Zeetie and Max

I do not forget our beloved Zeetz and Max as I write many posts these days that do not include them.

Max has worked his charm on Don so here he lies on the antique 'fainting couch'. This is one he soaked in urine twice. It had to be reupholstered, again. That was when he was not well due to the stress of the flight from Lebanon last March. Here he is looking very healthy and regal.

And, not so regal, Max and Zeetz clear up the plates. We don't normally let them lick the plates, we don't, really.

And, playing with their stuffed toy.

They are both doing extremely well.

Things haven't change with Zeetie in the strange dogs and anxiety department, and they never will. If we see a new dog, she focuses and as always, I have to get the treats and clever girl going quickly before she falls apart. If it's a dog she has seen a few times, she will listen to a 'leave it' and look away. 'Good girl, Zeetz' and she looks up at me with such beautiful, calm eyes.

She and Max are a silly pair. When I come home from work, they come up to say hello. Zeetz emits a very low whine followed by a rumble in her throat. I stroke her head and throat as she leans into me. Max whines a bit and hangs over Zeetie's back to get to me. I give him a pat and a 'hey Mackie'. I turn away to remove my outer clothing.

Like little excited kids, they start goofing around, running into the living room. Max shaking Zeetie hard by the scruff as Zeetie lies on her back, smiling with glee. As I head upstairs, they come galloping up and leap onto the bed as I say 'up'. They continue playing in excitment that I'm home. They start pulling on their stuffed toy and eventually, I look, and there is Max sitting quite comfortably on Zeetie's head. Zeetie lies there on her back in happiness, it seems. Soon she is able to get up, dumping Max on his side. She starts gnawing on his stump. Max whines, although he whines even when she doesn't chew him.

I missed the shot of him on her head. This is the next best thing.

Wherever our walks take us, Max appears to protect Zeetie. For instance, in the field at the farm, these two will be playing like crazy. Another dog comes over the snowbank to join them but Max goes running over, standing his ground to the other dog. A sharp bark and a growl, and he chases the other dog away. Or, if we meet up with a friend (yes, she has other dog friends) of Zeetie's, and she starts playing with that dog, Max is right in there playing with Zeetie. That friend becomes a third wheel. Max is very jealous.

On another note, do not let your dog get away with anything that is a no-no. In the early hours, I reached down to take a squeak toy from Zeetz, and she growled, her head protecting her toy. I was quite taken aback, and gave her a firm 'Zeetie'. That doesn't do anything, of course. I ran downstairs to get a liver tradeoff, and all was fine. She, I believe, did that because I let her get away with growling at me the day before when I tried to take a bone away from her. It was cold outside and the parmesan cheese hunk wasn't enough of a tradeoff so, I just didn't bother. She got away with it. Wrong thing to do. And, I know that. I have some work to do with her.