Frannie Grace settles in

Life is good out in the country and we are settling into our routine.

Frannie Grace is a cross between a goat and a deer. She hops and scampers and rushes around like a flash of white light. She can be almost out of sight and then right next to you in a split second. Watching her is so much fun.

She's a rabbit dog and can spend hours running around the same two spots, checking out smells and collecting stickers. After her one and only spanking, she understands the "come to mama" concept - and usually implements it.

Ru is not too impressed but seems to be comforted by her prescence. Frannie doesn't like to go outside without Ru - unless there's a rabbit or a squirrel to chase, of course. Tonight for the first time, it seemed as if Ru was waiting for Frannie before moving out into the yard.

Mad Dog hasn't killed her or caused bodily harm yet. Maddie is one of the sweetest dogs in the world, but loves her mama so intensely it can be scary. Losing me for two years - and being pretty much abandoned during that time - was almost too much for her. Get too close to her mama and "watch out!". So, we've danced the necessary dance for a month and it was worked out well. Frannie knows the routine...go to the front door to let me know she wants to go out, follow me back to the back door so I can close the pet gate so Mad can't get out into the yard...the minute the back door latches again, the dancing begins...dancing with glee all the way back through the house to the front door again. It's amazing how well she seems to understand the process, even if she doesn't understand the reason. After a month of sniffing the evidence of the other in the yard, it seems all is well. She seems to understand that she can't go through the door until we do our little routine. It's amazing how smart she is.

As soon as we come back in, she jumps into her "condo" for her treat. She usually takes it right back out to eat it elsewhere, but she knows where "her" spot is. Ru goes to her adjacent bed and stands there looking down, waiting for her treat to drop from the sky. Ru still has me extremely well trained. I can hear/feel the silence and know she is waiting for me in the other room to do something. Put her in her chair, let her outside, etc. She has me well-trained and she's training Frannie while she's at it.

On good nights, they sleep on the corner of the bed, butts touching. Most nights, Ru is at her corner and Frannie is tucked on the opposite side of me cuddled up to my back. If she's restless, it's off to the condo for the night. Tonight was interesting. Frannie was moving and I didn't want her to. As she passed behind me I gave her the options - 1) lay down or 2) go to her condo. She listened. Made a decision. Jumped down and slept in her bed on the floor. Now, a couple of hours later she's settled back in the bed, nestled up to my back. Happy girls :-)

Ru seems especially stiff today. She walks like a beer keg on legs. I don't know how much time she has left, but she's happy, eating well and is loving her life. She'll come up for cuddling when she wants/needs it but otherwise is doing the usual Aloof Ru act. She's not fooling anyone. :-)

The only drawback so far is motion sickness. Frannie made it ALMOST all the way to Princess Randy's before getting sick. I just stop, swap out the towel and continue on our merry way. She loves being in a pack of four at Randy's and loves all the loving. She was afraid of Randy at first and we are pretty sure a man was mean to her at one time. But, he's winning her over and she sleeps with him (and Max and Missy) when she spends the night with our Princess. Ru stays low on the ground in her bed, but she too likes investigating the yard with her two cousins and sister.

Sometimes I shake my head at my good fortune. Life is good for pups out in the country - and their mama.