We had two kinds of visitors this weekend.
First was an unwelcome house mouse, captured in one of our live traps.
28 October 2011
Bowdu has shown himself quite eager to handle the responsibilities of pest control. Bowpi, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be enjoying her ringside seat.
We drove the mousey up to frat row, released him onto the sidewalk, and wished him the best of luck!
And then in the afternoon, we picked up this little old lady…
13-year-old Lula was moving from a pet motel into foster care with BRAT, but she needed a place to crash for the night, so we invited her over to the House of Two Bows.
It had been the first time since M– passed away that another canine guest had actually stepped foot in the house.
At first, Bowdu seemed a little miffed that ANOTHER Basenji had taken over his corner of the futon. I could just picture his worried little thought bubble: These twerps are EVERYwhere, and they could infiltrate our home at any time! I had to remove some pillows to prove to him that three dogs could fit comfortably, and there was no need to feel left out.
Bowpi’s default neutrality is overruled by SLEEP mode at home, so I didn’t anticipate any trouble from her. Bowdu, on the other hand, requires a long adjustment period to really welcome canine visitors. He seems more tolerant of mellow, slow-moving dogs, as is the case for both Lula and Bowpi. Once Lula had surveyed the layout of the house, and after she had divested one accessible trash can of its tissue, she was content to settle down and keep to herself.
She did keep her eyes on me whenever I was in the room. And occasionally a chin, too.
That’s one of my weaknesses for this breed, even if it’s something that Bowdu, with his space bubble issues, will never appreciate: Basenjis know how to cuddle (without being typical “lapdogs”), and they’re experts at keeping a warm bed.
29 October 2011
She did close her eyes eventually, and we were lullabyed by surround-sound snoring that night, as the two Basenjis breathed in time and mingled in dreams.
The above was my Saturday morning view, about half an hour before another BRAT volunteer arrived to drive her to her foster home. Unlike the mouse, she’s most assuredly safe and in much better hands. We wish her the very best, as well!
Speaking of visitors, remember to watch out for your door bolters who may take advantage of trick-or-treaters. Have a safe Halloween!
Lulu is very pretty. Bowdu looks like he did exceptionally well for a visiting dog!
Kiba would have been all up in her business, and not in a nice way
Bowdu did get up in her face when she wandered into the kitchen while I was making dinner. Nevertheless, this “sample” bodes well for our future fostering prospects.
We know there are two major territorial spots for him: the kitchen and the perimeter of the backyard. Lula wasn’t interested in the backyard, so there was no issue there. He just gets so high strung in the kitchen, and when he’s on edge, I’m on edge, so everyone’s on edge.
I immediately thought about one of your posts regarding baby gates as necessary equipment for fostering. Definitely need to get a couple of those. Closed doors work just fine for now, but I think we’d all like to be able to see each other.
Conker is the same with the kitchen. He isn’t even allowed in there but if there’s food, and one of the other dogs comes near, SNARK ATTACK! I would employ a babygate to keep all dogs out but I can’t find one big enough for the entrance.
great post. and thanks for doing transport & temporary foster work for rescues.
“as the two Basenjis breathed in time and mingled in dreams” –great line.
speaking of mingling dreams, i think i accidentally sent one of my dreams over to kai yesterday. as he napped (with me nestled against a blanket and his shin), he dreamed he was in LA visiting an old friend. all of a sudden, he saw tokyo shiba was chasing rabbits. then she attacked (and killed) a coyote that was chasing her and two other shibas.
he was very confused. so he got up and took me for a walk. works for me!
What a cutie! She is a very pretty little lady.