Friday, January 21, 2011

Welcome, Neighbor!!

Rose was the new dog in town. A stranger. An outsider. And as naturally with canines that don't take kindly to change, she was not welcome here. Everywhere I walked her, we were barked, yapped or howled at!! By neighborhood dogs!! So much for fitting in.... There is one "blond" furred purebred named Venus who resides next door. She seems territorial, aggressive toward canines, dominant. Allowing dogs to enter her world has never been a priority with Venus!! Fortunately for Rose, this wooden fence divides our backyards. When facing canines, Venus will growl, bark and lunge at that fence!! Yet Venus shares her world with this sweetheart of a St. Bernard/Border Collie mix called Zeke. Rose cares little about Venus' behavior!! She will inch forward and nearly touch noses with Venus.... Until the fluffy yellow purebred demands: Back off!! Then Rose playfully runs away.... Only to teasingly inch forward again!! What a comical game Rose plays!! Meanwhile, Zeke desired more than anything to meet this newcomer. Yet each opportunity he had was thwarted by Venus!! One afternoon, Venus appeared absent. Rose was exploring her backyard, sniffing scents behind our shed, when bounding toward us came the large-sized black and white haired Zeke!! Part of that wooden fence which divides our backyards is slightly broken down, so both mixed breeds were allowed to balance upon their hind legs!! Then Zeke did something special: His lengthy, saliva-drenched tongue kissed Rose's face--cheeks, ears, nose--and my mongrel willingly accepted, her eyes closed in blissful contentment. What a fine welcome!!

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