Leader of the Pack

This was Nipper's Valentine's clearance gift. She loves squeakers and this fellow's behind obligingly does squeak. The little heart says, "I Wuf You." I knew she would love it when we saw it there on the shelf. And she does.

But her old body is not made anymore for extended playtime. She would so much rather cuddle up and get her ears or, even better, her belly rubbed. So she doesn't play with it much. Just in energetic spurts.

However, when we brought it in, apparently there was some silent communication between her and Rocky about it. He won't touch it. Literally.

We all tend to agree that I am the 'alpha leader' for our 'pack.' I set myself up that way when they're puppies. Both dogs defer to me in pack type ways and I'm sure, in part, that is because I am both their primary caretaker and disciplinarian. I also tend to be stricter with everyone (both kids and animals).

Certainly, though, if there is a 'second in command,' it is Nipper. You wouldn't know it on first glance. Rocky can be, umm, obnoxious and pushy. But if you spend any time at all watching them, you'll notice how the pack placement is laid out.

One example is when we throw the toy for one of them to retrieve. Rocky is like lightning and always gets to it quickly. If, however, Nipper decides to play, too, he waits where he catches it and then drops it and steps back for her to take it. Talk about authority! I wish my kids deferred to me that way.

And this toy is just that way. She never jumped on him or growled or barked or seemed to lay out any territorial rules of any kind. Never seemed to...

Yet he knows who it belongs to and he won't mess with it. Sunday afternoon, I even pointed straight to it and told him to "get the toy" several times. He looked at it and then at me as if to say -- Does Not Compute. At some point, he turned around and went to their toy basket to get a toy.

Later, Hubby was playing with them. Nipper gave up and curled next to me on the couch. Hubby got Rocky worked up then threw the toy to him. He caught it then immediately dropped it (as if it were a hot potato). A few minutes later, he threw it to him again. Rocky was wise to him though and turned and ran the either way. Literally ran the other way.

When I say he won't touch that toy, I mean it.

Now if I could get Nipper to tell him that about the trash can. I suppose the scents are just too tempting sometimes.

I guess the only thing that overrides 'pack law' is the smell of freshly cooked chicken bones.