Doggie Drama

I've never owned two dogs at once before. Maddy was enough for six years until we realized that if we were going to get a second dog, we might as well just do it before she gets any older or ornery-er.

I also realize that two dogs need to nip at each other and figure out who is the boss. But our situation is a bit different. Ike is deaf, so if Maddy is pissed at him for taking a chewie or getting too close to her food, he doesn't understand because he can't hear her growl. Sunday we had a bit of a scuffle over a compressed rawhide bone that was intended for Maddy. When Maddy left the bone unattended, Ike went for it (who wouldn't! Free food!), which really pissed her off. On her part, she DID warn him with a growl. However, our little dude can't hear it. So, a pretty nasty fight ensued. We got in there and broke it up, but not soon enough, as one of Ike's scars from his previous surgeries burst open! It was pretty scary for all of us, and quite gross. It only bled a little bit, but this DogMommy was scared out of her wits. Within 15 minutes we were at the emergency vet clinic, where Ike got stitched up and sent home with some wicked big pain pills.

After that fight, however, Ike is pretty scared of Maddy. Yesterday I tested them with the chewie again, and as soon as Ike got close to Maddy, she growled at him and he backed off. The vet says that they will get used to each other in time, find a way to communicate, and that Maddy will soon begin to understand that Ike is deaf... dogs can just understand those things. Isn't that just amazing? They are pretty much okay together, it's only when food is around that Maddy gets possessive. We have to monitor them when they eat, to make sure one dog doesn't go for the others food. So far so good...

And as if my dog wasn't ugly enough, lets put an e-collar on him. Courtney said he looks a bit like Miss J. Alexander from America's Next Top Model, with his asymmetrical mohawk and clown collar. Work it.


Nasty scar!