Oh, How Time Flies! We Brought Franki Blue Eyes Home Two Years Ago.

Franki ... Just Chillin'

She was barely a year old when my rescue group, COLARS, took Franki in just over two years ago.  She was pregnant and had been abandoned next to a dumpster behind a closed-up, rural bar-and-grill.  A kind woman saw her and fed her for a couple of days until she learned about COLARS.  Just two days after rescuing her, Franki gave birth to three puppies.  After the pups were weaned and transferred to another rescue shelter for adoption, I went to visit her at her foster home.

At first, I hesitated about adopting her ... she was a bit wild and I was concerned that my older and partially disabled pooch, Ripley, might get hurt with such a rambunctious kid running around.  So I went home without her, knowing that our rescue group would be careful about placing her in a new home.  But I couldn't stop thinking about her.  Not just because she was beautiful and unique-looking with those crystal blue eyes ... there was something special about Franki beyond her outward appearance.  Even though she was unfocused and hyperactive during my visit with her, something kept tugging at my heart.

Franki and Ripley, August 2012.
Cooling off after a hike in the woods.

Two days later, I went back to her foster home and told her foster mom that I'd like to take Franki back to my house for a few hours to see how she'd do with my five dogs.  I introduced her to them, one-by-one, in the front yard, waiting until both dogs had enough time to sniff each other out and calm down enough to get acquainted. Since Ripley was the oldest and most dominant dog, I introduced Franki to her first. Despite being very excited, Franki seemed to understand that Ripley's physical body was fragile and she kept a respectful distance.

Things continued to go well, and despite feeling cautious about a new, younger and very active dog trespassing on their turf, my dogs were generally accepting of Franki running around the yard.  I was still unsure about whether this would be a good fit for everyone; but after watching Franki and the rest of the pack for a while outside, I decided to take her inside to see how she acted indoors.

Morning Playtime, November 2012
Franki and Andie

I was more than surprised. The instant Franki entered the house, she calmed down.  I had expected her to become overly excited about being in another new environment, but she seemed to know intuitively that acting like a wild dog inside was unacceptable.  I wondered if she had cued into the other dogs' relative calm and realized that this is how she was also expected to behave.

Waiting for a Birthday Treat

To make a long story short, as the saying goes, I never took Franki back to her foster home. This was her new, forever home.  She's been a blessing; pure joy! ... mixed with some occasional naughtiness, of course ... she's still a kid, after all.

Although I don't know her actual birth day, I decided that her homecoming date, would also be her birthday.  So, yesterday, we celebrated Franki's third birthday and her second year of being Home. 

Sammi, Cookie, Andie and Franki

As a special treat, I shared some of my mother's homemade, world famous chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with her and the rest of the gang ... the dogs got none of the chocolate, of course; just the bites around the chips.  

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." ~Gilda Radner

The Ties That Bind

Franki

As I sit down to write this, Sammi and Franki are close by my side ... the same side ... with Franki lying next to me on the couch and Sammi sitting at my left foot.

They are both calm and affectionate and look at me with sweet, submissive faces.  I stroke both of their heads and whisper against their faces, "you're such good dogs."  

I get a little slurp from each of them on my chin, then Franki turns to Sammi.
  

Sammi

Sammi presents his face to Franki and shuts his eyes as Franki cleans his face and sniffs his ears.  Sammi just loves kisses on his face... although he hasn't always appreciated Franki.  It took some effort on my part to encourage the bond that has since formed between them.

Even after all the other dogs had accepted Franki, Sammi continued to resist her and displayed a somewhat hostile attitude toward her, despite Franki's submissive posture and attempts to engage him in play.  Sammi just didn't like her.

With six dogs living in relatively close quarters, it's very important to me that they all get along.  I needed to find a way to form a bond between Franki and Sammi. 

Taking a cue from Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan, I thought I would try putting Sammi and Franki together for a Pack activity without the other dogs.  According to Cesar, dogs are more likely to form a positive bond if they have no other choice but to engage in some kind of activity together as a Pack.  He commonly uses a Pack walk, but I wanted Sammi and Franki to spend several hours together.  

Since almost all dogs enjoy riding in vehicles with their humans, and it's something we do as families, I thought a day-trip with Sammi and Franki would be a perfect bonding activity.  Both of them were already well-behaved when riding and were always eager to go.  

So, one day in May, my parents, Sammi, Franki and I all piled into my parents' "dog mobile" to take a trip to a lumber yard for a trailer-full of mulch for my landscaping.  Round trip, we were gone for a few hours, after stopping for lunch in the car along the way and driving into another county for the mulch.  The dogs were angels.  And, even better, it worked!  After we got home, I saw the difference in how Sammi reacted to Franki immediately.  He has stopped growling at her whenever she approaches him, and they have since become buddies.  

Their bond was further cemented the first time Franki ventured to lick Sammi's face.  After that, Sammi was hooked!  They often lay down and sleep next to each other, and although Sammi isn't usually interested in playing with Franki, he tolerates her youthful energy like a slightly bossy older brother.  

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Sammi presents his face to Ripley

While we're on the topic of face kisses ... Ripley is the first dog I've known who seems to think it's her duty to clean the other dogs' wounds and clean the debris from their faces and eyes.  

Not all dogs appreciate this service, of course, but Sammi, Andie and Cookie all enjoy a good daily facial.

None more than Sammi ...




As you can see, Ripley takes her duties very seriously.

  

"The dogs in our lives, the dogs we come to love and who (we fervently believe) love us in return, offer more than fidelity, consolation, and companionship. They offer comedy, irony, wit, and a wealth of anecdotes, the "shaggy dog stories" and "stupid pet tricks" that are commonplace pleasures of life. 

They offer, if we are wise enough or simple enough to take it, a model for what it means to give your heart with little thought of return. Both powerfully imaginary and comfortingly real, dogs act as mirrors for our own beliefs about what would constitute a truly humane society. Perhaps it is not too late for them to teach us some new tricks."

~~Marjorie Garber