July 7, 2011

White Dog doesn't condone violence and certainly does not tolerate fighting within the White Dog Army. She goes out of her way to help TOWD, AWD, SAWD, and YAWD understand that communication and compromise are the White Dog way to reach agreement respectfully and with dignity.

When YoYoMa first arrived he made the mistake of trying to engage Quinn in boy play, wrestling and bitey-face. While he knew it was just in fun, poor Quinn did not and ended up being pretty frightened by the episode. Scared to the point of hiding and refusing to come into the same room as his brother...including the room with the dog door.

We have all worked very hard since then on Project Quinn, our family attempt to help our big gentle boy give up his fear and be brave in his dealings with passing YoYoMa and sharing space. Nuka and Puff close ranks around TOWD when they sense he is getting nervous. White Dog has no qualms about inserting her Queenness into the middle of a situation and barking orders to diffuse things. YoYoMa seems to understand and tries very hard to look nonchalant and disinterested whenever his brother is around. He is rock solid on the command "Leave HIM!" which results in his going to the opposite side of the room and lying down so Quinn can pass.

Things are progressing well and small steps forward are being made. Quinn will now come into the room if we are all there. He walks past YAWD and uses the dog door if Steve walks along and acts as a bodyguard to get past YoYoMa (who sleeps at the end of the bed, just 3' from the dog escape). But Quinn still backs off if there is the slightest hint of confrontation and he hides facing the corner if he thinks there is a challenge. We all have encouraged him to be brave and hold his ground to little avail. I have even offered him martial arts lessons.

But tonight, as Steve put down dinner bowls in the kitchen, Quinn found himself Eskie barricaded by Nuka and Puff blocking the doorway and YoYoMa sitting at the counter. That was TOWD's bowl dad held! He was hungry! White Dog looked up from her perch in the living room just in time to watch timid Quinn push past his sisters and glide past Yo shoving him out of the way as he reached dinner. Quinn made no apologies and did not surrender his food. He simply walked in, took his place, and ate his dinner. WD and I silently cheered. Steve called him, "Brave Boy" and got a slight tail wag but TOWD did not look up from his meal. And YoYoMa? He acted as if that was the way it was supposed to always be and ate his dinner side-by-side with the "Other Guy."