In the chaos of holiday preparations, with out of town company coming to stay, as we attempt to sell our home -- what better time for our nearly 8-year-old Labrador to enter her first heat cycle?
It's the cannine equivalent of hitting a hormone ravaged adolecense at 56... common among the male of our species, but somewhat rare with females.
Add to the mix 19 and 20 year old daughters home from college and you do not want to be my husband. I expect an EPA HazMat truck at any moment to clear the area from Estrogen Poisoning.
Smokie's mood swings from abject sorrow to who-said-I-didn't-like-little-poodles-bring-on-the-neighbor's-dog-NOW! This is not her most becoming.
Her late-blooming is likely attributable to being struck by a car as a pup... or a tremendous will to thwart when she learned we wanted to breed her and keep one of the pups. She does like being an only child.
This works out well in our house. Charlie and I were each raising an only child when we met. After eight years, Jess and Jen are still only children (who happen to have a sister down the hall). I sometimes wonder if they developed such distinctly different tastes in clothing, music and males so that they would never be called upon to share.
At the moment, Smokie is seriously rethinking her solitary stance. She would very much like to have another dog in the house. He wouldn't even have to bring her rawhide or chewies. But this is one Christmas present Santa is not going to deliver.
Charlie and I are far too young to become grandparents, particularly of a poo-triever. If you're brave enough to stop by this holiday season, please be sure the front door and back gate are shut behind you.