The "Little Doggie" Persists

It's Day Three of our New Dog Adventure.

Cassie -- who is something of a diva anyway -- is letting us all know in no uncertain terms that her life has been ruined irreperably by our new addition, that she's not forgiving us, ever, and that she is never going to be friends with the interloper.

(Cassie has had a rough weekend d overall. After church we went to our friend L's to show off the puppy. Cassie, who'd spent a week there while we were vacationing, and who loves L's dog, was excited to be back...but then the door opened, and there with Cassie's dog friend Maize appeared a massive elderly male golden retriever. Turns out L was dogsitting for one of her relatives. Romeo is kind of a big, dumb lummox who always had to be front and center during our visit, and you could see Cassie seething with resentment at his presence.)

Gertie, however -- and I think this speaks to something positive in her little puppy personality -- is cheerfully but resolutely undiscouraged in her attempts to be Cassie's friend. Gertie approaches; Cassie growls; Gertie backs off but still tags along. In the car, in the back seat, Cassie sulks next to the door; Gertie slowly worms her way next to Cassie and winds up snoozing next to Cassie with her head on Cassie's flank.

I'm reminded of Jesus' encounter with the Syrophoenician woman, his rather churlish comment to her that it isn't right to give the children's food to the "little doggies" under the table, and her persistence in pointing out that even the dogs are allowed the crumbs that fall on the floor.

Gertie is, by all appearances, happy with whatever crumbs of minimal tolerance she's receiving from her new big sister.

And I think Cassie will get over it, eventually.

P.S. Mollie the cat actually deigned to spend the evening on her favorite pillow despite the presence of Gertie in the room. Her attitude, in contrast to Cassie's, seems to be, "Dog, schmog...they come, they go...whatever."