dog siblings

Family Reunion

Pam Hogle Main Blog, Stories, The Thinking Dog Blog ,

Tasi, Orly, Kaycee, and Brooklyn Orly recently got together with several of her siblings, niblings, half-siblings, and miscellaneous other relatives. Sometimes, it’s better not to be too clear on the exact relationships.

There are many family resemblances, starting with Mom Charm’s restrained whimper when gated off from the area she wanted to be in — Orly deploys similar vocalizations when she finds herself on the wrong side of a door, a frequent occurrence. The siblings sure look alike, though Orly was the lightest blond / least red of the group. They are all small for goldens, and several of them share Orly’s little “zipper” — a small patch of rough fur between the eyes that gives Orly a worried look.

Two young puppies — nieces? — were in the mix as well. Hildy was the best pup-playmate, entertaining (& exhausting) the youngsters while the sibs all went from person to person soaking up pats and cuddles.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I Don’t WANT a Little Sister

Pam Hogle Stories, The Thinking Dog Blog , ,

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I don’t want a little sister. Or do I? Cali wondered. 

Cali met Koala with great ambivalence. She loved Alberta, Deni’s previous guide. Alberta and Cali joined the family at the same time, though Alberta was older, and a career girl to boot. Cali looked up to her and admired her. And, after a week or so of struggling to understand each other, they worked out a play language of their own.

But then, Alberta retired and moved to Montana (lucky Alberta!).  And Koala waltzed into Cali’s living room, bounced off the walls a few times, then settled down on the Good Bed. You know, the one Cali was always stealing from Jana.

That look on Cali’s face — stunned. Disbelieving. Outraged. It was priceless. Hmmm, Cali, paybacks are … tough to handle sometimes, aren’t they?

Cali and Koala — I just call them Koali — haven’t spent enough time together to have their own play language yet. And I think Cali is ambivalent, maybe confused about where Koala fits in. She’s younger and newer to the family. Little sister. But she works and travels and seems to get all sorts of special privileges. What’s up with that? She’s also a bit pushy and intense. But she is fun, and we spend a lot of time at the park when she’s around so … Cali just isn’t sure.