Alpha Dog

When Pepper joined our family last week, we worried about her self-concept and esteem. After all, she was told by the Big City Humane Society that she was a large dog. (Does 10 pounds at 3 months count as large?) And she was told that she is a black Lab. We are still looking for that Lab drop of blood in her.


So we wondered what would happen when she came home and met the crazy puppy from next door. Would that same crazy puppy tease our little mis-labeled dog? Would that neighbor who specializes in digging under the fence and barking incessantly and biting her owner be cruel to our mystery pedigree Pepper?


Well, here's how it works:


The neighbor dog runs outside several times a day and waits patiently for Pepper to be forced outside. Then the neighbor dog playfully calls to Pepper,

"Please, Pep, will you run the fence with me? Please, please, Pepper, I'll let you snack on my untrimmed long grass if you will just sit with me at lunch acknowledge that I'm alive."

And the neighbor dog prances and jumps and puts her paw through the fence so Pepper can chew on it.


And once in a great while, Pepper deigns to be nice to the neighbor dog and sends her a text message. Sometimes, she actually says,"Hi," to the neighbor dog when they pass in the halls at school. And one time Pepper even smiled at the neighbor dog even though there was a cute guy nearby. And the neighbor dog is so happy and grateful because for a few seconds a day, she gets to be Pepper's BFF.


Pepper's self-esteem is coming along nicely, thank-you.