New to the Pack

This is another in the Sunday Story series.  No politics today, just another “dog” story, with a twist.  There’s a new member to the Pack!

Alphas

If you know anything about dogs, you know they are “pack” animals.  They develop complex relationships among themselves, and with others in the home.  We have five dogs, and so there are lots of interactions.  Among our dogs, Buddy is the “Alpha Emeritus”.  He’s over ten human years old, and while he’s not going to win fights anymore, all the others show him respect appropriate to his age and status.  They’re happy to pay him attention, but leave him to himself when that’s what he wants.  That’s not much fight left in him, but he can still let out a mean “hiss” when he needs to.

Then there was the big “upset” in the house.  Louisiana, our battered rescue from, well, Louisiana, fully recovered from his injuries and “felt his oats”.  The titular “Alpha” was our six year old Yellow Lab Atticus, who ascended with Buddy’s aging.  But Lou and Atticus had a couple of “interactions”, and now Lou is clearly number one.  The saying goes, “If you ain’t the big dog, stay on the porch”.  Atticus spends a lot more time on the porch with Jenn and me.

The Ladies

Keelie, our rescue from Kentucky, is the “mother” of us all.  When someone yelps or yells “OW”, Keelie immediately comes to investigate and ameliorate.  And when someone gets in trouble, dog to dog or dog to person, Keelie is compelled to intervene and “make things better”.   And Keelie “knows” where everyone is supposed to “be”, especially guests in the house. Sit at the kitchen table; otherwise anticipate an escort suggesting you go back where you “belong”.

Which leaves us with CeCe, our year and a half old “Baby Yoda” puppy.  She’s not so much a puppy anymore, but she’s still fearless when it comes to the other’s in the pack.  She took her lumps early, but she really is everyone’s puppy. She’s even found a way to relate to Buddy, who enjoys the attention.  CeCe gets away with a lot. She chases Lou who towers over her, making dreadful noises. And she treats his long tendinous back legs like chicken bones.  He might be the Alpha, but he ends up on the porch from time to time too.

CeCe is wonderfully lovable, but she has an affinity for eyeglasses.  Whenever there’s downtime, she will seek out any pair of glasses she can reach, prescription or sunglasses, or most often, my reading glasses.  Then she will efficiently chew the ears off ’em.  So far, I think she’s destroyed eight pair of my Amazon “cheap” reading glasses.  I’m wearing a pairs with dramatically shortened ears now, and she got my good bifocals as well.

No mistake, Jenn’s the “Alpha” of us all, dogs included.  I come in as “Associate Alpha”, good for breakfast in the morning, early morning romps, and more than willing to fulfill most dog demands.  

New Addition

And we added another “player” in the dynamic Dahlman domicile. No – not another dog, five is by far enough.  This character is low key but determined, keeps her head down and does her “business”.  She knows where she sleeps, when she’s hungry, and when it’s time to “go potty”.  And she has a name – Roomba!

Yep – we got a Roomba, one of the IRobot independent vacuum cleaners that purposely goes about the house cleaning up the messes.  It’s a pretty amazing device, mapping out the layout of the house and then determining the most efficient way to cover the entire place.  It goes where Jenn and I seldom go with a vacuum:  under the cabinets and the stove, and even under the couch.  Our house has five dogs:  hair is everywhere (we call them “tumbling tumbleweeds” after the Roy Rogers song).  It requires daily sweeping – and while we were worried that the volume would be beyond Roomba’s capabilities, so far, so good.  Roomba knows when she’s had enough, and heads back to her docking station to “dump” and to recharge when needed.  

It wasn’t the cheapest cleaner, but IRobot guaranteed it could handle hair (and maneuver around any dog accidents – without a dreaded smear).  And so far, she’s lived up to her billing.

Finding Her Place

And where does Roomba fit in the “pack”?  Well, Lou is scared to death of her.  He heads for other rooms, up on the benches and chairs to stay away from the relentless hissing and bumping.  And when Roomba “relieves herself” in the docking station?  Lou breaks for a door to get outside, away from the rocket launch sounds.  Keelie doesn’t seemed bothered, and Atticus just stays with me, out of the way.  

CeCe, the house defender against all brooms and vacuum cleaners, doesn’t really mind Roomba.  It seems that they are all giving her space, kind of an “Alpha-like” status.  Roomba can clear the room.  That works, as she then cleans the room as well.

Oh, and Buddy – well he and Roomba don’t get along so well.  You see, Roomba followed Buddy into his sanctuary, the bathroom.  And when Buddy flopped down next to the air conditioning vent, Roomba had the audacity to drive up to him – and BUMP him!!  Well that’s unheard of in this house – and Buddy with all the dignity of his equivalent seventy dog years, struggled to his feet, and stormed out of the room – to the bathroom on the other side of the house.  That wasn’t on Roomba’s programming for this run.

The jury is still out on the Roomba.  We will see how long she can handle this, a five-dog, two-person load.  Jenn won’t let her come in my office, afraid that might be too overwhelming for a newly programmed IRobot.  I’m sure that’s not a compliment, but Jenn is the Alpha or us all.  Who am I to argue with the Boss?  I think I now fit in about third – behind Jenn and the new Roomba.

Want to know more about our dogs? Check out Origin Stories Parts I and II on the list below.

The Sunday Story Series

• Riding the Dog  – 1/24/21
• Hiking with Jack – 1/31/21
• A Track Story – 2/7/21
• Ritual – 2/14/21
• Voyageur – 2/19/21
• A Dog Story – 2/25/21
• A Watkins Legend – 3/7/21
• Ghosts at Gettysburg – 3/14/21
• Lessons from the State Meet – 3/28/21
• More Lessons from the State – 4/4/21
• Stories from the Road – 4/11/21
• A Bear Wants You – 5/1/21
• My Teachers – 5/9/21
• Old Friends  – 5/23/21
• The Gift – 6/6/21
• Echoes of Mom – 6/20/21
• Stories of the Fourth – 7/3/21
• Running Memories – 7/25/21
• Lost Dog of Eldora – 8/1/21
• Dogs and Medals – 8/8/21
• The New Guy – 9/5/21
• Stories of 9-11 – 9/12/21
• The Interview – 9/26/21
• Night Moves – 10/3/21
• Funeral for a Friend – 10/11/21
• National Security – 10/24/21
• Boots on the Trail – 10/31/21
• Taking Care of Mom and Dad – 11/14./21
• Dogs Found and Lost – 11/21/21
• Watching Brian 12/12/21
• Stories from Shiloh – 12/19/21
• Team Trips – 12/26/21
• Uphill, Both Ways  – 1/9/22
• Old Trophies – 1/30/22
• The Last Time – 2/7/22
• Olympic Miracles – 2/13/22
• Mind Numbing – 2/20/22
• Track Weather – 4/3/22
• What’s Missing – 4/11/22
• A Scouting Story – 4/17/22
• Waterproof Paper – 5/8/22
• Origin Stories – 5/22/22
• Origin Stories – Part Two 5/29/22
• Back at State – 6/5/22
• Out in the Country – 6/19/22
• Pataskala Downs – 7/4/22
• Car Stories I – 7/24/22
• Car Stories II  – 7/31/22
• Old Man Experience – 8/7/22
• Cross Country Camp – 8/14/22
• New to the Pack – 8/21/22