She scared da puppy

My blogging buddy showed up this morning. She is not an axe murderer, but she is a terrifier of small dogs.

She, her partner and daughter have been here all day and we really have had a wonderful time. You know how when you read a book and then see the movie and the characters don't fit? In your imagination they looked different, sounded different, behaved differently. Well, that is the opposite of what is happening with this visit. It is not that I had very particular picture of them, but everything that I had imagined fits with who they are. I don't feel like this is the first time I have met them -- more like meeting good friends after a long absence.

So mostly it has been a good time. Everyone has gotten along with every one else.

Except of course for the puppy. He's not really good with visitors. He often won't accept them until after we make it very clear that we like the new-comers. In this case the puppy was initially worried, but my my friend's daughter completely won him over. Though she has been willing to divide her attention among all the animals, mostly she and the Shih Tzu have bonded.

And then my blogging buddy decided she would play with the puppy. Unfortunately her version of playing with the puppy was to raise both hands and growl (or was it a roar?) at the puppy. Surprisingly he did not actually piss himself. He did however bark to raise the dead. He may be small, but he was determined to scare away the monster in my kitchen -- except that he was terrified to get close to it.

I finally had to call Brian and ask him to take the dog outside and calm him. While the dog was outside I gave my blogging buddy some dog treats to bribe him with. She went to great lengths -- even transfered the scent of fake doggy bacon to her shoes! When the dog came back in she offered treats and eventually even taught him to sit. It took a while but the puppy has decided that she is safe.

I don't know that she will ever be his best buddy, that place being of course taken by her daughter, but at least the dog is no longer afraid my friend is going to kill him with an axe in his sleep.