2.10.2011

February 10, 2011

White Dog, The Other White Dog, and Still Another White Dog shared in the treats of Nuka's birthday earlier this week. Each of the White Dogs received a HUGE beef knee or shin bone, fresh from the butcher!

Birthday Day was great and each pup gnawed and scraped and derived immense pleasure from his or her bone. In fact, WD, Quinn, Puff and of course Nuka, spent most of the evening totally focused on the treasure. (You've seen Nuka's video).

The next day The White Dog Army started switching bones and making sure that the others had not received anything more wonderful than the treat each had gotten. It looked like a macabre graveyard in the living room...a setting for this Weird Waltz of the White Ones as they shifted from bone to bone leaving their mark and tasting the wares.

Yesterday, greed started slipping into our little Paradise as WD, TOWD, AWD and SAWD began playing a game of possession of who could gather and claim the most bones. WD started the game by collecting all four of the gnarled gummy pieces and laid on them. She had no interest in chewing; she just wanted them. When she got up, Puff stealthily crept over and snatched two of the bones and carried them out to the deck. Nuka brought one back in but in the meantime SAWD had managed to steal another from WD's stash. White Dog put her remaining beef knee on our bed where she was certain none of the others would have the audacity to go (she's been right so far).

Quinn is the only White Dog who showed no interest in the increasing competitiveness of this game. By dinner, Puff was Keeper of the three bones in play and had brought them into the hallway where she sat over them and guarded. After mealtime Puff sat and crunched on one of the prizes...seemingly only to antagonize Nuka (WD still had her bone on the bed).

When AWD went into the hallway, she stepped on one of the bones. I do not think she did it intentionally but was rather just clumsily trying to get past SAWD's spread. Puff responded with a low threatening growl. Nuka hip checked her sister out of the way and took steps to continue into the office.

Timid, quiet little Puff responded like she was possessed. She whirled on our deaf one with a snarl (AWD didn't even hear it coming), put her front paws on Nuka's back and grabbed her ruff with her bared teeth. Nuka is a tough girl and was not about to back down so they scuffled for a bit before both slinking off, grumbling. Steve slowly let out his breath. White Dog barked reprimands at both. Quinn headed for the safety of the backyard (he hates confrontation).

This morning the bones silently made their way out to the trash and the girls spent some time searching for them as they muttered accusations. Everyone is living peaceably again, but oddly it is Puff who acts as though she was bested by Nuka, giving her plenty of space at breakfast and walking away of anything AWD expressed interest in.

The group dynamics of this evolving family is fascinating yet I struggle not to put too many human feelings on what the White Dogs are experiencing. Still, I hope that there is no "bad blood" between the sisters and that no permanent emotional scarring has been done.

11 comments:

Kari in Alaska said...

IN our house there is a constant rotation of chew items. They will get up and walk to the others bed at the same time. It always makes me laugh!

Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/

Teddy Bear said...

We so know how that goes. Sometimes Mommy and Daddy have to put things away or throw away the chew bones when either of us get possessive.

Love,
Teddy Bear

Sunshade said...

Hello White Dog Army!! Thank you so much for coming to my blog and sending me good healing vibes, we really appreciate it!

The dynamic is very interesting indeed. I live with my 4 year old nephew, and he totally submits to me in all aspects even tho he's younger and stronger than me. I think I taught him very well when he first came that I am forever his boss!

Love nibbles,
Miss Sunshade

Mack said...

Poor Puff had probably never experienced the pleasure of gnawing a bone before she came to live with you. Paris was the same way.
TGIF,
Mack

Brian's Home Blog said...

Oh I do believe they will work it all out, smart bunch they are! Have a great weekend everyone!

Pepsi the Lazy Bum said...

It's always been amazing to me how the dogs work their positions in the pack. Pepsi doesn't have a fellow pup so he bosses the hamsters around, ha ha.

I hope for you too, that there'll be no bad blood!

Pepsi's A.

Cappy the Eskie said...

It's apparent that there's always fun times at your house.

Consider yourself lucky that Ollie
wasn't there with you - he commandeers EVERYTHING - toys, treats, food. No one would stand a chance with him around.

Hugs and yips,
Cappy and Ollie

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

At least they all got to enjoy the bones when first distributed. Here we can only have bones if we are each in our own space, usually a crate. After a bit of time, they are all taken away and reserved for another time. The Momster doesn't trust us:(

Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

Remington said...

Hope it all works out....

Sagira said...

Our group likes to play games like that to. Starr and Sagira usually win.

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Thanks fur sharing the imagery with us!

I'm pretty good at sharing - and let my Golden Khousins have their turns with stuffs -

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra