Jake

The boy likes his comfort, doesn't he? This has been an interesting 12 days. At first, Gracie didn't know what to make of this little guy. Then she started to play. Then he came home from the vet with that plastic cone on his head, and Gracie was terrified. She wouldn't go near him, to the point I had to blockade Jake in the kitchen in order to bring Gracie in from the yard. A good dog friend told me to take the cone off and watch him like a hawk. If he went to his incision, put the cone back on. If he didn't, leave it off. It's been off for 5 days now.

With the cone off, the play resumed. We had one bad day, where there were several serious altercations, and I was wondering if I had made a mistake. But it was simply Gracie asserting her position as alpha dog, the first dog in the house, and once that was firmly established, the play began again. Jake has a lot of energy, being only 18 months old, and will chase Gracie around the house, around the yard, until she lies down with her tongue hanging out. I love it.

Gracie has also shared a lot more with Jake than she ever did with Sarge, and this is due to Jake's more assertive personality. They sit together in the leather chair in the living room, looking out the window, side by side. I really need to get a pic of that. The bed in the guest bedroom is also shared, looking out that window, watching the neighborhood. Toys and bones are shared, where they never were before. I have made a good choice. This is a sweet dog who just needs some minor work on his manners.

We love him a lot already.
Linda