Our dog, Maura

This past weekend we went for a walk to our little lake at the end of our street.  As usual, we took our dog, Maura, who loves to pee on every tree, bush, rock, and stick she can find; which are many.

Isn't she a beauty? 

Here's a trivia factoid for you:

Helen Keller was among the first to posess a fully qualified service dog, who performed many tasks on her behalf.  Her dog was an Akita.  The Akita is the most protective and loyal of the Japanise breeds and is among the most loyal and protective of all breeds.  Nearly extinct during WWII due to the starvation of the Japanise people who resorted to eating the animals to survive.

There, you may now consider yourself a smarter person.

Anyway, as we were walking through the parking lot at the edge of the lake, there were two Great Danes in the baseball field on our left, playing and growling as they stood on their hind legs, appearing to be having a boxing match. 

Our dog, Maura, is well behaved and trained to remain at my left side at all times unless otherwise told to play.

So, there she was on my left, closest to the two playful giants, while the Lollygagger was on my right. Apparently, Maura began to feel nervous about the two giants and the fur on her back rose up between her shoulders.  The next thing I knew, she was walking ahead of me and forcing the Lollygagger to her right.

She kept sight of the Lollygagger from the corner of her eye, pushing and sheparding her until we were on the distal side of the parking lot, all the while keeping an eye on the two giants on her left.

This was the first time Maura had shown an ounce of caring for the Lollygagger.  She usually can't be bothered with her and more often than not, walks the other way whenever the Lollygagger gets within three feet of her.

For the rest of our lakeside walk we found Maura closer than ever to the Lollygagger.  She was never more than ten feet away from her, which is odd considering she likes and expects her space.  Normally, the further away the Lollygagger is from her, the happier she is.

So, what happened?  Do dogs suddenly become protective and posessive when other dogs are boxing?  Why would she see fit to keep a close eye on her when the danger had passed?  Could it be possible, that after nearly four years of putting up with the Lollygagger she might actually like her?

Will Maura change her mind and go back to ignoring the Lollygagger when the lakeside walk is over?  Will she ever show this level of concern for the Lollygagger again?  We'll have to wait and see.

No matter what happens later, I have a new respect now for this beautiful dog who, at least once, loved the Lollygagger.

That'll do doggy, that'll do.