogs out to potty, we use the front door as we have no steps off the back door.  When they're let out, they run to the back.  We have a metro-parks trail right on the other side of the back fencing.    Duchess, Athena & Lada tend to bark at those walking by. If Peryn happened to see someone, he would "cut them off" from running and barking at people.

When Lada would hear something and go to react, he would growl and snap at her to get her to stop from running off.  He does this often when they hear "Daddy" open the garage.  

Lately though, he does it and keeps doing it.   To make matters worse the drama queen sounds like she's being murdered.  SO the two of them cause quite a ruckus.  Peryn shutting her down and then keeps snapping at her for a bit.   Lada will fight back and then pull the "AHHHHHHH MOMMMY HE'S KILLING ME" thing.   

Sitting at the table w/us -playing cards

So that's ramped up the past month or so.     Then he snapped at Athena.  A T H E N A.      Now mind you, Athena will snap at you if you come near her when she is eating.   That is one thing she's never gotten over from her mill days.  She guards her food/bones/snacks.     

Volos.   When we first got Volos and he started to slowly open up , he would (still does) runs to us once he's done outside.  Peryn often tried to engage him to play.   Volos wasn't there yet and would ignore him.   

Well, now that Volos is more secure in his role within the house, he is around more. Peryn has taken to closely following him when he's up and about and it becomes a stand off.    Growling and snapping.  They've gotten into one tussle. 


Volos isn't letting him bully him around. He growls right back and will snap right back.   I'm proud of him because he's secure enough to know he can do that.   
HOWEVER the harmony in this home has been off for the past two weeks.     We allow for some of it because they need to work out whatever it is, but when I see Peryn trying to start something, I shut him down.    But that little shit follows him and HOVERS.  

If Volos wants to eat/drink, Peryn is right there. IF Volos wants to come in to my office and he's not already there, Peryn hovers over him.

He's just been a big annoying shit lately.  We're hoping it only goes on for a little longer, but if it keeps up-- need to figure out something.  



Lada went with Momma to visit "Gwamma".  She got to meet 
her cousin Ricky.  They didn't hate each other and they didn't 

Cousin RIcky & Lada

really love each other. They spent most of the time taking back a piece of roll-hide that was there.      It was pretty entertaining.   Ignoring each other is as preferable as them getting along.   We don't have to worry about them killing each other, so yay.

As usual Lada was the perfect passenger.  The only thing that worries Momma here is that 

Ricky with the roll-hide

she does not sleep. She will not relax. She will lay in the front staring at me from her various positions. If she lays down in the back seat and I glance at her, her eyes are focused on me.    She has to keep me in her sight at all times.  She's like this every time we drive there and home.    
We stop enough to let her stretch her legs and get  a chance to go to the bathroom- she usually doesn't.   Her one thing, that we kind of have always done and she now continues it, is while at a stop she does walk around a bit.   Walks, stops looks up at me and jumps into my arms.   She wants Momma to hold her like a little toddler.

It was a short trip as we knew there would be a "Stay At Home" order soon and we wanted to get home before it was issued--which we did.

They are LOVING the fact that Mommy is home every dang day.    Mommy not so much.

VOLOS UPDATE as of 16:46EST on 3.30.2020. Today he went in for his PRP.    He received them in both of his knees.  We're trying this route first hoping to repair some of the damage.    We're trying to avoid having surgery if we can.   Fingers crossed that this works.

Trying to move herself over

Athena--It's official. She's 100% down.  If we place her just right, she can hold herself up--but don't move her or she'll fall down.    Her front legs are weak and she cannot lift herself up in the front. 

Her legs splay wide in the front and she can't hold herself up too long in the cart.   We sent her to playcare on Friday and she was out the rest of the night and next day.     

Because she lies on her chest and can't lift herself up, she sounds wheezy when she barks.   It's not looking well. I'm thinking a few weeks.   Once she no longer runs around in the basement with the cattle dogs, that's it.    That's what she lives for and if she can't do that-- that's our sign.

How she lays

And introducing.....

Lada at 8 1/2 weeks

We've never had more than 3 dogs. Always said it was too much.   So imagine my surprise one day as the hub says "You know what we need? We need a female red to go with Peryn"  For those who don't speak dog lingo....He saying we should get ANOTHER cattle dog, a female this time and a Red one.
Another dog.

We talked about the pros and cons... Pros--they'd be very close in age and energy level so they'd play well together.   Galen & Sheba bonded in a similar situation when they were the same age. These 2 could be really good for each other if we were to let it happen.      Duchess & Athena play with him only when they feel like it--which isn't often.

Peryn's done very well as daycare.   He LOVES other dogs and he loves PLAYING with other dogs.  He's FANTASTIC with dogs of all ages.   This could work.    The girls might not be too happy, but they've dealt in the past.  Best to do it before Peryn gets much older.

But 4 dogs???? Are we crazy?

Lada at 9 weeks.

Did a general search and could not find any red female heeler puppies in quick driving distance.   Not meant to be I guess...

Still I would look and let Hub know that I didn't' find anything.....  until another individual on the heeler group I belong to began posting pics of the new heeler pup she'd be bringing home. Her pup is 2 weeks older than Peryn and she was getting another for similar reasons (love of the breed and a companion to her current pup).

SO I did another search and POOF! 2 weeks prior someone in Ohio (an hour away at that) had red female pups! Seeing that the ad was 2 weeks old, I contacted him to ask if there were any left.   I told Rich. The gentleman responded that they had 1 female red left.    Sent us a picture and HUB was hooked.

We discussed it some more.  We're not getting her until we have stuff for a puppy AND after Christmas (we didn't want to have her locked up too much).   Worked out a time and day for pickup and scheduled it for 5 days later, the day after Christmas.  We went and got everything we'd need for another puppy and then had to wait.

Of course we get sick in the meantime and I'm told my Hub that I BETTER BE WELL enough to go get her.

We had them send pics every few days.  Rich was beyond excited and I made it into a guessing game on FB.

Christmas Day

So we went to get her and she's beyond adorable. She LOVES to be held. First afternoon/evening home was crazy. Dogs could not have cared any less and were not thrilled..  She didn't want to be let down...We couldn't get her to go outside to the bathroom.....
She was completely content to be held and fall asleep in the arms/lap/feet of my Hub.

nightime went as expected...maybe a little worse considering I was hacking up a lung while trying to let them out in the middle of the night.

This morning (12/27) is going much better.   She and Peryn have played.  She's exploring and playful and still wants to cuddle.
Still need to work on getting her to go OUTSIDE for the restroom...but otherwise she is a darling.

Duchess is ignoring her to an extent--so is Athena...but Peryn is actively trying to engage (and bully) her.     I see good things ahead.

day #3 Tuesday Dec 28

It's LADA!!!!!

Today Peryn went to daycare as scheduled.  It would be too much for me to watch them all today.   It was a good thing. She was able to come out of her shell and explore. Duchess tried (and failed) to engage her and I got to work on house training her.
Although little dude scared me first thing this morning and took off into the woods.....heart attack I didn't need.

Well, we picked him up and like always he was exhausted and just slept while we had dinner and cleaned up the kitchen.   However once we arrived back upstairs, things changed.

With him refreshed from daycare he began to actively engage with his sister.   They were playing tug o war, chase, wrestling, and just sitting quietly chewing on different ends of the same toy.   THIS !!! THIS is why we got her.   Two young pups -just bonding and playing.  I'm so happy!

They are still currently playing.   Peryn has a real playmate to keep him occupied.  Lada has someone to help burn all that puppy energy.  They will be each others companions as Duchess and Athena get older.
If they are half as great together as Galen & Sheba were, I'll be very happy.

So here's all about Lada

She's going to be 12 weeks old, born Oct 7.  Both of my pups were born in 2016.   She, like Peryn, is an Australian Cattle Dog.   Peryn is a Blue Heeler and she's a Red.   She's approximately 12 lbs and seems slightly smaller than Peryn was at that age.
Her dad was a Red and her mom was a blue.
She's EXTREMELY affectionate--more so than Peryn ever was or has been.  She's got a sweet disposition and right now seems more of a people puppy.

Like Peryn, she doesn't seem to have a mask.  She will have a big spot on her hind quarter by the tail.  Where Peryn was our kamikaze daredevil from minute one, she's a bit more cautious.
Oh and she's a drama queen.    OMG....you think she's getting hacked to pieces when she's playing and doesn't like something.      That will be interesting to see if that continues as she gets older.


SO welcome to Lada and look for more puppy postings to come....