If
you have been keeping up with all that's going on here at the farm, you know we
had 8 very cute little bundles of joy that arrived about two weeks ago, but
that is not what this week’s story is about.
Annie,
also known as the “Little Tiger” is on guard this week watching and taking care of her pups. Every
one of the dogs thought things were the same and all of them have seen the
clean unused whelping area in the family room but thought nothing about it…Until
the pups were born and everything on the farm changed. Clancy who is inside most every night trotted
down the stairs like usual and turned into the family room and before he could
set one foot into the room, Annie had turned into a 120 pound fighting dog with
long two inch teeth and before he even knew what or who it was, he turned and
ran up the stairs and Annie went back to caring for her baby’s, but in just a
few minutes, he crept quietly back down the stairs and peaked into the room and
everything became clear. “Annie had
babies and it’s time for me to pick my battles” he said and knew to stay clear,
and this is not a battle he would choose.
It’s
something we don’t understand, but all the dogs “know” something is different
and will give her plenty of room, which they do. I have noticed that Annie will allow the
other dogs to approach the couch on the other side of the room but the dogs
will turn their head toward the wall or couch and Annie will sit like a sphinx
outside the puppy area, watching and the other dogs will turn their head away as
they walk. No one messes with Annie.
Dutchess
made a very short visit to see the humans and seek out some food that might be
laying around and Annie ran to her when Dutchess got too close to the pups. Annie
pushed Dutchess with her body and growled causing Dutchess to turn her head away and
leave in a hurry, no questions asked. Molly is the only one
she will tolerate a little better but at least Molly can get near the pups and
check on them and at least smell them but nothing more and it’s only for a
second.
Just
a few days ago, Clancy came from the other side of the room and wanted to sit
in “his” spot on the couch and he thought he was fine but as border collies
are, he wanted to try again. Annie
sprang from her pups and just watched him.
Clancy was so intimidated, he jumped on the
couch from the long end, over the arm and walked on the back of the couch and
jumped off the other end and out the door and Annie went back to nursing…Funny
how they remember some things.
When
Annie is not near her pups and she is with us or the other dogs, she will play and run with all of them and everything is back
to normal, even submitting to them, but when she walks back to care for
her pups, she starts down the stairs as a 35 pound dog but when she turns the
corner she arrives as a mother tiger…
As
I have said before, it is amazing to watch the nature of what is involved with
the dogs on so many levels. Nature is
wonderful and so is my Little Tiger…