Tess, Sweep, Wally... and Lucy
I haven't written a blog for quite a while. Been using Facebook more. But thought I'd write a bit more of a diary now.
These are all dogs we know. They've been with us a few times now. Tess, Sweep and Wally come as a trio; and then Lucy, separate, a couple of days later. So 4's a crowd? Not any more. It's really interesting watching the psychie of it all. Yes, at first Lucy was on the outside. And for safety's sake, she is separated from them at night, and at feeding times. And for the first day, it was a bit like a child on its first day at a new school. They were wary of each other, and gave each other space. Then they would play together more, out on a walk. Well, Wally would bring the ball, drop it not quite close enough, Lucy would whip it, put it down where it would roll down the hill, and Wally would retrieve it again and try to bring it closer to be thrown again. I'm afraid Wally is definitely champion ball-fetcher. He just never takes his eye off the ball.
But today, Wally and Lucy have become buddies. Neither of them want the mud brushed out of their hair! Whereas Sweep is quite happy to roll over and be beautified; until the brush pulls a bit too much! And the old girl just lies, and knows you will fuss her when it's her turn.
In a morning, when I come down, the first thing I do is open the back door. Wally and Lucy can't get out quick enough and dash for the "lawn" (or quag-mire). Sedate Tess saunters out to do what she needs to do. Leaving Sweep. Sweep.... go into the dirty garden? I don't think so. That's not what a pretty girl does. She hides behind the kitchen door. That young lady has a very strong bladder.
I had to go out on Sunday to buy some new toys. They had totally destroyed the rope twist. And I worked out who it was who had nearly destroyed our Wainwright duck a couple of months ago. So that duck, and the duck Lucy brought with her, are out of bounds. I bought a strong rubber 2-handled puller, which they will all play with, but one at a time with one of us. I'm working on them playing with it by themselves. And a Kong wubba - which seemed to have a strong material covering with 4 ends to be pulled. It must have lasted 5 minutes before Wally started to chew through an end. So they can't be left with that either. Ah well. They're all flaked out again tonight. The hour and half walk this afternoon with David, was obviously mainly running again.
David's gone out tonight. I was on the floor with them all - and I really needed to be an octopus. I can only stroke 2 at once, so they just had to take it in turns. But they soon got used to it - especially when I got the brush!!