DAY FIVE

When I got home from work today, Easy bowled me over and even howled a little. I can only imagine how he will act when Marghi gets back.

This evening Easy picked up a catnip mouse - a cat toy - actually, a choking hazard for a dog his size. He picked it up in his giant mouth and carefully carried it to the dog bed. We wondered why he didn't have any toys and set out to find some. I risked my life by entering the garage and finally found a stash of dog toys. We don't have them out because Seska never plays with toys anymore.

I pulled out the best ones but he was very interested in something else in the basket. At first it seemed like he was going after the cat toys, showing a freakish preference for catnip. Then we figured out that there was a "hoof". We decided against giving him the hoof, not wanting Seska to get too agitated. She does like those nasty hooves.

Easy happily rotated between 3 toys. His favorite was a blue tennis ball that is supposed to improve a dog's breath. To be fair, we gave Seska one of her old toys: the carcass of a favorite gutted toy hedgehog. She wasn't impressed.

While I was in the garage, Easy shredded the catnip mouse.

Easy has a ritual now of attending the reading of the bedtime story. It was sad tonight because he was locked out of the room to protect Salem's nerves.

Today Morgan says that Easy looks pretty with his hair down.

Tussles: Seska was able to walk up to him several times, wagging ferociously, without any incident. Easy may be learning to get along. Salem the Cat is now living upstairs in a closed-off room. He seems much happier without any Easy encounters.

Success using the dog door: None, but he's not even trying.

Treats after begging: None? Maybe Wes snuck her something. Easy's mooching is stronger than ever.

DAY FOUR

Morgan decided that today Easy would be named Arrrriba! That's with a rolling R and very high pitched and loud. She insisted that everyone should call him that. We did not.

Easy was involved in our first Wii Fit session.

Today, for the first time, hamster-sized balls of orange fur appeared throughout the house. I guess he was holding his fur in until now. We were just talking about tribbles yesterday.

Easy is so tall, he leans over slightly and ends up on the couch in the living room. It is his bed now. He looks very majestic there.

We continue to marvel at what a normal pet Easy is compared to our mutant creatures. I mean, when you say his name while walking him, he actually stops sniffing the bushes and rushes to attention instead of just pulling harder the other direction. We are torn between admiration (for Easy), shame (of our own pets), and loss of respect (for Easy).

Tussles: Seska was especially doddering today and kept getting in his face to smell his breath but so far we have stopped Easy from killing her. Salem the cat now lives in the garage. He is losing weight. So, no actual fights today, but if looks could kill....

Success using the dog door: None, but he is clever about tricking people into opening the patio door for him and then dashing out.

Treats after begging: None! You're cut off! I did catch him licking the dining table after we left it tonight.

DAY THREE

We all went to Waterworld today!

Wes keeps singing "Easy Like Sunday Morning" to me just to piss me off.

Wes is also becoming power-mad due to the novelty of having a dog around that actually feels shame when you chastise it. Not that he chastises him much but I did catch him ordering Easy into the other room for no good reason. Seska feels no remorse, ever, and rarely does what she is told. She is deaf now, which only works to her advantage.

Today Easy followed Seska through the backyard, immediately peeing on whatever spot Seska just peed on.

Morgan and I saw a show about a super-intelligent sea lion who knows sign language. Since then, we have been trying to train Easy in the sign for "open your mouth and turn your head".

Sea lion sign language (SLSL) signs learned: None

Tussles: Bared fangs at Seska (no actual fight due to human intervention). Wanted to chase the cat but he is (possibly) learning that Chasing The Cat Is Not Okay.

Treats resulting from begging: Many chunks of sausage and hot dog. We're going to reduce the treats tomorrow due to a bad tummy.

Success using the dog door: None without help

DAY TWO

Last night we invited Easy onto the bed. It's a king size bed, mainly to accommodate pets and children. Easy flopped against my leg, immediately forcing me off the side. Luckily he decided to move on and I was able to get some sleep.

We're beginning to understand the name. As in, "Easy boy, don't bite the dog" or "Take it Easy -- don't bolt after a duck during our walk."

Today I see some afghan in him. Morgan says that he looks like a lion and also a poodle.

It is super hot today. Oh my god, it's hot. Easy followed me outside into the shade and started drinking from the fountain. I told him to stop so he moved to the other end of the fountain and started again.

Easy is showing a lot of interest in the upstairs bathroom. Either he is potty trained in how to use a toilet or he wants to drink from it. We are not opening the lid to find out.

He really does have a bowl of water to drink. He hasn't eaten a lot of dog food but enough so that Morgan swears his fur smells like fish.

The pets are all getting more comfortable together. Salem is starting to get sassy, which means we need to let Easy chase him again. Seska is getting way too friendly for her own good.

Morgan and Wes learned that they can make Easy kiss them by panting in his face.

Wes is using Easy as an example of what a normal/pleasant dog would be like, to get me to want another dog after Seska passes on. It's not very flattering for Seska.

Tussles: None that we witnessed but we did preventative intervention between him and the cat, plus we put up a cat-safety-zone barricade. I notice that Seska, who is much smaller than Easy, just busted through the barricade.

Success using the dog door: Semi. He could do it if we propel him through it, torpedo style. Then he got stuck on the other side, wagging pathetically for someone to come let him in.

Rewards for begging: 2 hot dog chunks; several chicken chunks (funny story about this one: I threw a chicken chunk to him to catch in his mouth. Instead it landed on his back and he spun around and around looking for it until we took pity and got it off his back. After watching Seska expertly catch chicken chunks, he managed to catch one.)

DAY ONE

Easy the Dog joined us on Thursday night.

Easy looked longingly out the window, expecting Marghi to show up again. Then he went to sleep after we finished eating and he finished begging.

We have decided he is part golden retriever and part wookie and he has a collie-face.

A gang of cheerleaders were singing "What's My Name Again?" in the park across the street after dark and we considered sicking Easy on them.

Tussles:
(1x) Easy v. Seska (Easy won); We didn't see the whole thing, but afterwards Easy had a tuft of black fur on his mouth and a guilty look.
(2x) Easy v. Salem (cat chases only, Easy won)

Rewards for begging:
Turkey jerky

Success using the dog door: None