The Happy Accident of Scarlett

We are now just past one full month in residence for the newly added pup in the Roediger House. She and Sumner are getting along quite well, with plenty of play, rare exhibitions of annoyance (usually communicated from the older Sums to the younger she-imp), and definite deeper naps and overnight sleeps since they wear each other out. I wasn't sure that Sumner would ever accept an interloper or rival and I clearly underestimated him.

Scarlett continues to exhibit a voracious appetite at mealtime, hoovering up her puppy chow in under two minutes even though the slow-spiral bowl was quickly deployed. It turns out she's eating for multiple diners: the first vet appointment led to a diagnosis of intestinal parasites, unsurprising for a former tent-dweller in the community of unhoused individuals. She certainly plays like a healthy happy pup, in spite of these unwelcome invaders.

On a couple of occasions, Sumner has become a sumo, wrestling her into submission:

And in a way that only a younger sister could evoke, she has brought to photographic light the menacing playtime snarl of which Sumner is exceptionally skilled:

I do not think I exaggerate in how it is here described:

But they do have a good time together. Sumner loves to go to my firewood rack in search of some useful chew piece to be found therein, and he sweetly offers it for games of tug-of-war with Scarlett:

And then they have to lie down for a spell:

Or perhaps she has to undergo a deeper rest period, say, on the long sofa in the mancave, settling in for what we call her "gecko" position:

She was a bit big already for the smaller borrowed crate, and I was a bit overly enthusiastic about the new crate for Sumner, ordering too large a size, perhaps. But they have their happy nighttime homes in the master bedroom, to which they willingly go each evening and also offer the kindness of sleeping all the way through the night:

Right up through yesterday, these terrific canine siblings of the household have continued to entertain, with their chew toy wrestling:

...and their pause for attention at the feet of the master:

When Sumner needs to exert his dominance, his wrestling move is to lay her flat on the mat...or the coach:

And then Scarlett just strikes a gorgeous pose while she rests and recovers:

As previously noted, it was not on the agenda to expand the household and bring in a second dog...but all indications are that the happiness here is universal.