Daily Post: One Question

Another one from the Daily Post. If you had to come up with one question, the answer to which would determine whether or not you could be friends with a person you've just met, what would it be? What would the right answer be?

This is an easy one today! It hold true for any type of relationship. "Do you hate my dogs?" I'm okay if you're not in love with them, but you need to at least tolerate them in my life. This is probably the time to note that I have very well behaved dogs. When we have visitors over they basically greet, get their pets, and go sleep for a few hours on their ridiculously expensive dog beds.

Rainy reads people really well. If you ignore her, she ignores you right back. If you baby talk to her she rushes up for a perfect pet lover greeting. If you are terrified of dogs, especially big dogs, she will ignore you. People who are scared of dogs generally stand there for 20 minutes while we talk, then they get brave enough to just risk a teeny touch with a single finger. Rainy will stand stock still and not startle them at all. She's such a wise pupper!

The second question would be "Do my dogs like you?" Sunshine is not fond of strangers. She generally tried to avoid them at all costs. She only ever gone after one person in all her years with me. The person stopped behind me to talk to third person and Sunshine was not having it. I have no idea why this one person triggered this reaction, but to this day I don't trust that person and try to avoid them. I have no problem listening to what my dogs are telling me. Of course over the recent years there have been some stories that have surfaced that makes me not too fond of this person, but Sunshine knew first.

Sunshine's communication works the other way too. Back when the current BF was a brand new stranger, we were sitting at a picnic table at a park talking. Sunshine went to his side of the picnic table and laid down! Usually she would stand and hover behind me to be invisible. Now this didn't mean she instantly loved him, she was just making sure I knew he was a good egg.

Both girls made him work really hard to be accepted into our family. That was not expected from Rainy. I think back and laugh about the time Rainy started barking at BF when he got up to read a poem that was hanging on the wall. I was in the bathroom and the poem was across the hall from the door. This dog won't even bark at a doorbell or knock at the door! Anytime BF would ask Rainy to do something, she would slowly blink at him, then roll her eyes to where I was. She would make eye contact in a clear communication of "Do I have to listen to this guy?"  Sunshine wouldn't let him touch her for many months. I still don't know how he got her collared and leashed up that day he decided to take them out for their potty walk. I asked about it and all I was told was "It wasn't easy."