So Many Love Me... It Creates a Terrible Tension

Ginger has developed a green eyed problem, she now wants me to pet her like I do Chance almost a little roughly, like you do with a younger dog... almost constantly... and sits at my feet or follows me endlessly!  Ginger is very old, about sixteen.  She can hardly get around, but since Chance moved in with us, she has begun feeling younger and younger, no longer does she sleep all day.  She is much more alert, playful, and J - E - A - L- O - U - S!  That low growl she gives Chance, the puppies, and Patti means business!  She has always been such a low key dog, but when she goes off, even at 16, it is bad, very bad...  So when she starts that growl because one of the other dogs or the puppies are bothering her... Kadie bar the door!

For the longest time Ginger was an only child...

Chance of course, can't stand me to even look at Ginger, the puppies, or Patti.  He knows that all the other dogs must be respected, and is the best behaved of the bunch... because he does not know he is a dog.  He assumes they must be indulged as "animals."  He is of whatever I am, and he can sing, just ask him, and he will.  He is good too... in his opinion.  He is a very confident dog... and of course he is the only dog who sleeps in the bed with me.  That is a high privilege, and means he has to have at least a weekly bath, which he feels makes him above all the other dogs, especially since he doesn't consider himself one. He also is the inside security factor, and always saves me from the vacuum cleaner and other menacing appliances.

Chance becomes a little anxious when left behind anywhere, and watches until I come back...

 

 He loves to ride in the truck, I have to keep my car keys very quite, or he is certain WE are going somewhere.

 

Then there is Patti, the little rescue Australian Shepherd who is the outside security, and let's say extremely active and a bit out there.  If I am outside, she is so close to me I nearly get knocked down every fifth step or so.  She tries to be helpful in every situation.

The "accidental" liter of puppies Chance and Patti brought into the world are a sweet little bunch!  They adore me, and watched at the window of the house I just got through remodeling constantly, to see if I was coming to play with them.

 

Now that is a lot of tension, but today it started flooding, we had so much rain in such a short period. When it floods at my house, as it did today, our little miniature goat's pen gets high water in it, so I had to trap the goat on part of the porch today, (I honestly can't lead the goat to the rabbit pen right now... my back and neck are out, and will not take it.)  So when I took the dogs out for their evening constitution, things got tense quickly!

 This is Rocket's Christmas card picture, isn't she a darling?

When I took the two dogs out for their toilet break this evening, (Chance and Ginger are both afraid of the dark and thunder,) I got the goat out of her little area, and let her come and sit by me on the porch. I was petting her neck, and she was sitting close to me.   Then Chance noticed that behavior, and the trouble broke out...  Oh boy, I scrapped my knee in the ensuing brawl... and somehow the cat got involved.  Life in the county isn't always that peaceful... sometimes it is quite tense...