16 Paws and Me

Mike, Ruby, Jasper and Blue – sixteen paws, four opinions and one human with a cold coffee.

Living with a pack of dogs is a little like running a small country. Except this country has no functioning government, no respect for office hours and a very questionable distribution of authority. There are alliances, unofficial job descriptions, personal space policies, occasional diplomatic incidents and one individual who believes she is the matriarch of absolutely everything.

Mike, Ruby, Jasper and Blue have four completely different personalities and enough character to fill an entire television series.

And then there’s me, the human, supposedly in charge. Supposedly.

Mike – The Gentleman With a Very Long Memory

Mike is one of the senior members of the crew, two years older than Ruby’s younger colleagues, and has very clear expectations. Peace. Quiet. Personal space. Preferably all three, with absolutely no interruptions. Mike isn’t particularly interested in unnecessary social interaction, especially when it involves younger dogs bouncing around him as if they have consumed several litres of energy drinks.

But Mike has a history with Ruby. And what a history it is!

When Ruby was a tiny puppy, she once managed to have a small leak on Mike while they were sleeping. Now, most dogs would probably forget such an incident.

Not Mike.

Mike has never forgotten.

I suspect he considers it one of the greatest betrayals in canine history.

Some dogs hold grudges for five minutes. Mike has apparently decided to make this one his life’s work.

Since that unfortunate incident, he has implemented a strict no-Ruby-in-my-sleeping-area policy.

He maintains a carefully calculated distance that would make international border security look relaxed.

And every morning, without fail, Mike makes sure I get the message.

It is time to let Ruby outside.

Not because he particularly cares about Ruby’s morning routine, of course.

No. This is about risk management.

Mike has identified a potential threat, assessed the situation and implemented a preventative strategy.

He is not taking any chances.

Ruby – The CEO

Ruby is the other senior member of the crew, two years older than Jasper and Blue.

She is a Vizsla, intelligent, affectionate, full of personality and firmly convinced that the entire operation would collapse without her supervision.

Ruby doesn’t simply live with the other dogs.

She manages them.

At least, that’s how she sees it.

She has opinions about everything, and she isn’t shy about expressing them. She seems to believe that every situation requires her input, every activity needs her approval and every dog needs occasional reminding of their place in the organisation.

Mike prefers to keep his distance.

Jasper generally accepts her management style.

Blue occasionally challenges her patience, which is hardly surprising given that Blue challenges everyone’s patience.

Ruby, meanwhile, continues her managerial duties with impressive dedication.

She is affectionate and loving, but she also has a rather impressive bossy streak.

If there is a crew committee, Ruby is the chairperson, secretary, treasurer and probably the entire opposition.

She doesn’t delegate because she doesn’t trust anyone else to do the job properly.

She doesn’t ask for permission because she considers herself the permission-granting department.

And should anyone disagree with her decisions?

Well, that meeting is immediately adjourned.

Jasper – The Charmer With a Competitive Streak

Jasper is probably the closest thing we have to a diplomatic representative in this crew.

He generally gets along with everyone and is perfectly capable of maintaining cordial relationships across the various canine departments. He understands that Mike needs his space, Ruby needs to feel important and Blue needs to be reminded occasionally that not everyone shares his enthusiasm for life.

Jasper is intelligent, affectionate and observant.

He is also very much aware of what is happening around him.

Especially when attention is involved.

Jasper has a little competitive streak when it comes to Blue.

Blue receives attention? Jasper notices.

Blue gets cuddles? Jasper notices.

Blue happens to be enjoying himself? Jasper notices that too.

It is almost as if Jasper has appointed himself the official inspector of affection distribution.

He doesn’t necessarily want everything Blue has.

He just wants to make sure Blue doesn’t get more than he does. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a very important distinction.

Of course, Jasper and Blue are also perfectly capable of being great companions, playing together and enjoying each other’s company. They have their moments, like all siblings, but there is plenty of affection between them. Jasper simply believes that being the clever one should come with certain privileges.

Unfortunately, nobody has informed Blue.

Blue – The Perpetual Puppy Who Has Never Heard of Personal Space

And then there is Blue.

Our youngest, our little Opotiki Pound special, and quite possibly the reason nobody in this crew gets a full eight hours of uninterrupted peace. A little companion dog, a working dog and an Arctic escape artist all rolled into one. He has enough energy to keep a small village entertained.

Blue is now over one year old. One would reasonably expect some maturity to have developed by this stage. One would be wrong.

Blue still operates under the assumption that every dog wants to play, every interaction is an invitation and personal space is an outdated human invention.

Mike wants to sleep?

Blue would like to investigate.

Ruby wants some peace?

Blue would like to organise an entertainment programme.

Jasper wants attention?

Blue would like to participate, preferably with himself as the main attraction.

Blue doesn’t necessarily mean any harm. He simply has an enormous enthusiasm for life and seems genuinely confused when the other dogs don’t share his excitement.

His philosophy is simple:

If you are awake, you can play.

If you are sleeping, you can still play.

If you are annoyed, perhaps you need more play.

If you are Mike, perhaps you need to reconsider your lifestyle choices.

It is a difficult philosophy to argue with, although Mike has certainly tried.

Four Personalities, One Crew and a Human Trying to Keep Up

The interesting thing about living with several dogs is discovering just how different their personalities and relationships can be. They don’t all interact in the same way, and they certainly don’t all want the same things.

Mike wants peace and a Ruby-free sleeping arrangement.

Ruby wants to supervise everyone and preferably issue a few performance reviews.

Jasper wants everyone to get along, provided Blue doesn’t receive preferential treatment.

Blue wants everyone to play with him, preferably immediately and preferably without any objections.

And I want to drink my morning coffee while it is still hot. Apparently, that is the most unrealistic expectation of all.

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There is something quite special about watching four individual personalities develop their own relationships. Each dog has different boundaries, preferences, ways of communicating and levels of tolerance. Living together doesn’t mean they must all be best friends every minute of the day. It means learning to respect those differences, recognizing when one needs space, making sure everyone has opportunities for individual attention and helping them navigate their relationships safely. After all, a happy crew isn’t one where every dog does everything together. It’s one where every dog feels safe, comfortable and understood.