{"id":5833,"date":"2022-08-21T08:28:43","date_gmt":"2022-08-21T12:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/?p=5833"},"modified":"2023-06-11T11:46:52","modified_gmt":"2023-06-11T15:46:52","slug":"new-to-the-pack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/index.php\/2022\/08\/21\/new-to-the-pack\/","title":{"rendered":"New to the Pack"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is another in the Sunday Story series.  No politics today, just another \u201cdog\u201d story, with a twist.  There\u2019s a new member to the Pack!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alphas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you know anything about dogs, you know they are \u201cpack\u201d 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 \u201cAlpha Emeritus\u201d.  He\u2019s over ten human years old, and while he\u2019s not going to win fights anymore, all the others show him respect appropriate to his age and status.  They\u2019re happy to pay him attention, but leave him to himself when that\u2019s what he wants.  That\u2019s not much fight left in him, but he can still let out a mean \u201chiss\u201d when he needs to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there was the big \u201cupset\u201d in the house.  Louisiana, our battered rescue from, well, Louisiana, fully recovered from his injuries and \u201cfelt his oats\u201d.  The titular \u201cAlpha\u201d was our six year old Yellow Lab Atticus, who ascended with Buddy\u2019s aging.  But Lou and Atticus had a couple of \u201cinteractions\u201d, and now Lou is clearly number one.  The saying goes, \u201cIf you ain\u2019t the big dog, stay on the porch\u201d.  Atticus spends a lot more time on the porch with Jenn and me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ladies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Keelie, our rescue from Kentucky, is the \u201cmother\u201d of us all.  When someone yelps or yells \u201cOW\u201d, 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 \u201cmake things better\u201d.   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”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which leaves us with CeCe, our year and a half old \u201cBaby Yoda\u201d puppy.  She\u2019s not so much a puppy anymore, but she\u2019s still fearless when it comes to the other\u2019s in the pack.  She took her lumps early, but she really is everyone\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CeCe is wonderfully lovable, but she has an affinity for eyeglasses.  Whenever there\u2019s 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\u2019s destroyed eight pair of my Amazon \u201ccheap\u201d reading glasses.  I’m wearing a pairs with dramatically shortened ears now, and she got my good bifocals as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No mistake, Jenn\u2019s the \u201cAlpha\u201d of us all, dogs included.  I come in as \u201cAssociate Alpha\u201d, good for breakfast in the morning, early morning romps, and more than willing to fulfill most dog demands.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Addition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

And we added another \u201cplayer\u201d in the dynamic Dahlman domicile. No \u2013 not another dog, five is by far enough.  This character is low key but determined, keeps her head down and does her \u201cbusiness\u201d.  She knows where she sleeps, when she\u2019s hungry, and when it\u2019s time to \u201cgo potty\u201d.  And she has a name \u2013 Roomba!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yep \u2013 we got a Roomba, one of the IRobot independent vacuum cleaners that purposely goes about the house cleaning up the messes.  It\u2019s 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 \u201ctumbling tumbleweeds<\/a>\u201d after the Roy Rogers song).  It requires daily sweeping \u2013 and while we were worried that the volume would be beyond Roomba\u2019s capabilities, so far, so good.  Roomba knows when she\u2019s had enough, and heads back to her docking station to \u201cdump\u201d and to recharge when needed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t the cheapest cleaner, but IRobot guaranteed it could handle hair (and maneuver around any dog accidents \u2013 without a dreaded smear).  And so far, she\u2019s lived up to her billing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Her Place<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

And where does Roomba fit in the \u201cpack\u201d?  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 \u201crelieves herself\u201d in the docking station?  Lou breaks for a door to get outside, away from the rocket launch sounds.  Keelie doesn\u2019t seemed bothered, and Atticus just stays with me, out of the way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CeCe, the house defender against all brooms and vacuum cleaners, doesn\u2019t really mind Roomba.  It seems that they are all giving her space, kind of an \u201cAlpha-like\u201d status.  Roomba can clear the room.  That works, as she then cleans the room as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and Buddy \u2013 well he and Roomba don\u2019t 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 \u2013 and BUMP him!!  Well that\u2019s unheard of in this house \u2013 and Buddy with all the dignity of his equivalent seventy dog years, struggled to his feet, and stormed out of the room \u2013 to the bathroom on the other side of the house.  That wasn\u2019t on Roomba\u2019s programming for this run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t let her come in my office, afraid that might be too overwhelming for a newly programmed IRobot.  I\u2019m sure that\u2019s 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 \u2013 behind Jenn and the new Roomba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to know more about our dogs? Check out Origin Stories Parts I and II on the list below.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sunday Story Series<\/h5>\n\n\n\n