Lally and Moose and I did some pet sitting for friends this past weekend. For just about twenty-four hours, it was the three of us and one very rambunctious eight-month-old puppy named Casey.
For the most part, the time we spent together went remarkably well. Lally had someone to run around with. Moosie had someone to wrestle with. It was very cute to watch all the dogs romping around in the yard. I took eighty-five pictures. That is not an exaggeration; that is an exact count. Hooray for digital cameras!
We had a couple of tense moments, like at dinnertime when Casey wanted to see what was in Moose’s bowl. He did not like that idea one bit, and let Casey know loud and clear that she was NOT ALLOWED to put her nose into his dish. The scene went something like this.
Casey: Sniff sniff. His stuff smells better than my stuff! I should investigate. Sniff sniff!
Moose: Snarl. Bark. Shove. AWAY, crazy, ill-mannered puppy dog!
Casey: Runs for cover. Doesn’t try that trick again.
It happened very quickly. I barely had time to shout at Moose and it was all over. And looking back, this was one of those scuffles that was (in a way) necessary. Puppy Casey didn’t know the Golden Rule of mealtime: Thou shalt not put thy nose into thy neighbor’s bowl. Moose taught her the lesson quickly and then moved on with his meal and his life. No grudges held, because as soon as they were in the yard again, they were wrestling like fools.
If Moose had actually tried to attack Casey, instead of just warning her away, we would have had a problem. Every once in a while, even dogs who have lived together for years will have a serious disagreement with bared teeth, snarling, barking, and even all-out fighting. If you’re faced with Pet War in your living room, here are some things to keep in mind.
- Don’t reach in and try to physically separate them – you risk getting a bite yourself.
- Distract them from fighting – a shout or a clap may be enough. If not, try dumping a glass of water on them.
- If you have frequent scuffles, prepare a spray bottle with water. Every time a fight breaks out, squirt them in the face. (Eventually, just the sound of the squirter may be enough to stop the fight.)
- Once the battle is over, separate the animals for a while so everyone (yourself included) can calm down.
- Check each one for injuries, especially around the face and neck.