The Irish Dogs

The evening after Finn's longest-to-date nine mile run, I took him to a friend's house for a play date. I wasn't expecting him to have too much energy.

Finn and Dylan had met and played once before, about a month ago. Dylan's mom has been out of town a lot this summer, so I jumped at the chance for the two to play again.

Dylan's about a year and a half old, a mix of Border Collie and Aussie. Sweet boy. He out-weighs Finn by about 20 pounds.

After a half-hearted attempt on Finn's part to run with Dylan in the yard, the dogs came inside.

They ended up spending about two hours wrestling.

A couple of times Finn would come close to me and give me a look like, "Mom! Make him stop! I'm tired!" But I ignored his pleas, saying, "Now you know how the girls feel!"

They had a blast. And once again, I was pleased to see how Finn reacted in certain situations.

When we first arrived, Dylan's rope chew toy was right near the entry door. Finn came dashing in, no introduction, and Dylan growled over his toy. Finn quickly left that area, then sat and turned his back when Dylan continued to follow and growl, adopting a completely non-threatening posture. Perfect. A bit later, I heard another growl, and it was Dylan telling Finn to stay away from his food bowl. Finn left it alone. More perfect.

Finn may try my patience - often - but one thing I don't ever worry about (at least so far) is his interactions with other dogs. He seems to know how to put them at ease initially, then find a play style that works. Being small, it's a good strategy. That, and being quick and agile.