Our neighbors decided on the spur of the moment to take a trip to see their elderly relatives. They asked me if I would be willing to come to their house a few times and let their new puppy out to go to the bathroom and feed her while they were gone. I told them I would rather bring her home and keep her until they got back. They were fine with that, but a little bit afraid that the two dogs would not get along. I assured them that Tippy loves puppies and is really good with them. So, they agreed.
I brought her home with her crate, food, toys, blanket, etc. As I was unloading the car, they called and, unfortunately, their little girl started feeling sick and had a high fever. So, the trip was cancelled. I asked to keep her for about an hour for a play date so that she and Tippy could get used to each other, in case they needed me to keep her in the future.
Her name is Esther Pearl. She is a Labrador/Husky mix.
The initial meeting was while Tippy was tied out, just in case. They were fine, as I knew they would be, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Then we went on a walk into another neighbor’s pasture field. They did great. Tippy basically did her thing, but would stop and wait for us to catch up. Esther just walked along on leash, not pulling at all. I think she really enjoyed it.
When we got back, Tippy got a drink from the spigot and I gave Esther water in her bowl. It was then they decided to greet each other, face to face, or should I say nose to nose.
We came inside to rest. I had to laugh at the way they laid down at first. Then, they took turns going over to each other, giving a play bow, and letting out a playful bark. They never quite got to the point of actually playing together, but I felt it was a good start.
Esther loved to get a drink out of Tippy’s inside bowl. She’d take a couple of sips, explore, and then go back for a little more. I guess because it was something new. She decided her favorite place to go was on the bottom shelf of the end table in the above picture. Needless to say, the pictures had to be moved. LOL
She spent a lot of time laying under the chair I was sitting in. Tippy was just a tiny bit jealous, I think, because when Esther would lay down there, she would come over and nudge my hand to be petted.
I think it was a great first meeting and hope we will do more play dates in the near future. It will be good for both of them.
Tippy Tales 