Meet Bear. Bear is a chow (but I think he must be a mix). Bear is from China, but moved to Atlanta last year. Bear's family has sadly learned that Atlanta is too darn hot for chows in the summertime, so they put him in his crate, took him to Delta air cargo services, and sent him 3,000 to us in Puget Sound (where it is about 30 degrees cooler than it is in Altanta). Dad and I picked him up from the airport last Friday and took him home to live with Clint and me.
So far, the cats are not thrilled to have Bear in their house. Hops, the territorial terror (how do you like that tongue twister?), has likely hissed himself hoarse (or that one?) over the weekend. Hops puffs out his tail, arches his back, and makes the fur on his backbone stand up like a mohawk whenever the dog gets too close. But if the closeness is on Hops' terms, he's OK. Hops can approach Bear, but not vice-versa.
Barley, the scardey-cat, surprised us all with her bravery and boldness toward Bear. She doesn't seem to notice that he's there. She gives him a wide berth, but otherwise, doesn't seem to be bothered much. She learned very quickly, however, not to get too close to Bear when he's eating. That bark will likely be forever marked in her mind.
Bear is a friendly dog. He doesn't do much other than follow me around and lie on my feet where ever I am. We took him to Mom & Dad's on Sunday to meet them and see the other Golden Girls (Mom & Dad's Golden Retreiver Riccia and Grandma's Golden Retreiver Mandy). Looking down on the 3 dogs, their fur is all about the same color & texture, although Bear's is much longer and poofier. The 3 of them played and ran together, and Bear really seemed to have fun. It was nice to see him acting like a dog; full of energy.
We took him for a tromp in the woods, which he seemed to enjoy. He did NOT enjoy getting his furry paws washed off with the hose water afterward. At home, he mopes around a bit. I'm not sure if it's jet lag, the cats harrassing him, or missing his people, but he seems blue. Every day he gets better, though, so I think it's wearing off. Today Clint is taking him for a jog after work, and I think Bear will like that.
