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I wrote a few weeks ago about our neighbors having lost their oldest to cancer. The survivor is a great, huge Chessie, maybe 120 lbs or so. He's seemed so at loose ends out in the yard, looking across the brook at our three. They bark back and forth, but training prevails and they each remain in their respective yards, separated by the ten foot width of the brook.
Today we took our three for a walk. In passing the house next door, there's the Chessie, in the front door, barking as we went by. On a whim, I went to the door and asked if they'd like to have us walk him along with ours.
What a sight is must have been. Our GSD and Shih-tsu, and our alpha, the Border Collie, with a massive new dog in tow. The BC did her classic and obvious alpha routine. She ignored the new guy and let the others stay with him while she led the way. The BC stayed on point, eyes watchful, body language really clear: "This is *my* pack. Don't mess with them."
There are a lot of dogs along our route. One house, on the far corner, has two small guys, 30-40 pound mutts. Great little dogs with huge hearts and a love for walking their perimeter. A few barks back and forth and on we went. The next house, on the other side of the street, has two bigger dogs. Not sure the breeds - probably mutts, too, but really nice looking. They have a big, high fence, as there's a pool in their yard. The dogs ran back and forth along the fence, barking up a storm. Our 4-pack just kept moving. Only the Shih-tsu barked . . . until Mama (the BC) gave her a withering look. Silence. We kept walking.
Next up was another GSD. Their yard has stockade fencing, so he hardly ever sees who passes. When he's in the house, however, he can always been seen, in their big picture window, pacing and barking. Today was no exception. Our group kept on keepin' on.
There are a few more indoor dogs along the way, but ours have never responded to the muffled barks. After all, they're out, they're big, and they're bad (in their eyes. :) ).
We come back around to our street. Greetings to the two little guys on the corner again. Then we stop in front of our neighbors' house. For whatever reason, I had the two dogs I was walking sit. The GSD and the Chessie. Side by side, looking straight ahead, so obediently.
They're beautiful. The two of them. The four of them.
We'll do this again.
The sun was shining, the daffodils are up. The forsythia is in bloom, and the dogwoods are just busting out. They're calling for some snow tomorrow, but today was great.
And the dogs made it even better.
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