Sunday

fiat & leo

This is my Jack Russell mix, Fiat. He has become very itchy and I am getting a lot of advice to stop feeding him any dogfood with corn in it. If it will help, I'll do it, but I'm skeptical. So if you have had good luck with helping an itchy dog by cutting corn out, let me know.

I have two dogs, Fiat and Leo, who is a 4 month old Great Pyrenees puppy. Leo already weighs over 50 pounds and is growing really fast. But Fiat, who only weighs 20 lbs and, because he is an has stubby little short legs, totally dominates Leo. He tells him when he can eat, how close he can get to the sofa when Fiat is sitting on it, which toys Leo is allowed to pick up... It's pretty funny, but I do wonder at what point Leo will realize that HE should be bossing runty Fiat around.

Having a Jack Russell and a Great Pyrenees (Leo is my second GP by the same name), demonstrates to me every day how much of dog behavior is genetic. Jack Russells are bre to ne speedy, super active, fast-thinking dogs with a high prey drive. GPs are very calm and dignified -- sometimes seeming aloof - and wouldn't think of chasing a cat or squirrel.

But neither breed is very good at following obedience commands. They are both stubborn as all get out.

I wonder what it says about me that these are my two favorite dog breeds... Maybe that I have some kind of personality disorder ;-)