Jack has loved Rooney from the moment she arrived. Unlike other Alpha dogs who view a new arrival as a threat, then two year old Jack, thought she was the greatest thing he'd ever seen. It was mutual. Rooney took one look at Jack and fell in love with her big brother.
When Rooney arrived, she was about 9 or 10 weeks old and twenty or so pounds. Jack was already over 150 pounds. She literally looked up to her big brother. Even though she could be a puppy pain sometimes, Jack was always kind and patient with her. Although he could have easily overwhelmed her when they chased each other around the yard, he would hold back, and let her catch up. Because we knew what he was capable of, we'd caution him to be careful. Jack would just look at us with those big eyes that say it all.
As she grew, Rooney could eventually outrun Jack. She thought this was really cool. He didn't. If Rooney got the best of him, Jack would just act like he heard someone calling him, and come inside. Rooney would be standing there like a kid whose friends all got called in for dinner. To this day, if Rooney wants to play tag outside, Jack will think about it for a quick second, then usually run inside. He's older, fatter and it's too hot anyway.
Inside play is another matter. They can make a perfectly nice room look like a frat house in under five minutes. They love to use the couch as "base" and have flipped it over backwards several times. Unlike Terriers that can play for hours on end, Bullys max out pretty quickly. So, unless it gets too rough, we let them go at it, knowing they'll crash soon - if a lamp doesn't first. Every night, we push the sofa back into the family room, reposition the rug, straighten lamp shades and pick up toys.
Toys! Rooney has dozens of them. She plays with them, sleeps with them, hurls them at the cats and greets everybody who walks through the door with one in her mouth. We have to make her drop the inevitable toy she has in her mouth when it's time to go out or the yard would be full of them. By the end of the day, Rooney's toys are strewn all over the house. I am constantly tripping over them. A toy was the one thing that saw Jack turn from a sweet big brother into a junkyard dog.
It was Rooney's first birthday. We always get a cake for them from a doggie bakery (Bark Avenue) and presents. This time, smart me (yeah) bought a toy for Jack as well. So, Rooney got her new toy and, even though Jack got one, too, he determined hers was better. He wasn't accepting the concept of her toy/his toy. It was more like mine is mine and hers is mine; they're all mine. He grabbed the toy out of her mouth and took both toys with him to the couch, daring anybody to come close. Now, I have seen her take a raw bone from him, but this toy thing was another matter. Well, if you have even a lick of common sense (and that's about all we have) you know that a 175 lb. Bullmastiff can't get away with being - well - a bully. Ever. The fun stopped. Both toys went away. Jack was sent to timeout. Rooney just stood there looking at us like a kid who got her birthday present taken away. It was for her own good. It's really no fun to have to get stitches on your birthday...
Other than the toy fiasco, Jack is pretty laid back when it comes to his sister. He's a good big brother. So good, in fact, that he let her take over his bed last night. We have tried many beds over the years for Jack. Everything from a twin mattress to various pet beds that claim to be the "best." Nothing worked until I found an air mattress at Walmart, designed for kids, with raised sides. I put a quilt over it so he can't poke a hole in it. He loves it! Problem solved. Rooney, on the other hand, has always loved her kennel, so much so that she puts herself to bed. Both are in our room. Recently we've been leaving her kennel door open. It took her a few days to realize this, but once she did, Party Time! I slept through the activities last night but Andy said, at some point, Rooney decided to cuddle with Jack in his bed. Rooney's cuddling can be a bit much, so Jack ended up on the floor. Now, he wouldn't think of going into her kennel. Even though it's huge, it's not big enough for him. He had nowhere to go so, of course, he needed human intervention. I was out cold. Dad is a light sleeper. Andy said it was hilarious. Like Goldilocks, Rooney was stuck in Jack's big poofy bed. He said she looked like she was trying to climb out of quick sand. I guess he got things in order and all was well. We might have to put a stop to the Happy Wanderer.
 |
| Baby Rooney |
 |
| Happy Birthday to Rooney! |
 |
| I want this toy! |
 |
| Go ahead - try to take it. |
 |
| Rooney the Cuddler |
 |
| Jack, please play with me! |
 |
| 2nd. Birthday |
 |
| Sharing a birthday bone cause Mom didn't look at the calendar... |
I should probably stop here and leave it on a high note. But, if you know me at all, that's virtually impossible. I am the person who buys two birthday cards - one silly and one that will tear your heart out. So, here goes. In this house, and hopefully in yours, animals are cherished. They are spoiled and deeply missed when they're gone. This isn't the case for all animals. For example, while my two dogs sleep in luxury, a dog in Asia is buried in mud so his meat will be tenderized when he's slaughtered and cooked. This dog is no different than yours or mine in that, shown a bit of kindness, he would lick the hand of his abuser.
"The heart won't grieve what the eye can't see." Well, thanks to many factors - brave people with huge hearts who not only see these injustices, but do something about them - and social media - we can no longer say we didn't know. We have to turn the light on injustices, wherever they are. I am making it my life's mission to make sure you see so your heart will grieve. Then do your part to fix it.
 |
| buried in mud... |
No comments:
Post a Comment