Life In The Dog House

Last week was so beautiful with temperatures well above normal…..almost all the snow was gone but that all changed.  Here it is the first official week of spring and the temperature has fallen and we’ve had snow 3 days in a row.  Everyone, two-legged and four-legged, is sick and tired of winter. The dogs have got so much energy but nowhere to burn it.   Wally and Tango were having a good wrestle in the back yard and little Tilly really wanted to join in.  I love watching them interact together but I’m always watching to make sure that she doesn’t get trampled accidentally.

Generally speaking, most German Shepherds are fiercely loyal and love their family but they often don’t really warm up to strangers.  Tango is quite different.   She is extremely affectionate and just loves all people   When Don takes her out training, we have  to warn the people that are hiding that when she finds them she is going to plant at least one big, wet puppy kiss on their face.    When it comes to other dogs, she is not a real social butterfly.    At the puppy park she is only interested in playing with the chucker and she doesn’t interact much with the other dogs.  Over the years, Tango has welcomed all of our foster puppies.  She is the first to play with them but for some reason she will not allow them to touch her.  If they try and snuggle up with her….she will just get up and walk away.  It doesn’t matter how many times the puppy tries….snuggling is just not permitted.  It can take a month or more before she will start relaxing the rules….that is until now.  It has taken Tilly less than 2 weeks to have a break through.   It was amazing to watch.  That little puppy had a plan and she carried it out to perfection.  Inch by inch she dragged herself closer  and closer to Tango until she reached her goal of snuggling up against her.  It probably took almost 20 minutes to complete….but she was successful.   When Don got up to grab the camera, Tango and Wally were muzzle to muzzle…unfortunately just before he snapped the picture Tango sat upright.

Just a short video clip showing Tango and Wally meeting Tilly for the first time.  Tango has this habit of using her long, pointy muzzle and ‘boinking’ other dogs when she wants to play.  She almost knocks poor little Tilly right over with her first boink.