Sisters re-united, but the new one is no angel!

Two sisters together again

Our puppy Bebek is so gentle, kind and loving that we were really expecting her sister who we had agreed to foster, to be the same. Instead she is a stroppy teenager with attitude! Within the first hour or two she had nipped all our other dogs, and ran up to bite our German Shepherd as she was simply walking past her. Not a very good start.

We had wondered whether the two sisters would recognise each other, but I can't honestly say that they did seem to. Although just before she was due to arrive, Bebek laid on a concrete pad in our front garden looking up the track as though she knew she was coming, that was a bit weird!

At only three and a half months old new pup is already considerably bigger than Little-E and an inch or so taller than Bebek. Where Bebek is quite fine in stature, this one is chunkier and more solid, and consequently is maybe rather used to throwing her weight around.

She's a very large, solid three and a half month old baby

But what may be fine when she is a puppy is not acceptable behaviour from an adult dog of the size she is likely to become, so yesterday we had some serious lessons in who is alpha dog here and it was a bit shocking for her to discover it actually was me!

We had already been warned that she was a chicken and cat chaser, so we were glad that the cats tend to lay holed up during the heat of the day which gave us a chance to sort the dogs before that added ingredient arrived to join the melee.

Bebek and Little-E were both good with her and tried to play gently together hoping she would join in. Later in the afternoon she did start to play but her body language was very hostile and aggressive. Gradually throughout the late afternoon and evening, she started to be a little bit more amenable and by later in the evening she seemed a lot more comfortable.

Our two pups tried to include her ...........

........................ and Little-E tried to befriend her but she just wasn't comfortable with it

In her defence she had a very long journey to reach us, and was apparently very sick on the way. Also she had briefly been to another home the week before which did not work out, so she would have been feeling a bit confused bless her.

She gobbled her dinner up and when the cats started arriving for their tea, it was almost an anti-climax because she really wasn't that bothered at all. Yes she looked at them, yes she followed them, but chase them, she did not.

So by bed-time last night she had two points in her favour. One, not too bad with the cats. Two, she is very beautiful.

When we came down this morning she had been well behaved all night. No noise, no chewing, no mess. As today has progressed so has her behaviour, and now she is quite happy being near her sister and Little-E but is still a bit wary of  Kizi our Shepherd.

She is very beautiful and very clever

This afternoon I had a small siesta on the settle on the terrace (as you do this weather) and she laid next to me. When Çingene one of our cats jumped up too, she leapt forward to intimidate her. But the problem she had was that I haven't yet met anyone or anything who CAN intimidate Çingene. So Çingene just kept coming which culminated in pup backing off and jumping over the arm of the settle to escape! So now she has slid another notch down the 'place in the pack' stakes.

When we named Bebek we had a spare name as we had such trouble deciding between two. We thought that we would call this pup the other name which was Melek (Angel) but unfortunately it just does not suit her in any shape or form! So at the moment the jury is out on that decision.



"It's my ropey and nobody is having it ......................

"not even when I'm asleep!"

Today has been a lot better, her behaviour is not so hostile, she is playing with the others, she has her own new toy 'ropey' which she is very proud of , and Little-E has thought up a totally new game for them to play. It is called 'I'm the king of the castle' and involves one of them (more often than not Little-E -but then it was her idea) leaping on the sofa and standing on the back of it yapping at the other two whilst they run round and round it trying to pop up and surprise her from a different end of the sofa. They played this game for such a long time this afternoon that they all had to lay down for a nap!

Much more normal behaviour today

We so hope she settles and fits in with us all, but I can't see her as ever being angel so yet again we search for a name!