A Perfect Combination
Now that we have had Ruby and Charlie for a while, I can reflect more on what it means to have these two dogs. One thing I have seen is how well they compliment each other.
Charlie is constant energy, always ready to run outside to play with his rubber barbell toy that I throw for him. Ruby does not like to even go outside if she doesn’t have to. But get these two together, inside or out, and suddenly Ruby is the physical equal of Charlie. Charlie is a very fast runner; Ruby can keep up with him for short bursts. In play fights, Ruby is the victor (Of course Charle like it that way and usually fights from the upside down position). Ruby likes soft, fluffy toys, not rubber ones. She kills her toys by violent shaking everytime she retrieves one; Charlie never kill his toys. Charlie’s main mission in life is to please me. I think this may be typical of Keeshonden, although it was certainly not the case for Scruffy. Charlie must always keep tabs on me and know what I am doing at all times. He does this in a non-annoying way. By this I mean he does not have to be right next to me at all times, but must have a clear line of sight from him to me at all times. So if I go in another room, he will usually position himself, lying at the door to the room, but not necessarily enter the room. If I move behind a piece of furniture, he may partially enter the room to keep me in sight. If you have ever seen a boxing referee constantly repositioning himself druing a fight, that’s what its like. When I enter the house from outside, Charlie is always waiting with barbell in mouth. He tries to have the barbell at-the-ready at all times, because you never know when I might suddenly decide to throw it. Call hin, and he comes immediately, hoping to get some affection or to play. Yell at Ruby for something bad she has done, and Charlie will be in your lap, proving that he was not a party to the badness and never would be.
Ruby has three main purposes in life: Sleep, eat, hunt. Again, she is Charlie’s equal in showing affection and loving to receive it. It is not her primary goal, however, and doesn’t seek it out like Charlie. Charlie knows nothing about hunting. He chases anything that moves, particularly birds. Ruby only stalks real potential prey such as woodchucks and rabbits. She has a special hunting gait that is like a slow run with nose to the ground. (I am very fond of long retractible leashes which permit this activity.) When she runs like this, her front paws seem to be paddling as they move outward almost as much as downward.
They are both dogs, and of course, are similar in many ways. Within dog behavior, however, they are almost complete opposites. I know that I could not possibly have ended up with a more perfect pair of dogs. Life is good.
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