[Dailydrool] pack leaders and Condolences regarding Shelby, (sorry long)

[Jacquelynn Chazey]

Once upon a time, I was blessed to have 8 bassets, some of dubious
acquirement (pet stores and backyard breeders), some rescues.

 Pumpkin was rescue, 8 wks old, but so tiny, I suspected she was younger.
Jean Paul was Pet Store, 16 weeks old.  Mom bought him because he did not
have a white tip tail, nor did Pumpkin, and my sister made fun of Pumpkin
all the time because of it.  Also, it was nice to save this "undesirable"
hound from the cage... he was a big boy.  Pumpkin adored him, loved him to
pieces, and the house was very harmonious.

 Long story short, Pierre Sr. (8 wks), mellow, Jellybean (8 wks), nutty and
fun, no interest in dominance.  Next, Nigel and Colette (10 wks), siblings
who were together and close but interacted with the pack.  He and Pumpkin
had early issues, but the clear Alpha was Jean Paul.  His way of ruling was
using his size to push away or even toss an offender.  He never used his
mouth, ever.  He was terrifying to humans.  NO ONE could enter the house.
He put fear in many repair people.

Next was Max (9 mo), a scrapy rescue who had anger issues, not to be
dominant, he was just angry.  After came Little Nikki (4 mo.), the sweetest
hound in this herd (the only one still with me).

Pierre sr. passed young, and I found  Pierre jr., rescue (9mo), another
angry boy, not as bad as Max, and he was really fun to train and rehab.
The only time he tried to usurp dominance was a battle with Jean Paul.  I
was aghast.  The two of them latched together in a bear hug, and rolled and
rolled like a log until I got them separated.  Jean Paul had a good twenty
pounds on Jr., and Jr. never tried it again.  In fact, I owe Jr.'s
closeness to me due to Jean Paul's closeness to me.

Just my story,

Condolences to Shelby's friends and family.  What she suffered from was
very parallel to what caused my decision to let Jr. go, but tests revealed
the extent of his cancer, compromised spleen and liver even before any
chance of surgery was an option.  I knew he was a ticking time bomb since
he was diagnosed with cirrhosis  two years prior.  He was only 7.  It is
two years since he is gone, and I still have not recovered.  It took me
three years to get close to recovering from Pierre Sr.  It is hard, but we
do get through it.  May God Bless.

Jackie and Little Nikki
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