Later Saturday
This afternoon the girls got a bath. Cant say they enjoyed it, but neither one put up too much of a struggle. Jingle went first. She eagerly followed me upstairs. I imagine the treat I gave her helped the obedience a bit! Once in the bathroom, she totally forgot how to pick up her front feet! Lifting one into the tub, caused the other to retract. Just when I feared neurological damage, I picked her up and plopped her into the tub. Immediately, she went into pout mode. She simply accepted everything. I really got her soaped up good and made sure the water was a comfortable temp before the rinse cycle. It would have been a good thing to have a squeegee, but that was not at hand. Towel drying went well and she positively shined afterwards! Little Belle was pretty much the same, except I had to carry her up the stairs. Just too steep for the old gal. Again, no real issues and she was happy to be back in someones lap soon afterwards.
Loretta got out the dog toothpaste and did what she could with Jingles tartar-covered back teeth. Her breath is awful! I am open to suggestions, but IMO, this is a job for a vet while Jingle is under sedation.
The real excitement of the day came this evening when Taz decided he had waited politely long enough for PLAY TIME! Belle likes nothing more than to be in Lorettas lap. Jingle is usually on the move, patrolling the perimeter. Taz suddenly came zooming around the couch and slapped into a majestic play-bow at Jingles feet and then took off in the other direction. She was startled, and that was just the beginning! Around and around they went, with Taz spinning on a dime and staying a step ahead of Jingle. She moved methodically, sometimes slowly. Frankly, it was real obvious that Taz was playing. Not so obvious if Jingle was! She has a cow-lick that makes it look like her hackles are constantly up. This gives her the appearance of being ready to strike at any time. During this play session, I wasnt sure which mode she was in! The funniest thing is that Taz knows we have made our bedroom off-limits to Jingle and Belle. And, they both know the meaning of Uh-oh! It stops them in their tracks, so they certainly have been well-trained. If the play gets to frantic, Taz dashes into the bedroom, spins and lays down in the doorway. Both girls know they cant touch him there.
I videoed a bit of this sort of play Sunday morning and have posted it on the WebShots page. AND, there are more pictures uploaded. Take a look!
I welcome your comments regarding what you see in this video. I am out of my league here and need your feedback!! I know Taz is playing. I do not know if Jingle is playing. She is very pushy. But, I have heard many of you talk of female Dobermans as being dominant. Is this gal trying to establish dominance? When I talked to their owner, he told me that over the years he has had some of his dogs trained for protection. He did not say either of these dogs was trained in that manner. I did not ask. The other variable is it is still quite early in our new relationships with these dogs to expect them to have relaxed into their true, full personalities. So, please, tell me what you make of the interaction between Taz and Jingle.
