Awww...Brothers

I was worried that Jedi wouldn't accept Trooper. All kinds of thoughts went through my head.

• Would Jedi see the puppy as a usurper? Jedi has always been the baby. 
• Would Jedi think of Trooper as a rival? Jedi had always been the center of my attention. 
• Or would Trooper be considered a threat? Both dogs are intact males and too much testosterone can be a bad thing.

The first few weeks after we brought Trooper home were stressful. Jedi was a bit of a jerk. Hubby and I watched the boys closely. Jedi was allowed to be assertive (i.e. body blocking) but not aggressive (charging). Roxy was a lot nicer to the puppy, though she was very clear that she didn't want to be climbed on.

We made sure Jedi got plenty of one-on-one time with his people, as well as supervised group time in the yard. Poor Trooper would ask to play and Jedi blew him off.

Things changed after Roxy died. Jedi became more accepting. The boys wrestle constantly. It's healthy play. They take turns as to who is chased or thrown to the ground. Jedi self-limits and Trooper is learning that if he's too rough Jedi stops the game.

My old camera is too slow to capture the boys playing. But I did get this shot of them napping together. Jedi opened his eyes just as I took the picture (of course) but went back to sleep right after.

Trooper will be an adolescent soon enough and I wonder how the dynamics of the relationship will change. For now though I'm going to enjoy the sweetness of this and wonder how I got so lucky. I love these dogs! -- K