the corner office

Of course, it could just be coincidence, but I suspect that Tupac is rather an 'advanced' mutt.

I haven't yet mentioned Cerberus (thus named by Ronwen, because we have no idea what her real name is). Cerberus is a jet-black hell-hound looking ridgeback puppy belonging to the tenants in #1. When I say puppy, that's more like 'horse in the making.' In November she was catching up with Tupac in size, by December she was edging past, and by now, she's way bigger. Lovely and friendly, but with her size and lack of coordination, a bit of work. Not the kind of dog that can be left to its own devices, if the sanctity of your dustbins and topplable and chewable goods matters to you.

Judging by the size of her paws, she has a couple of months' growth yet. She's going to be a monster. A beautiful, lovable, klutz of a monster, but a monster nonetheless.

Tupac's life has in this respect, taken a turn for the worse. Whereas life was simple and lazy, it's now a constant horror with the young'un wanting to 'play' with her. Given the size and strength disparity, it's a bit like watching a fat 10-year-old kid picking on a 5 year old on the playground. Tupac's mood is decidedly more strained when Cerberus is around.

Tupac had been visiting us this evening, but decided she wanted out. It gets annoying, because I feel like I'm a yoyo, getting up to let the dog in, and then letting her out as soon as she gets bored, over and over. As it turns out, on a return trip, Cerberus 'found' Tupac, and when I opened the door, both dogs came hurtling in. Whereas we trust Tupac to her doggy blanket in the corner of the bedroom for the night, Cerberus ain't staying over for at least another 6 months. I don't have the heart to kick one dog out and not the other, so after some galumphing and joy (and Tupac getting upset with Cerberus), they both got evicted by yours truly. Tupac clearly wasn't a happy camper.

A few minutes later, another scratch at the door. I opened it slightly, saw both, and didn't open it further, secretly hoping that Cerberus would get bored and bugger off. Cerberus was a bit flummoxed, but Tupac saw. Tupac Understood. She barked, got up, and ran around the corner and down the driveway towards the main gate, letting out a few more half-hearted barks. Cerberus followed. I wondered... and figured I'd stay with the door slightly ajar to see what happened.

Sure enough, about 20 seconds later, Tupac came trotting back, sans Cerberus. I let her in, and she's dozing happily under my desk. No sign of Cerberus who's probably still looking for the bad guys.

I don't like to attribute too much intelligence to animals, but I can't help but wonder :-)