Rocky

So as some of you may know, I took my sister's dog Rocky (aka Rocky Rocky Rock Star) home with me last time I visited the bay area. It's been a bit of an adjustment for all involved, but the house is officially a zoo.

Rocky seems to have settled in well and is happy to have playmates around. The hierarchy in the house seems to have been in flux but has settled down with Rocky firmly at the bottom of the totem pole. He is such a submissive little animal.

Ribbon is of course boss or at least is happy if everyone else pretends he is. He's a bit of an old grouch. He'll play with the other animals but only when he wants to and only on his terms. Otherwise he just gets pissed and hisses at everyone. One day he was so mad he started hissing and doing his growling rumbling noise at me. I had to ignore all the other animals and calm him down. He doesn't like all these youg'uns invading his cuddle/sleep time.

I'd say Kitten and Mandi are tied in the hierarchy next. Basically they both boss Rocky around but let Ribbon be boss. Mandi plays with Rocky but sometimes she looks at him like what the hell is wrong with you. Especially when Rocky has his nightly run and runs from the kitchen to the living room, and then the living room to the back yard and then back to the living room again. It's pretty funny.

Kitten was TERRIFIED of Rocky when he first showed up. She wouldn't go anywhere near him and hissed her head off. Now she puts up with him the way Ribbon puts up with her, like he is an annoyance. She beats him up when he bugs her too much. She also plays with him when no ones looking.

And then there is Rocky who just wants to be everyone's friend. He doesn't care who's swatting at him, he just wants to play. It's adorable. He also plays with his toys like it's the coolest thing on the planet. He has a little ball that he plays soccer with. It's the cutest thing ever. Too bad that ball is disgusting. I really should throw it in the washer.

He was also ignorant on normal dog activities like jumping on anything and looking out the window to guard the house. Within a day he was jumping on couches, chairs and beds as he could not let Mandi go anywhere he could not go. And once he realized what Mandi was looking at outside he's taken to doing it on his own, pushing his whole face through the slits in the window.

All in all he's been a great addition to the ever expanding zoo in Santa Barbara. Were still having some behavioral problems (as in stay, responding to his own name. sit, etc - were going to get lessons for that eventually) but he's much better than when he first got here and was pissed and scared about having been moved again.

Krista and I have taken pictures. I'll put them up once we get them developed and if I get the digital camera I want they'll be a lot more pictures of all sorts of things posted.

I go get sushi now....nummy

Posted by nuala at July 19, 2004 07:46 PM