Doggy friends

I watch my friends dogs when they need someplace to put their dogs for a week or a weekend.....like a kennel. I do this because I love dogs...
There have been times I have had as many as 5 dogs here at the same time. I have had my regulars over the years. Tara(may she rest in peace) was a favorite....she loved to come and play with Chelsea(eventually Tessie but she had to warm up to her)....Tara was a soft coated wheaten and was very smart...she always remembered the boundaries for our electric fence. We didn't even have to put a battery in the electric collar(she had her own when she came for a sleepover)and she stayed in our yard.

My friend Peter, has Dasha who is a yellow lab. Dasha is beautiful and now lives in the Czech Republic... But the first time he came over and commented that Dasha had taken to digging holes in his yard...he was a little(ok a lot!!) taken aback when the husband said that he didn't need to worry that we know how to correct hole digging.....just fill the hole that the dog dug up with water and then stick the dog's nose into it until they almost drown....he was very calm and matterof fact when he said this.....Peter's eye brows flew up to his hairline and I really thought that if there was any other place to put Dasha, he would!! It all worked out very well...Dasha must have heard what happens to dogs that dig in our yard and never once(we had her for a few weeks one summer while Peter was in the Czech Republic visiting)dug a hole.

Other dogs we watch are Nikki-the akita/lab who is VERY scary looking but the biggest cupcake on the face of the earth! The next door neighbors brain-damaged(my word) golden retriever.....I blame this solely on one of their sons' who loves to roughhouse with her and totally screws her up......Skitsy(may she rest in peace)....the border collie who loved to try and "herd" us......by barking and nipping at our heels.......her owners LOVED getting her back after a week since she didn't bark nearly as much or nip hardly at all.....so I ask you.....why was that? Because we (I) have standards for the dogs I watch......Can't be annoyed with me if I train them to what I like.

All of this leads up to .......Clancy.......

Nikki was here for the long weekend and let me tell you......she does NOT think that Clancy is as cute as a button.
More of an annoyance that needs to be dealt with. For being an 11 y/o dog, Nikki did ok with him but it took the first 3 days for her to figure out he wasn't leaving.....

Here is a picture of life with Nikki, Clancy( the puppy) and Tessie.

AS usual,Tessie is ignoring all that is going on around her....and Nikki is trying to tell Clancy that she can bark louder than he can.....ultimately they settled down but Nikki was not relinquishing her spot in the chain of "alpha" dog.

So my standards have had to be revisited. I know, I know....who would've thought???? but you have not met Clancy.....he is actually getting better at his behavior....the choke collar helps....but it takes awhile for his doggy brain to figure out what he is doing or what we want him to do. I still watch my friends dogs....

but now they have to WANT to put up with my puppy!