DocAndersen
Gwen was always frustrated with us. It started early and slowly got worse as she got older. Fran, on the other hand, was always with her girl. She watched my daughter all the time. Not that Fran didn’t bark. She did, mostly when her girl and the twins were in the pool playing. Fran got ear infections and didn’t go in the water beyond her front feet. But she would bark at the three kids if they didn’t follow the pool rules. Gwen, on the other hand, would slink around the yard seeking chipmunks. Throughout her life, she killed some chipmunks. I was never quite sure what the chipmunks had done to Gwen, but she killed them over and over. Gwen was the only dog we ever got that I wasn’t involved in the overall selection.
I regret not being more involved in the setting the rules for getting a dog. I was very clear when Fran joined the family. My daughter was responsible for messes and problems — the same with the Twins and Raven. I wasn’t as clear with Gwen, and it is one of the things I regret. Anyway in the pictures shared today Fran and Gwen were hanging out with us outside. Gwen was mostly annoyed with me on that particular day. You can see her looking right at me as she barked. We were wandering around and playing in the backyard. I suspect Gwen, as was her won’t, felt the backyard was her territory and that we should submit a request to use her backyard in triplicate,
Sadly we were always out of the backyard use request forms. I think Gwen left the box empty just so that she could bark at us. Gwen,,, who when she was younger ran away many times. We chased her around the neighborhood in Western Hills. Until someone got into the car, then Gwen was in the car ready for a ride. I cannot remember actually ever catching her any other way. Fran on the other hand adopted us. We were her family. She never tried to run away and probably had many more opportunities than Gwen did. Fran was a homebody. She just needed her girl. My daughter did a great job taking care of her. But Fran was also more mother than a pet, keeping my daughter out of trouble many times!
It looks like a serious conversation.
Knowing the two of them, it was very serious.