When we adopted Poppy last spring, we thought she was going to grow up to be a small, sweet, and somewhat meek dog. We didn't hear her bark once the first week we had her, and she was so little!
Now she's a year old, and we couldn't have been more wrong. She's got a big personality (my husband calls her "bossy") and she's not one to take on a secondary role. When we first got George, he followed Ginger's lead in everything, but we thought that was just because of the age difference. He's such a big strong fellow that we just assumed that a new puppy, particularly a female, would fall behind him in the pecking order. Even though he's older, and a male, he pretty much always takes a step back and lets her go first in everything. You can see it in pictures:
That's how it was with our Cairns. We got the male first, but when we got the female, all bets were off. She ruled. He quietly stepped aside.
ReplyDelete"Quietly stepped aside" sounds like our Gentle Georgie! :)
DeleteIt does defy logic, doesn't it? We assume that the older animal will be dominant and it's not always the case.
ReplyDeleteThis is true! George is a really good boy, and he's had so much patience with Poppy as she grows up.
DeleteLily's like that, always in the lead, always bouncing and wanting to play. Biggie's kind of an old palooka. Lily's older and runs rings around him.
ReplyDeleteGeorge is so much more active now that he has Poppy to play with! They wrestle and "fight" constantly, and really seem to love each other. It's helping keep George young!
DeletePoppy would be great in the drag world!!!!!
ReplyDeleteShe can be a bit of a diva!
DeleteDogs are pack animals. They respect hierarchy, whether they're top dog or not!
ReplyDeleteThis is true. Poppy is still enough of a puppy that when George has had enough, he can growl just right and she knows to stop. But he has amazing patience with her!
DeleteIt sounds and looks like George and Poppy have worked things out and like their arrangement. I would have guessed that the older dog that lived with you first would have been the leader, but they had a different idea.
ReplyDeleteThey're really, really good friends. They play and roughhouse constantly! Getting Poppy made George a happier dog. :)
DeleteOh sweet George he is just a very empathetic. He just wants to be there for Poppy like Ginger was fir him.
ReplyDeleteHamish learned how to be such a sweetheart from Watson who was the most caring and understanding Gud Dug.
Awww! Yes, our dogs do learn from each other, don't they?
DeleteThat look on Poppy's face in the last picture and her posture say it all!
ReplyDeleteGeorge is a gentleman, leaving the ladies go first. He reminds me of our big, strong male cats who allowed my tiny female kitten to rule.
George IS a gentleman! He's such a good, good boy!
DeleteLook at the size of her! She makes George look little. And she's a beauty.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are a little bit deceptive, although Poppy is taller than George. He's still broader in the chest and heavier than her, though.
DeleteAnd it's just her general presence!
DeleteI wonder if Poppy took on the 'alpha dog' spot, because she sensed that George was not an alpha dog. He's not accustomed to the role, having been 'trained' by Ginger.
ReplyDeleteMaybe George just likes strong women!
DeletePS: I am surprised at the size of her, compared to George! She was so little!!
ReplyDeleteGeorge is still heavier than her, but she's taller.
DeletePerhaps Poppy is merely imitating the dominant matriarchal role that you play in your household - bossing Gregg about with, "Gregg do this!" and "Gregg do that!" It's just a theory.
ReplyDeleteHa! I don't play that kind of role in our marriage. Not that I'm all that submissive, either, but I certainly don't boss Gregg around! :)
DeleteWhat does Gregg say?
DeleteI wonder if because of the females' traditional role in protecting the pups, they are not afraid to be the more bossy ones in the family. Probably not. Poppy may just be a feminist.
ReplyDeleteThere may be something in what you say, Mary. I've heard that female dogs can sometimes be more protective, and that's been true with both Ginger and Poppy. Neither could/can stand strange men in the house (like plumbers for instance) and really act menacing!
DeletePerhaps George is simply sticking with the pattern he learned with Ginger. Hey, whatever works!
ReplyDeleteYes, they get along great, and play hard together! Getting George a new companion has been one of the best things we've ever done for him.
DeletePoppy has turned into a beautiful dog - that last photo shows how much she's grown. She has the sweetest face..
ReplyDeleteWhen we had our first female dog, after three males, we worried how she'd react to the two males in the house. We needn't have lost any sleep - Peppa turned out to be the bossiest dog we've ever had, and kept the two males, and us, firmly under her paw!
When you love them they drive you crazy - because they know they can.
ReplyDeletesigh************ I miss having a doggie.
ReplyDelete