Today is National Bosses Day! So what, you may ask, does a 7lb fluffy pup know about “bosses”? You might be surprised.
National Bosses Day has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their bosses for being kind and fair throughout the year. So here I am, to thank the ‘boss’ in our home, for being mostly kind- and usually fair. BUT, the twist in this story is that the boss isn’t Mom. Nope, it’s Daisy!
Daisy is my 9yo neapolitan mastiff sister. She was the first pup to come to live with mom, and she was an only dog for a really long time. In fact, Mom didn’t think she’d ever be able to have other pups in the house because once Daisy reached social maturity (18-24mos), she wanted NOTHING to do with other dogs. She was super leash reactive, and acted a perfect fool at the dog park. Mom tried multiple dog introductions over the years, but nothing ever clicked. Daisy would pull out her inner Boss and intimidate the other pup into submission, which was ok if the other dog was ok with being bossed. Not so great if not!
Until the fall of 2013, Mom was resigned to having a one-dog, multi-cat home. THEN, she trapped a stray chiweenie that needed some extra time and tlc to acclimate to the human world. She had named her Dezi. Dezi stayed in the garage for the first week she was off the streets, but as she began to bond with Mom, Mom was spending more and more time in the garage keeping her company. One night, she decided to try Dezi in the house, why not?!? She was small enough that she could be kept safely in Mom’s arms, and at this point Daisy was 6yo and had mellowed significantly in her own right. Worth a shot! Once settled, Dez tucked into Mom’s lap. Daisy came over to check her out, gave her a cursory once over, and promptly walked away to go sleep on her bed. To say that Mom was floored is an understatement!
In hindsight, Daisy probably wishes she’d put up more of a fight, because her acceptance that night opened up the floodgates to a parade of fosters, and ultimately to me and my two brothers staying forever! Mom did discover that she has a weight restriction. Pups that share her space have to be smaller than 12lbs. Or, as in Enzo’s case, smaller than 12 lbs to begin with.
So back to Bosses Day, yes – Daisy truly is “da Boss” in our home. She spends most of her time sleeping. She lets us climb all over her and clean her jowels for her after meals. Every once in awhile she’ll chastize us if we get too close to her food bowl, but she’s an equal opportunity chastizer (she’s a fair boss). In the end, we all know that it’s still her house… and we adore her. Happy Bosses Day Big Mama Daisy.
Love,
Your Littles… Olivia, Murphy & Enzo
