Sweet Gummi Mary! Some people are totally clueless in the ways of animals!
Remember our loaner dog, Zirc? Her people bought a camper trailer this week, and came to get Zirc on Friday evening. That's when Farmer H got us the bad Chinese. While I was trying to chew up my Hunan Pork that was sinew-and-squeal, a drama was unfolding in the front yard/field. Of course I was oblivious. Our fleabags bark the night away, so nothing seemed unusual. Farmer H had said Zirc's people were coming, so I thought the dogs were just barking their greeting. It's not like they scare off anyone but the FedEx drivers.
Anyhoo... for the two weeks that Zirc has been here, they've had no issues. The first couple nights they directed their fool-head-barking-off towards Zirc, as she lay on Farmer H's trailer. Jack and Copper Jack would creep up and look at her. But no chasing, no growling. Farmer H said that Jack would walk around her when he was over at the BARn, but that Juno and Zirc would both raise their hackles and avoid each other.
Juno is not a dog's dog. She's extremely jealous of other pets, and shoulders her way in between me and them. I think it stems from her being dumped at my mom's house as a puppy, almost starved to death, and then fighting for her food when we brought her out here with our then-dogs Tank the beagle, and Poor Dumb Ann, the black german shepherd. Even though we'd stand over her as she ate, those dogs liked to creep in and take a lick at her canned Puppy Chicken. Of course we babied Juno, holding her and making her a little house so small that the others could barely get a head in.
Anyhoo... Farmer H said that Back Creek Bev's husband went to get Zirc, and was running her around in the yard/field. I'm not sure if she was on her leash or off, but they were having a grand reunion, with lots of running and hollering and barking.
Well. That does not set well with Juno. She barks her fool head off every day when the pair of Jacks are playing in the yard. So she got started barking, not liking Zirc being here to begin with. And then Jack got to barking because of Juno. Then they both went after Zirc to show her that really, she does not belong here on their turf.
Farmer H said that both Jack and Juno were going after Zirc, but that Zirc was winning the fight, because she's a bigger dog. I also imagine she's smarter than Copper Jack, and feels less sentimental about not hurting my little Jack when he sinks his teeth into her muzzle and hangs on. Anyhoo... Farmer H didn't reveal how the fight ended. I'm pretty sure the humans just stood and watched, because who wants to reach their elderly papery blood-thinnered skin into three sets of gnashing teeth? Not this old gal, that's for sure.
Juno should not be fighting. She's a great-grandma in dog years! We got her when Genius was 16, a sophomore in high school. Juno is almost 11 years old! This is conduct unbecoming for such a frail old b-word!
Anyhoo... Zirc is now living temporarily at a campground. Back Creek Bev is not happy, saying people keep coming up and talking to them. Which is kind of what people do when they're camping... One lady had a little dog on a leash, and Zirc started barking at it. Bev told Farmer H that she told the lady, "That dog might bite you, so you'd better stop coming here." Yeah. I don't think they'll be at the campground long. They're already trying to put a contract on another house. So Zirc should not be our loaner dog any more.
6 comments:
If Juno, at almost 11, is between 23 and 40kg (50-88 pounds) then she is about 72 in dog years. If she is lighter, between 10 and 22 kg (22-48 pounds) she would be 65.
Dogs age differently according to weight. The bigger breeds age faster than the little ones.
I am sorry to hear they all had themselves a goodbye scuffle, but I'm glad Zirc is back with her family.
P.S. 1kg=2.2 pounds
River,
I'd guess Juno is around 50 pounds. She's not as muscular as in her youth. Her haunches are getting a bit thin, and her legs kind of spindly. Still a great-grandma candidate at 72. Several great-s, considering how many dog litters could be had in that time!
One of our dogs with the shortest life was our purebred (could have been registered if we sent in his papers) beagle, Tank. He was only 7 when he died. Our chocolate lab/beagle mix, Grizzly, who we adopted from the animal shelter as a pup, made it to 11. I think the mixed breeds tend to be healthier.
I hope Diamond--I mean Zirc gets into a house with her people very son. Since it's not just going to be for the weekend, a campground is not the ideal place for a dog.
And on your other blog, did you go a little Arlo Guthrie on us... a little "Alice's Restaurant" with the title?
Sioux,
Yeah, she's not an inside dog, so I doubt they're keeping Zirc in the camper with them. She'll be tied up there, same as she would out here, and she's a barker. They're on the equestrian campground, so I don't know if that's worse or better for Zirc. Maybe fewer kids and commotion, but the horses might be more annoying to her. And her to them.
Sioux 2,
No, that was just a happy accident. I guess my subconscious knows my tendencies for musical "borrowing."
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