Soon after we got there, MOM SHOWED UP!!! I hadn't seen her in days and days and days. Another dog showed up at about the same time. A giant dog - a Newfoundland. When I was a young pup I used to go visiting to play with Newfoundlands a lot, but I haven't seen one in years. He was very nice. I was nice too. I must admit that for a while my manners with other dogs were not so good. But Mom has been reminding me how much fun life can be when I show good manners.
So anyway, we hung out at the Pub, begging biscuits from all the patrons for a while, and then when we went home, the Newf came too!!! Mom and Dad explained that he is my new packmate, and his name is Cub. He is two years old, and he is a relative of all those Newfs I played with when I was a young pup. We are getting along great! (Mom says she's really proud of me).
I was rather concerned about handling the first meeting of Cub and Emma just right. I had Mark take Emma to work with him today, so that when Cub and I arrived at the house, he wouldn't have Emma flying in his face, being territorial. It's hard to say what she would do, but I have seen her be initially a little nasty to visiting dogs, and I wouldn't take that chance.
Cub got to become acquainted with his new home in peace. He became familiar with Emma's smells before meeting her. Then in the afternoon we drove downtown to the Backstreet Pub, the famous Beaufort dog-friendly watering hole.
Emma has had a period of issues with stranger-dogs. She would lunge at an unfamiliar dog, with some frantic yapping, and then run to hide behind someone's knees. We have been working on turning that behavior around, and I am absolutely amazed at how quickly, and completely, we have changed her behavior. Here you can see her accepting Cub's very large presence with complete equanimity. Mind you, she still doesn't know that he is coming home with us.
Kathy, Emma's 2lggd mom
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