Ham of the Hour

What on earth are those ears going to be like when he grows up?

Sebastian is half border collie, a scootch German Shepherd, and who knows what all else. This morning he posed for a series of pictures (in spite of the flash) and came out looking so cute it's almost toxic.

He's quite the little ambassador. Howie was not interested in adding another dog to the house, and at first, would get up and walk away if Sebastian approached him. Little by little, Sebastian has been wheedling his way closer, until the last few days when he has been able to sit actually touching How.

Howie, in his turn, has taught Sebastian not to push his luck. After one precise pinch, Sebastian learned NOT to try to take Howie's food away from him. This week's big lesson: Do not bite the big dog's heels.

The two dogs are playing more cooperatively now, and the other thing Howie has taught the puppy is how to growl whole playing tug. The chorus of growls is simply charming. Howie still wins in a serious tugging match, but lets Sebastian have the stuffed duck or the nearly-shredded octopus from time to time, sometimes letting go so abruptly that Sebastian falls over backwards.

This morning, after Howie took his usual place in Bernie's comfy chair, Sebastian hopped up onto the ottoman in front of it. Howie, of course, did not deign to notice.

Sebastian fits on the ottoman now, but how long is that going to last? I suspect that Howie has another teaching session he's going to have to present, called, "My chair, get off."