It is an honor to have provided a home for the newest member of our pack, Vinnie. And he really appreciates it: that’s for sure.
We found out a little more about Vinnie last week. Our vet told us that his original owner, an elderly man, gave him up because he was intimidated by Vinnie’s “medical issues”. I am not sure what he was concerned about. Of course, Vinnie has some allergy issues, like most Boston Terriers. Those can be treated with medicines… no biggee. He also has big time “reverse sneezing” episodes. This malady is common among Bostons, and can startle people, but it is just a breathing issue associated with their short muzzle. Vinnie’s reverse-sneezing can be quite loud and last a couple of minutes, if left alone to abate. I have found that caressing the throat and closing the nostrils for a few seconds will usually resolve the problem. The original owner was probably unfamiliar with this situation and thought that the dog had severe breathing problems that would cost a lot to fix or maybe cause the dog to die.
No, I don’t think so, but Vinnie’s reverse-sneezing sure gets your attention. As does his snoring: Wow, he could raise the dead! Both phenomena are caused by his brachycephalic head (“smush mouth”). He can’t help it.
To the annoyance of our girl dogs, Baby and BonBon, our new man dog seems to have staked a claim on me. If I am loving on Baby or BonBon, Vinnie will find a way to insert himself between me and the other dog. It’s cute but getting to be old.
Vinnie is a stubborn little guy. The possessiveness is one thing. Also, he hasn’t yet acquiesced to the pecking order in the house: Baby is the Alpha, and then there are the others (“No, Vinnie, you are NOT the Boss!”). To her credit, Baby puts up with the aggressiveness of Vinnie, like when he wants to possess a toy or bone that Baby is chewing on. She will humor him to a point, but when he gets nasty about it, some sparks will fly and Vinnie will get pinned to the floor by Baby. Luckily, she hasn’t bit or maimed the little pest… yet.
Mr. Vinnie’s nickname is “Sir Barks-a-Lot”. When he gets excited, and isn’t getting his way, he will bark out of frustration. Barking is fairly unusual for Boston Terriers, who are active but pretty mellow. It is rare for a Boston to bark at strangers or other dogs. Vinnie will bark at another dog because… he can’t get to them, smell their butt, and play. Our other dogs (all four of them) have never exhibited this behavior. I think it is because Vinnie wasn’t properly socialized in his first year or so.
Vinnie has oodles of energy and this is perfect for BonBon, who loves to play with him. They run about the house, up on the beds and sofas, through the doggie door at 100 mph, and chase each other out in the backyard. They like to wrestle, too, and hassle each other over toys. It’s all in good fun and they are a good match, physically. BonBon is chill with Vinnie’s behavior and will go after him if he annoys her, like normal sisters and brothers.
Baby picks her spots, participating when she wants to, letting them know when she’s not in the mood, and naps to recharge her batteries. She’s five years old, in perfect physical condition, and can still run laps around the other two if she cares to do that. She can also stomp Vinnie if he becomes a bore, and she seems to enjoy doing it.
Speaking of dog dynamics, last night we entertained some friends (Ken and Nancy) from Scenic, Arizona, which is just across the Virgin River from Mesquite, Nevada. We do a home-and-home game/party night every week on Sunday afternoon. Yesterday, they brought their dog along: “Daisy”, who is a large Labradoodle. She is probably a 60-pound dog and is much taller and longer than Baby. Daisy is a nice, fun-loving dog who gets along well with our pack. However, Baby has a hard time getting used to the fact that, when Daisy is at our house, Baby is not the Alpha dog. Baby has a hard time adjusting to that: doesn’t really feel comfortable in the role and sort of tiptoes around Daisy. BonBon and Vinnie know that they are not in charge and simply enjoy having another dog on the property to have fun with.
It takes about an hour for the four dogs to figure out how to coexist and have fun, and then they are off to the races like four juvenile delinquents, raising Hell.
Mr. Vinnie, like I said, is a stubborn fellow. I am still working on him outdoors on the finer points of walking via leash, not making a damn fool of himself when a human or dog appear nearby, and obeying my directions on a loose leash or without leash. Like the other young Boston Terriers that we’ve had, he’s a “puller” on leash: some passerby called him “Four-wheel Drive”. Booger was like that until she was two-ish, and BonBon, who is about that age, still tugs a bit. Baby, who is much stronger than BonBon or Vinnie, just wanders along, taking her time. Of course, she’s 5-years-old.
The goal of the outdoors training is to be able to trust Vinnie on the beaches of Oregon… to wander freely with Baby and BonBon off-leash and respond to my commands. Our other dogs figured this out easily and we had a lot of fun together without anybody running off, although JayJay would pretend that he couldn’t hear me when he was working hard to dig a disgusting dead seagull out of the sand. (That sonofabitch could have been a great police cadaver dog!)
I sure miss JayJay: he was my man-dog, a wonderful guy, my shadow wherever I went, and a very cuddly and affectionate BFF.
Hopefully, Vinnie can fill his shoes.
