Just Not Getting Along

It hasn't been much fun down at the kennel this week.

No one, including me, wants to play with the puppy, Bella. She is just all bounce and no manners.

Grace, the black lab, comes out of her run with her hackles up and never does put them back down. I don't know what she is afraid of, she is the biggest dog here.

Blue wants to sniff and follow every dog around but, growls and gets mad if anyone tries to do the same to him.

Blue wants to play ball, over the weekend, so did Sadie. Only, they can't let anyone else play ball. It gets very ugly very fast if any other dog makes a play for the tennis ball. For the past five day, whenever a tennis ball appears out of the melting snow, I pitch it over the fence.

Tessie seems to want to run with Grace and even seems willing to play, that is until Grace actually tries to engage her. Then Tessie growls and wants to go in.

Poor Grace hasn't had anyone to play hard with since Winchester went home.

And back to Bella, she really gave the pair of pugs, Jack and Jill, a hard time. Just her size but completely freaked out by her. They unfurled their tails so far back, they were giving themselves a wedgie.

Well, the puppy went home, the Pug relaxed and curled up their tails. Tessie is still 'thinking' about playing with Grace. And maybe, just maybe, there are no more tennis balls in the play yard.

Happy to Come! Happy to Go! That is what we like to see at the Ranch!

I love that dogs run down to the kennel, dragging their owners the whole long way.

I love to see how excited they are to see their owner's again, no matter how short the stay was.

Today, I am just going to be so happy to see them all go home. Just as happy as I was to see them all arrive. They have been a fun and happy group, a bit barky, but that is just to be expected. It is just that the level of physical abuse heaped on me has passed 'beyond the call of duty' and into the realm of 'cruel and unusual punishment'. Ugh.

I explained about Maki and her fist of steel. I can't keep this dog off me to save my own life. Not for lack of trying, mind you. I can't get out of petting her. So I try to keep her paws off me as best I can. Unfortunately, she leans into me when I pet her. Maki has a unique ability to shove my kneecaps off the front of my legs. Ouch.

Then there is Blue. He tries to sneak in a petting or two when I am working on Maki. Blue is a bit mouthy - he tends to put his teeth on my hands. That is a no-no in my book. So he has been getting the Dog Whisperer - tisshhh and a touch. This is actually working on him.

Midori, Midori, Midori...speed and stealth are her weapons. She can nail me with a flying leap of love and be gone before I have ever even see her. What is really unfortunate is that she has an uncanny knack for landing her leap directly on my bruise. Double Ouch!

Diesel usually only hits me on his way out of his kennel. I try to let other dogs out first so he will focus his "shot out of the gate" energy on someone who can take it. It doesn't always work.

The others, Whiskey and Sadie, have not come in direct contact with me all weekend.