Toby and TJ
TJ, our black and tan Labrador, taught Toby, a one-year-old black mouth cur puppy, the rules of the house five years ago.
As TJ grew older and slowed down, Toby took over patrolling the five acres surrounding the house, with TJ as his backup.
Shadow
In June, we had an addition to our household. A fluff of teeth and energy, an eight-week-old pale yellow Labrador puppy we named Shadow.
Lessons for the New Puppy
TJ might have been frail, but he stepped up to his responsibility of training another new puppy.
Lesson #1 Respect your elders.
TJ let Shadow know that when he was resting, he did not want to be disturbed. Surprise attacks were completely out of the question.
Lesson #2 TJ’s tail was not a toy.
Surprise attacks were also forbidden on the black fluffy tail, even when it teased the puppy by wagging.
Lesson #3 Big Dogs are housebroken.
Shadow took that to heart. He was not a baby. He was a Big Dog. No potty accidents in the house.
Lesson #4 TJ does not play in the field. That is Toby’s job.
Lesson #5. Pay attention to Dad. Take care of Mom.
Dad goes places in the truck. Make sure you don’t miss your invitation.
Stick close to Mom. She goes for walks.
TJ’s Legacy
TJ had been slowing down for a while, and we knew our time with him was growing short. Maybe that’s why watching him teach Shadow the rules of the house meant so much. Even though he was frail, he made sure the energetic ball of fluff with tiny razor teeth knew he’d found his family.
Fond Farewell to a Faithful Friend
Rest easy, old friend. Thank you for the years of joy and adventures.
