Re: [PyrNet-L] Chat: Anais at 5 Months

[Stephanie W <srwhitney@earthlink.net>]

Cindy,

She's a whole entertainment package all by herself!  They are a lot of fun to
watch together.  When Ciaran was her age, he had nobody to play with.  The
other three were all old and grouchy and wouldn't cooperate.  He did get our
Australian Shepherd (now gone) to chase him around the yard, but mostly he
played with toys and created games of his own.  He would "skate" around on a
bone and seemed to be pretending that it was something that was trying to get
away from him.  Since he cooperates, she plays more with him than with toys,
although she will squeek a squeeky toy for fairly long periods of time and I
keep having to fill up her buster cube, so she must play with it when I'm not
there to see.  Ciaran used to line his toys up in his crate.  Anais seems to
carry them all outside, where she is content to spend much more time than he
ever wanted to.

The one toy that they play with together is a "donkey's tail," a long,
braided fleece toy.  At first he just took it away from her and ran away with
it, but he seems to have figured out that a game of tug of war is only fun if
there is someone tugging on the other end, so now if he pulls it away from
her, he brings it back and holds it still in front of her until she grabs it
again.

A behaviourist was watching them play (about a month ago) and commented on
how dogs establish dominant/subordinate relationships through play.  He said
that Ciaran (IW) would probably always be dominant because he is male and
would always be bigger and stronger.  I have a feeling he didn't know Pyrs
<G>.  She stands with her paws on his shoulders (pretty interesting since she
can still walk right under him), tries to mount him occasionally, and never
gives up first!


Stephanie, Anais, Ciaran & the 14 year old twins

clhenke@juno.com wrote:

> <<Stephanie,   Enjoyed hearing the up-date on  Anais, especially in regards
>
> to how she and Ciaran are getting along together  as she grows.  Sounds
> as though they are doing well together!  Bet they are a fun pair to
> watch... They are fun, and I can just imagine your two!   :-)    Cindy.>>