On Tuesday after Rob got home from work, we headed over to the pool for an hour since it had been so hot outside. When we returned home we noticed that Chloe had found a way to push her play pen away from the wall and get out. So she had been running around with the big girls for the hour while we were gone. One of the main reasons why we have her in her pen, aside from keeping her out of trouble, is to keep her away from Chelsea and Charlotte who don't appreciate her constant jumping and pawing at them. When we aren't home to monitor her, I don't want her out for fear she may upset them and they correct her too harshly.
One thing I completely forgot is they are dogs. It's their nature to correct each other. When one dog thinks the other is going to far, it's okay for them to tell the other dog. It's how they communicate with each other. So for me to assume I have to do it for her was me being a typical human thinking my dog is my baby.
Yesterday, I decided to do a little "experiment". I let Chloe free. The very first thing she did was run onto the balcony and try to play with Chelsea who loves to spend most of her days out there soaking up the sun. I was surprised when Chelsea didn't run at the sight of Chloe. Normally, I'd put Chloe on the couch with us and Chelsea would take off running. Now I realize it was because every time she'd show her teeth I'd correct her, but I shouldn't have. I should have her let establish her own boundaries and without her showing her teeth, Chloe wouldn't know when enough was enough. I wasn't letting my dogs just be dogs.
So a few minutes after going out there, Chloe began jumping all over Chelsea, who seemed not to mind too much until Chloe got in her face. That's when Chelsea disapproved and bared her teeth. After a few attempts at "testing" her, Chelsea finally snapped at Chloe.
My first reaction was to jump up and yell at them, but I noticed Chloe wasn't hurt and was still looking to play. Chelsea wasn't looking to hurt her either. I'd seen dogs attack each other and this was far from one of those moments. Chelsea looked calm and relaxed even when nipping at her. And even after being nipped at, Chloe still looked playful and excited. After an hour of this back and forth, Chloe settled down and the two of them laid down to relax.
Very quickly Chelsea set her boundaries with Chloe and then the two became good friends. By the end of the day, Chloe was laying with Chelsea in the same bed and was following her around everywhere. Chelsea started taking on the "mother" role. Whenever Chloe would get out of hand she'd correct her.
At one point, Chloe brought her squeaky ball over to Chelsea and the two of them tugged it back and forth for a little bit before Chelsea gave up and let her have it. Because of this new development, Chloe was able to spend almost the entire day out of her playpen and got so much exercise that she wore herself out and ended up falling asleep way before any of the us did (which is unusual because we usually all go to bed and she cries in her kennel before falling asleep).
Chloe is a little brat though. The typical puppy and showing signs of the 3rd child syndrome. :) Every time I give a toy to Chelsea, it doesn't matter how many toys Chloe is surrounded by, she wants the one I gave to Chelsea. Poor Chelsea. And if the toy squeaks, forget about it. She goes NUTS. What is it with dogs and toys that squeak? She ripped apart her toy ball and pulled the compartment with the squeaker out and just sits there making it squeak for hours. She thinks its the greatest thing ever.
Anyway, that is the latest. Charlotte and Chelsea are buddies, and now Chelsea and Chloe are buddies. Charlotte tolerates Chloe but does her best to stay away from her.
Here are some photos of the girls I took recently:
Also, I have created a YouTube channel for all the videos I've taken of them. You can view them all here: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSolomonSisters?feature=mhum#p/u. Take a look when you have some time. There are some funny ones like "Chloe Has A Humping Problem" and "Chelsea, The Big Bad [Overdramatic] Wolf."
I'll leave you with one of my favorites, clips from Chloe's first trip to the beach this weekend, which was a success! :)
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