Personalities

 It has been entertaining to watch these puppies grow up and grow into their own personalities. 

Jagger, who was supposed to have been my dog, shows no particular fondness for me, or really for anyone in particular. He shows up at the house every morning, along with the rest of the dogs, and waits to be fed. This necessitates getting rid of the other dogs, which I do by tossing a handful of kibbles out the door. The other dogs run out to grab the scattered kibbles, but Jagger has learned that if he hangs back, I will shut the door on the others and give him his own bowl of kibbles mixed with a bit of canned dog food. So he is at least a smart dog. This he finishes, tops it off with the leftover milk from my bowl of oatmeal, and then waits to be released back to the great outdoors. Often, I will not see him again until the afternoon, when he shows up to crawl under my chair and nap, accompanied, usually, by the other dogs, although Jagger has staked out the floor under the chair as his own space and allows no others to intrude. 

Jagger's brother, Otis, very nearly a twin, could hardly be more different in temperament. Otis is a sweet dog who likes to be petted and to sit close to people. He is a calm dog who seems not to enjoy fighting and wrestling nearly as much as the others. What he does enjoy doing with the others is cleaning them, which they will allow him to do when they are too tired to resist. Otis licks the inside of their ears and nibbles after bugs in their fur. He is very serious about this task, almost to the point of obsession. He will often stay most of the afternoon in my house and sometimes plants himself on the rug in the evening. Unwilling to leave, he must be carried outside when I go to bed. 

Loki, the third male, is light brown from head to toe, just like his father, and has already grown large, again like his father. Loki spends more time on his own than do the others. He is independent. And he is more a creature of appetite. Not really interested in affection or petting, but quite interested in food. Loki is also the naughtiest of the pack, most often found guilty of stealing shoes or clothing or rugs--anything he can get his mouth around, really. A few days ago, I was called away from my dinner for a moment to talk with one of the neighbors, and when I reentered the house, I found Loki sitting in my chair eating my food off the plate. 

Dixie, the lone female, is much smaller than the males, but makes up for it with ferocity. She is galak, as they say here--vicious, temperamental. She holds her own in any dispute. She is a quick, bright dog, and the only one among them that will follow me for the entire length of my evening walk. This may be because part of the walk trespasses on the territory of other dogs in the neighborhood, but Dixie don't give a damn.