Introducing Groot

I've had Groot since Saturday but have just been letting him cool his heels in a kennel by himself. That was probably a good idea but he's gotten a sense of what goes on around here and he wants to be part of it so today was the day for introductions.

I shut Max and Charlie in the shed, everyone else was in the house, and then brought Groot to the dog yard by himself. He had a great time running around, checking out the water tank, the play station, and just generally checking out the smells.

Groot tried this.

Trooper said "NO"

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Trooper is my main man when it comes to most things and particularly when meeting new dogs. I brought him out to the dog yard and he walked right in. Groot jumped him, tried a little puppy-style assertiveness, but Trooper just told him to back off. I was pleased that Groot did so, that told me that he knows he's just a pup and all he really wants is someone to play.

After that they were fine.

Trooper let him up on the lower
section of PlayStation K9 and
then retreated to the upper level.

Next I let Max out of the shed. Max is neurotic on his best day so of course he ran around like a mad man. Groot loved that and immediately gave chase. Max has never really known how to play and he wasn't sure what to do with a young dog following him around. He would warn him off occasionally, but mostly he kept moving, so Groot kept moving, thinking he had found himself a new BFF.

Max told him "no" once too. He got the message.

I was filling the water tanks so Max hopped in and splashed and Groot did the same. I let Charlie out of the shed but they hardly even noticed. Charlie saw that he was young and stupid and didn't really want anything to do with him but there were no problems.

I assured Charlie that Groot's
testicles were only temporary
and they would NOT be staying. 

I expect Charlie will play with him in the morning
but this afternoon he just wanted to lay in the shade.

The Maya test was next. She walked in with her fur up, tail held high, strutting like she owned the place, which of course, she does. She sized him up pretty quickly. Maya did a play bow with her fur still up (talk about your mixed messages), but he seemed to understand that she might be played with but she was not to be messed with. Maya joined Trooper up on PlayStation K9 while Max and Groot chased each other around the yard. Maya would periodically jump off and charge in front of the two boys, stopping their play, just to prove that she could. She got bored, climbed the fence and went on one of her walkabouts, but thankfully he stayed in the dog yard.

You don't often see Maya's tail that stiff, it's
typically more curved and wavy. She was
sending him a message.

I know he's enjoying the company and the larger, grassy space.

Groot will love running in the pasture.

Thankfully, Maya is accepting of newcomers as long as they know their place.

This was Maya charging right into the middle of a Groot/Max romp, breaking it up, just because.

Gigi may be my princess, but Maya is the undisputed Queen of the Dog Yard.