May 27, 2018
August 5, 2021
How are the boys doing? After Chevy passed, Jack was a mess. Chevy was the undisputed Alpha of the pack and ran it with an iron paw. Nicknamed "The Fun Police," he kept Roscoe in check, and Jack depended on that. It took quite a bit of time for him to settle in to "The New Normal" and sort out his place. He was timid and hesitant and unsure of what Roscoe would do. Had Ollie been younger then, she would have taken over as leader of the pack. Had Roscoe been older & wiser, he would have taken over as leader of the pack. In retrospect though, perhaps it was wisdom that kept him from challenging Ollie; he was just afraid enough of her to not do that. Everybody settled into a much more relaxed pack, including Jack.
In the last few months, as her health declined, Ollie began separating herself from the boys. Her back was fragile, and she couldn't & didn't want a lot of physical contact with them. This forced Jack out of his shell, and he blossomed in to a mouthy, pushy, mischievous, more confident pup. To be honest, they haven't missed a beat since Ollie passed. I find them out in the backyard together sniffing around, and Jack has even had the confidence to take over Roscoe's bed in the office a couple times. Roscoe rolls with it and lays on the floor beside him.
They were a good pack when it was the four of them. Roscoe absolutely needed the leadership Chevy provided. They were a good pack when it was the three of them. And they're a good pack now. The boys. It's been a long time since we had only two dogs, and it's been an even longer time since we had no girls. But we're settling in to the New Normal.
A big change in the pack. Ollie may have been the leader but also clear to me, the most affectionate ( to me). Or maybe she was just my favorite. It will be interesting to see how Jack and Roscoe develop on their own. They have both been taught very well by both Chevy and Ollie.