He is 85lbs of muscle. A shepherd, it is his job to block you from where he doesn’t think you oughta be, and when he body checks you, you know you’ve been body checked. In a game of tug-the-rope toy….he always wins.
When I go on my 3+ mile runs, or my 5 mile walks, he goes with me. He doesn’t lag, slow down or dawdle. When we get home, and I am faint with exhaustion……he brings me the ball to throw. And throw. And throw again.
He is relentless. And indefatigable.
And yet…..when he plays with Ewalani the new puppy, he is tenderness and gentleness personified. She crawls over him, bites at his nose and toes, and chases after him. And he takes it….and seemingly enjoys it. He brings her a toy and presents it gently to her mouth, tugging slowly until she gets a good grip. When she chases him, he purposely runs slow enough for her to catch him.
Where did he learn that? We got him at 8 weeks old, and he was at best ignored, and at worst nipped and growled at by the two much older dogs, neither of whom were the least bit interested in playing with him.
Don’t know if he has a “daddy wish,” (tho his “daddy parts” were lopped off long ago…)or if it is part of his shepherd nature.
I don’t know how the natural play interaction of dogs works…..but it’s lovely to see that it does!
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