New Competition For Walter

With Sunday having a lot of what's in the photo, our activities didn't change much. A lot of food, siesta's, some baseball on tv, more food with the night ending with a tv show. Today was entirely different and back to normal. Lots of sunshine, and it was perfect to take Heidi and Stella out for a walk, returning  by 7:30am. While on our walk I could see that many of the business are not open. Traffic is almost non-existent where normally at that time of day we would have people pulling in to their place of work while we walked by their buildings. Heidi had a little hop in her step today and she loves giving her nose a workout as I let her set the pace for all of us as she sniffs every square inch ... I keep my eyes out for snakes or spiders along the way.

I've known for the past few weeks I was going to have to retire what was left of the cow hooves I bought back in April when I picked up Walter. They were way too small for Stella although she liked chewing on them. Too much of a chance for that to slide off her teeth down to her stomach. For Walter it was getting close because he could fit the hoof into his mouth and I couldn't see it. So this morning it was time to head to Pet Smart, put on my mask and head inside to buy a couple of chews.

I did a little research on Dentley's Natural Chews, looking for reviews on the internet and then customer reviews on Amazon. Nothing I found told me I shouldn't buy them. I bought a large one for Stella and a smaller but good size for Walter. Oh ... theses photos are from Sunday ... they enjoy sleeping.

When I unwrapped and gave Stella's hers, she headed straight for the backyard not caring it was already 91°. She didn't stay out there long chewing on it before she came back inside the cool house, leaving the bone in the yard. I later walked out to bring it inside.

Walter was in heaven with the new chew. I didn't see him for the rest of the morning ... that is until he decided that he needed both Stella's and his. I made sure in my research that these did not smell bad nor stained the carpet.

Walter was so happy that he would prance through the house with most of it sticking out of the side of his mouth. Heidi had sniffed each one but had no interest in anything more than checking them out.

He loves his new bone. Needless to day, those few cow hooves I had left were thrown away.

Stella did and didn't like hers. She did not lay down and chew nonstop like I expected. Her teeth are so worn down from her past attempts of escaping the chain link outdoor kennel one of the previous owners kept her in ... she doesn't have a lot of teeth left for a bone this size. That's my guess.

Of course once Walter saw Stella lay down and was chewing on something he sprinted from his bone across the living room to take Stella's bone. I knew when I bought these that they would want both bones or at least the bone that the other dog was chewing. No matter how many times I separated them and the bones ... Walter was back to take both of them.

After a short lecture, as if he understood what I was saying ... he decided he didn't want either bone.  There you see Walter in his bulldog pouting pose.

The pouting didn't last long before Walter was back at it ... trying to take Stella's bone away from her. Stella has never been a fighter and will walk away before she gets into a fight over a bone. If she is really interested she would have stay near and figured out a way to get it back. Today, she just wasn't that interested.

So I picked up the bone and waved for Stella to follow me. Off to the computer room we went closing the door behind us. There she was able to chew on her bone without Walter trying to take it from her. I could hear him outside the door listening to Stella chew on the bone he wanted with his bone just a few rooms away.

As soon as Stella was finished, Walter rushed in grabbed the bone and ran back to the living room. I don't think I have ever seen him spend this much time chewing anything so it was obviously a good purchase.

When you spend hours chewing, those new adult teeth and jaws must get tired. It was just in time for a siesta before lunch.

I heard snoring over the tv and looked down at my feet ... this is Walter having his after lunch siesta ... it's hard being a bulldog.

Sunday morning I received the weekly email showing updated photos of the new puppy and his 9 littermates. This week she took three photos apiece with the second face shot zoomed in. With most of his body being solid mahogany he looks a lot like Winston did at that age. All of the black you see will turn to mahogany as he grows.

After seeing two videos of him playing with his four brothers and five sisters, it's no wonder he looks a little tired in this photo. I wonder if he had just woke up. That is his 4 week old photo. As you can see he is getting a good start on those typical basset hound long toenails.

I am going to see if/when I can make another trip over to see him. He will be coming home around August 26th and that is when I'll tell you his name. From those same videos that were on their Facebook account, it looks like he will not be intimidated by Walter nor will be pushed aside. Walter will have a huge weight advantage and will mash him playing sometimes but what I mean is I see no signs of the new puppy backing down when the play gets a little intense.

I almost forgot ... while I went to PetSmart I decided to leave Stella and Walter out to roam the house. I wasn't going to be gone long. I hate leaving them penned up. I shut the computer room door and the bike room door just to make sure Walter could stay out of trouble. He likes to drag things out that are not his. I am not sure how long I was gone, 15 minutes? but came home to a normal house. Walter was panting as if he had been playing the whole time I was gone.

With the afternoon monsoons, and thunder ... it was another good day in the "Wild West".