Nico's Story: Cutting Loose

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Cutting Loose

What happened? I have to stretch to see over you Benny!

Yesterday for the first time I walked away from Benny and Nico in the yard, and did not stay with them while they played. There were at it for over an hour, without incident. As my husband Rick put it, "That's three months of work right there." He's right: for three months we've been working at making sure Nico understood our rules for being with Benny. Meanwhile Benny was growing big enough to deal with Nico on his own terms. Benny is still a puppy, but he is a big puppy, and yesterday's experience showed us that he's ready to be Nico's ongoing companion.

This is the penultimate stage to my mind of the integration project. What remains is for us to be able to leave them together at night, knowing that they will settle down and sleep, and nothing crazy will happen in the dark. What we saw yesterday is that when they get tired, they do indeed stop running each other and relax. We saw that it isn't always Nico with the toy, and the Benny gives as good as he gets in the chase, in the wrestling. But most of all, we saw that when Benny doesn't want to run or wrestle anymore he just stands still, or lies down and chews something. Nico may lean on him for a bit, or stand there watching him, but eventually in the absence of stimulating gestures from Benny, Nico walks away.

Come on. Let's do it!

Benny's temperament has proven out: he is absolutely steady and always good natured. When Nico leans on him and he is tired he just does nothing. Doesn't argue, doesn't growl or whine, doesn't lie down. He just stands there. He's bigger than Nico now, and strong as little ox. When he wants to play he acts like a puppy. When he doesn't want to play, he does nothing. This is the behavior we've seen in Thunder all these years: it was from Thunder that I learned to shut down Nico's nervous agitation by simply doing nothing. Now we see that Benny does the same; I don't think he had to learn it. From day one Benny has shown absolute command of Malamute pack sense and social intelligence that is in fact a hallmark of the breed when the right priorities are in place in both breeding and handling..

Watch this!

Got it! Catch me if you can.

O.k. So you caught me. Doesn't mean I'm letting go!

If all continues as we hope, Benny's size advantage coupled with his fundamental easygoing nature will balance the competition for status that approaches as a puppy starts to become a dog, and the dog starts to feel the pressure. We do our part by insisting that both dogs do as they are asked, sitting side-by-each to be hooked up, and for treats and waiting their turn to go in and out of doors. I told a visitor that that sitting upon request is really important for those of us with big dogs. If, for example, your aging mother is visiting, it could be very dangerous for your big dogs to go rushing in the door ahead of everyone. On the other hand, if you've taught the "sit" word, then you stand at the door, you say "sit", your mother sits, and the dogs go through the door without any trouble at all.

Seriously, I find "sit" a very useful tool for managing my boys when things get crowded. But the yard play is all about how they get along without me. Nonetheless I do not doubt that insisting on good social behavior when they are under my hand carries over into the yard in terms of both dogs remembering the basic rule of any positive social interaction: restraint. Yesterday's experience is very encouraging for us, and exhilarating for the dogs. They have shown us time and again that they want to be together. It is so very rewarding to see how they enjoy each other, and that my Nico as a mature dog, and despite all of his uncertainties, is capable of growing into such companionship.

Are you jumping on my head Nico?

Ok. Now I get to jump on yours.

Thunder is far from on the sidelines. We went looking for a companion for Nico because we felt that Thunder as he aged needed more house time. But Thunder and Benny are such an affectionate team we now have to work very hard at sharing Benny around. When we go down the trail together and Rick reaches the limit of the senior walk he turns for home with Thunder. Benny is gleeful enough to continue on with me and Nico until he notices that Thunder is not with us. He then stops in his tracks, and says, "What?"

I have learned (for Benny is a Malamute) that it is easier to walk Thunder and Rick almost home, and then go out again with my young boys, than to oppose Benny's will in that moment! One must show one's Malamute's who is charge to be sure, but some battles are really more fun to lose than they are to win!

Those pictures, Thunder and Benny, coming soon!