Canine Tug of War

It’s been raining for five of the last seven days, and the dogs have cabin fever. Ever since Willow’s muddy bath-time fiasco, I only let them outside for potty breaks.

On the lefrt, Willow, the Labrador. On the right, Buddy, the Shih Tzu.

So, they’ve resorted to playing outdoor games inside the house. Nothing is funnier than watching this Mutt-and-Jeff duo in a tug of war.

Guess which one usually wins? Yep, that’s right. Willow.

However, Buddy doesn’t back down so easily. He puts up a good fight in one of two ways. The more comical sight is of the little guy slightly airborne and floppy like a ragdoll, biting down on his end of the rope and holding on for dear life.

The more dignified contest is of Buddy yanking the rope while trotting alongside Willow, three steps for her every one step. Now imagine an ox and a piglet yoked together, lopsided of course. You get the picture.

I tried to snap an action photo of their tugging war, but once they saw me, they came running with toys.

Their eyes say it all. “Play with us!”

A Marley Look-a-like

I prop my feet on the chair while taking in the scenery from my sister’s deck in Mount Vernon, Maine. A mug filled with hot coffee warms my palms in the cool morning air. A window box on the balcony rail overflows with impatiens, adding a splash of color against the evergreens in the distance and the mountains beyond. The view is breathtaking and peaceful.

Willow

Underneath my outstretched legs my sister’s Labrador Retriever is lying very still. The only times I’ve seen her relaxed during daylight hours is when she's asleep after playing hard. At this moment she is not sleeping. She’s just still.

Just as quickly as I make that assessment, her eye catches a wire dangling between my laptop and the electrical outlet on the wall behind me. From a puppy’s point of view, it’s just another chew toy, so I remove the cord from her mouth. She’s lying down again, but can a Labrador puppy ever really be calm? Now she’s gnawing on a bone, distracted.

My sister named her Willow due to the abundance of weeping willows here in Maine. I’ve always considered a weeping willow a graceful-looking tree. This pup is anything but graceful. With her chocolaty-brown eyes, she is a Marley-look-a-like from the 2008 movie entitled Marley & Me. In the 2005 bestselling book with the same title, Marley’s owner must’ve been writing about Willow even though she wasn’t born yet. He experienced firsthand how her breed can be a bit out of control at times.

At only four and a half months old, the top of her head is even with the top of my knee caps. One knee cap, along with my shins, took quite a beating this morning as Willow greeted me, her tail whacking like a baseball bat. However, there is nothing like the overwhelming love when coming face-to-snout with a cute and loyal puppy no matter what size it is. After all, isn’t that why dogs are called man’s best friend?

This furry mass of never-ending energy greets with her whole body, literally. Her head, middle, and hindquarters wiggle and shake in different directions simultaneously while her tail whirls like helicopter blades. Dancing this jig, she crisscrosses one oversize paw in front of the other while walking toward you. Sometimes she just bowls right over you.

My 7-year-old niece, Amber, makes her way to the deck and sits in a chair two feet from me. Her entrance sends Willow into another frenzy of wiggles. The floppy-ear canine paces to and fro between us, her tail thumping against our legs. A computer wire somehow gets wrapped around her neck. After I unwind the cord, she spots a chew rope on the deck. Attached at the end of it is a four-inch toy tire made of hard rubber.  Willow retrieves it and swings the rope from side to side, bashing the tire against my legs. I’m sure the bruises will be gone by the time I head back home in five days.

Willow standing behind pint-size Buddy





My sister’s two Shih Tzu dogs have adjusted somewhat to Willow’s arrival. There has never been a dull moment in this house with these two canines, but now there is more... um, adventure with Willow around. I’m told the older Shih Tzu made it known at the get-go that she would not partake in any roughhousing. Hence, Buddy, the 2-year-old Shih Tzu, had no problem stepping up to the challenge. Thinking he’s as big as the Labrador, this diminutive male instigates a lot of the mayhem involving Willow. He has a habit of running under the kitchen table as the overgrown pup follows in hot pursuit, barreling through chair legs and unsettling anything in her path. I hate to use a cliché, but Willow is the ultimate bull in a china closet. At times, I think Buddy stirs up a ruckus on purpose just to get her in trouble.

I don’t know if Willow will ever learn any refined doggie manners such as not inhaling the whole bowl of water when she gulps. However, her companionship and exuberance will be cherished by my nieces for years to come.

In the meantime, her never-ending shenanigans will leave her humans scratching their heads, wondering what’s coming next.

The Waddler and The Warrior

The waddler and the warrior—doesn’t that sound like the title of a movie or novel?

In reality those are the words I use to describe my sister's dogs.

Shiloh, the waddler, is an overweight Shih Tzu enjoying her golden years. The warrior, Buddy, is a one-and-half-year-old male whose black-button nose and chocolaty-brown eyes make my insides go mushy. I originally labeled him a prancer because he’s a lively pup that dances in circles when excited. However, I changed my mind about that description after witnessing his protective nature toward the female.

Only a pint-size specimen of a dog, Buddy would protect his elderly sidekick at any cost. Of this I am sure. His chivalry rivals any human warrior’s. I’ve seen him race to the edge of the property, warding off an unseen foe with his yapping. Satisfied that he has held the predator at bay, he struts back with a puffed-out chest to his companion to make sure she’s okay.

Shiloh probably thinks, “There’s no one out there, you dimwit,” but keeps her opinion to herself.

A rare glimpse of Shiloh's evil eye. She guards her "human" food from Buddy.

And although she’s not part of his canine lineage, she tolerates his rambunctiousness as only a mother could. Their unconditional love and loyalty are displayed to their humans as well. My heart is secure in knowing that my sister and young nieces have a watchdog with the attitude of a Doberman. I like to think his gallantry is a plumb line to measure bravery when facing my own fears.

However, I’ll forgo the strutting and leave that to Buddy.