pupdate

Pup + update = pupdate! Too corny?

In the last 24 hours, here are some sights and sounds that Tala experienced for the first time: TV, music coming from a stereo, dishwasher, alarm clock, people walking outside (she lived in a very rural area), cars warming up on driveways, and various beeps and clicks from a computer.

She is fascinated by them all! The cutest was the TV. She stood in front of the set, ears way up, cocking her head from side to side, then stood right in front of the speaker, staring. She's not afraid of anything, doesn't freak out, she just looks rapt.

I'm feeling bad for Cody, she's clearly not enjoying any of this yet. Allan reminds me - and rightly so - that it's way too early to make any judgments or pronouncements.

When we first brought Cody home, Clyde, our little terrier mix, beat her up for three solid days. Clyde would jump up and nip at Cody's face; Cody had little pockmarks where she was missing fur all over her face and head. Clyde wouldn't let her eat (we had to feed Cody in the bathroom with the door shut), wouldn't let Cody lie down anywhere in her sight. It was brutal. Then, after three days, Clyde accepted Cody as her slave, and all was well. It takes time, and it simply hasn't been long enough to see how this new pair will shake down.

Meanwhile, all these complicated dominance dances are going on, and I suspect many more that are invisible to us. Tala barks in Cody's face a lot, and Cody stands stock-still, baring her teeth, making fierce growling noises. Any of you who have met the sweet, meek Cody would be shocked to see her looking so fierce and feral. It's a good thing we know it's nothing to worry about, cause it looks pretty scary.

Tala also circles around Cody - a wide circle, giving her plenty of room, but always facing her. Round and round she goes with a happy, playful look on her face, then she darts in real fast, makes a swipe at Cody's tail - always the tail, never the face - and darts out again.

This morning in the backyard, Cody showed the first signs of playing with Tala. She was still wary - and afterwards, she resumed her snarling - but it might have been a breakthrough.

On the plus side, they walk on-leash great together. Tala is already comfortable with the Halti, and will sit quietly while we put it on. We're putting her in the crate and leaving her alone for a couple of hours every day, to get her accustomed to that.