I thought I’d do a just for fun post today and introduce a few of the four legged members of our household.
Lilly
Lilly is a seven year old black lab we got from an acquaintance. She was a terror as a puppy, always chewing everything, but she has mellowed a lot now. As long as we keep a variety of toys available for her, she rarely chews our stuff now. She is fantastic with the kids, and can never get enough attention. She loves our new kitten, and tries to lick him any time she can get close. She’s very tolerant of him playing with her tail.
In fact, she’s tolerant of everyone. The only time she ever barks or growls at anyone is when she thinks Cash is playing too rough, or when she’s just done with him. She’s an attentive watch dog, but a big baby. She lets us know when people are around, but she will hide if anyone comes inside.
Maggie
We adopted Maggie about 4 years ago. She is a six year old Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix. We got her, because I wanted a smaller dog to be able to keep me company in bed when I was curled up in deep depression. We were living in the camper at that point and Lilly couldn’t make it up onto the bed.
She fits perfectly. Maggie is playful, and yet loves to sit with you for hours. She is skittish when underfoot, but if she is on the couch the kids can jump up next to her and she won’t flinch. I have zero concerns she would ever bite. This is something I watch very closely with animals. Maggie and the kitty get along fantastically. They play and wrestle around daily. It is adorable! They also like to curl up for naps together. She and Lilly get along fine, but don’t play much.
Cash
Cash is our newest addition. He is three years old and a Great Dane/Mastiff/Lab mix. He belonged to a close friend of mine until she suddenly had to move and couldn’t find a place that would accept him. He’s a big boy (over 150 lbs).
He is a lovable monster who thinks he’s a lap dog. We have joked about amputating his weapon of a tail. Lilly and Cash hit it off right away. By day two he had adjusted his playing to her, and by the next he figured out how gentle he needed to be for Maggie.
Maggie still isn’t very fond of him, but she gets excited to see him again after they are crated, and waits for him when they go outside. Cash and Lilly are always grooming each other or playing together. He lets her steal his chew toys too. (Lilly has a toy hoarding problem.) Cash is a bit too big and enthusiastic for the kitten. They timeshare the living room for now.
Cash is capable of getting your whole hand in his mouth, but has learned to take treats “gentle” and will only use his front teeth. He loves to lie next to you and either take up your whole lap with his head, or lean against you and flatten you against the back of the couch. If he lies on top of you, you’ll be struggling to breathe, but he’s so sweet, you hate to move him. He has zero idea where he is at any given time though, so we all end up with injuries from him. Bruised feet, thighs, stomachs, etc are common. His tail is at especially bad level for my husband and older son. It’s also at a great level to clear a tv tray in one swipe. LOL
Well, that’s our dogs. Next time I do a post like this, I’ll introduce our cats.
