HOMECOMING! JOEY OUT OF JAIL...AND LUCKY THINK'S HE'S THE BOSS NOW!

Yesterday ended well, but what a day it was.

I received a call from the 'pound' that they had Joey, and I said we would be right there. Upon arrival, we found out that Joey had been in the pound for seven days!"Why didn't anyone call us?" I asked as I grudgingly wrote out the check for his incarceration.

"Oh we did!" the lady exclaimed! "I left a message on the 23rd". My eyes narrowed and I replied, 'How strange, nothing was on my machine?"

Then, they explained that they didn't have a chance to call us again on Monday, or Tuesday because they were so busy. "Yeah right" I thought, as all of two people were in the whole pound.I think that if they called, it was the wrong number...they were thinking about getting home for Thanksgiving and not paying attention...or, they didn't call at all.


Joey had wandered UP the trail Wendy was on to Doc Brown's property (A Vet), which adjoins ours, and he stayed there for the night. Allen went into the pound to report him missing on the 23rd of November, and I guess right after that Doc Brown brought him in! If not for the Harley Davidson collar and his small white tuft of hair on his chest, we may not have recognized him! He has grown so much in just ten days I am stunned.


I didn't tell Allen where we were going (so he didn't know Joey was in jail) until we drove into the parking lot at the Shelter...just told him we had to 'Go to Town' on business...so he probably thought it was one of the escrows we are working on. Allen's eyes lit up and he sounded like a little kid, "They found Joey?" "Yup, I think so...we'll soon see".


We rushed in, and went to the jail cells and there was this 'bigger' dog than we knew and loved, BUT HE KNEW US! He started trying to get through that wire with all of his might! Nose, paws...everything, and tail going a million miles an hour. Ya can't be a real 'Harley Dog' unless ya been to jail at least 'once' for being a little 'wild' so now Joey is a real Harley Dog I think. He got in the Hummer without a whine or whimper and sat on Allens lap just a kissing him and loving on him...like a puppy, very quietly and well behaved.

The action really started when he got home and found another dog eating out of his bowl, chewing on his bones, playing with his toys, and laying in his bed. Hey! What's going on here... he seemed to be thinking, and the ROMP was on!


Both of the Males were playing, and Joey can knock 'Lucky' over with his body slams easily...but Joey is not aggressive toward other dogs. So it was a game of 'dominance' for the 'Boys' to see who was going to be the Alpha.

Lucky would not be as charming as Joey was with this 'intruder' and he gave it all the heart he had...and he has a lot of heart. Joey had the lead most of the time, but the little guy never gave up and used his brains by going under the pick up and even the back porch so Joey couldn't lunge at him or use his weight against him. About every sixth encounter, Lucky would win and Joey would be down (mostly fall down due to his clumsey rapid growth spurts)...it looked so funny for this little guy to be on top of Joey, but he's fast and smart..so he 'tricked' Joey into losing a round here and there.

If Joey had a leg in his mouth, Lucky had an ear...if Joey had a paw, Lucky had a tail...even when on the bottom. Finally, I think they both 'wore out' with this dominance 'play'...(no yelping from a real bite on either side, but Lucky was growling pretty mean at the beginning in fear as he took shelter from the 'huge intruder dog" between my legs or Allens until he decided he "might be able to beat this big woosy guy" and just got it on, and on, and on.


We wanted to see what would happen, and to protect both dogs if they got mean or vicious with each other...but that never happened. Finally, Lucky went under the porch one last time before I had to go get Jordan from High School...go to Hogfathers and the Post Office, and get the mail at Skyline and here before heading home. Just before I left, both of them were following Allen down to the "Pond Park' Will and Allen have been busting butt for a week in sun or pouring rain...to build for the Grandkids, but apparently for the dogs too.


Lucky went down earlier and stuck his head in the water, and a few minutes later he jumped in. Then when both went down with Allen, Joey stuck his head in along with Lucky up to his eyeballs, but Allen headed back up as he wanted to give them both a bath (it's a weekly ritual around here, and they both love it). They get 'brushed a lot too', so that is probably why there is so much sheen on their coats. They really like that 'brushing stuff too', and legs are a rockin and rolling when Allen hits the right spot...great entertainment for us too.


While I was gone, Allen said they got along fine and played..and the picture of Lucky and Joey by the porch shows them kissing one another like pals...right up until Lucky plopped down on Joey's bed. Joey did not like that at all and more pushing and showing commenced! Allen thought they would 'work it out' at some point, but put them both on a leash cause we had more business in town now and didn't want Jordan to have to deal with any problems if they were to occur.


Jordan watched Faye and the Dogs while Allen and I went into town and bought them a Log Home dog house. Allen put the bed in the house, and the dogs figured out a way for both of them to fit in it and sleep together and stay warm and cozy off each other's body heat.
Tonight, Allen called me down (When Wendy and Emily left) and both of them had their heads and paws poking out the door of the dog house, it was sooo cute. They wern't very anxious to come out and see us either, so we let them be and went about our own business.


We are so delighted that Joey wasn't the victim of some 'critters' hunger...as now both dogs have our heart strings tied solid...Joey is the Lord of 'Underfoot', and Lucky is the "Inspector"...and together they will make a fine pair for this ranch.
Reflecting now on the day, I realize how "Lucky", Lucky really is.... as if the pound had dialed the right number and left the message, Lucky might be cramped up in an apartment again...and not had the run of the place like he does now, and hanging out with a pal who will challenge him everyday.


Now Allen and I looked at each other and sighed, "What about the female pups we already paid for and are going to be ready to come home on December 10th" ???Allen already let me know he still wants the little chocolate female, "Nicky" (for Nicole) as he bonded with her the minute he saw her.


I know he loves it that the dogs select one 'Leader' and it is him for both of them...and while they love everyone because Labs are so social and with good temperments, when Allen heads anywhere...there they go with him, and he gets more kisses and loves than anyone. Lucky is a lot more loving than Joey, but 'Treats' motivate Joey more than they do Lucky...so 'training' will be interesting. Of course, Allen spends a lot of time with them as Allen loves to be 'outdoors' on cool projects...rather than in the house doing some 'foo foo' project for me.


Wendy and Will want the Golden puppy, but I bought them books on those dogs so that they can make sure she will fit permanently in their family. Will really wants her...and even named her "Yahzie' which means 'little one' in the Navajo language because she is the 'runt' of the litter...but he is afraid Wendy won't have the patience for a puppy. I think they can work it out if they read the books like Allen and I have been doing and begin training her to have 'good manners'.


We also have new 'training manners' books which we are going to start on with our two next week, although Joey already knows how to sit and shake. We should have them pretty well behaved by Christmas...but the little chocolate female will be too young to not jump on the little kids then, so we'll learn to deal with that soon. Probably will get a little 'pen' to keep them in when the little ones are outside during their visit (specifically Ean and Emily). The rest of the kids will be fine with them.


...but Good Lord...FOUR DOGS? THAT IS CRAZY!

We're going to sleep on that 'four dog' question tonight, as tomorrow is another day. OMG! Even to consider keeping FOUR DOGS proves We ARE getting 'weirder' every day as Lindsay said, "Just when I think you can't get any weirder'! We do!

JOEY is HOME....LUCKY has so much HEART (I think he will end up the ALPHA...just a guess), and LIFE IS GOOD IN THE WILDERNESS AGAIN.

BEAR HUGS TO ALL!

WHOOO HOOOO...It's ALMOST CHRISTMAS AND ALL MY 'PUPPIES' WILL BE HOME SOON TOO!