Sleet and Pirate have an on-going disagreement about who is the queen senior in the house.
Sleet is 14. In her prime she was the best lead dog I've ever seen; a once in a lifetime born leader. She self-retired three years ago and now thinks the living room is her personal kingdom. Sleet has some health issues--athritis, cloudy eyes, meds for bladder control, but overall she's not in bad shape for an ancient sled dog.
Pirate is 12 supposedly. I think she's older than that. She was also a sled dog in her prime and I bet she was a good one. She's gone downhill in the last month, but her new meds are stopping the slide.
A couple weeks ago, the two of them got into a fight over dinner. They eat in the house, away from the other dogs, so they can get their meds hidden in their food. Neither has great mobility or much for teeth left. They couldn't have done any damage if they had been really trying. I've never laughed while breaking up a dog fight before!
They regularly snarl at each other over who gets to come inside or go back outside first. Age has it's privledges in my house and the seniors are allowed to be first through the door and allowed back inside at will. Sleet and Pirate both hate to wait for the other to go through first! Pirate is deaf and the only sound she ever makes is snarling at Sleet by the door!
Yesterday, Pirate was having one of her playful moments, running around the yard. Pirate's running is about the same speed as Tehya's walk! I watched her from a good fifty feet away, line Sleet up, lower her head and with great deliberation, knock Sleet over with a head butt to the ribs!! When she strutted off, I swear that dog was grinning! Sleet got her revenge later by stealing Pirate's blanket.
If they were any younger or spent more than an hour a day awake, I'd have to keep them seperated!
