Thunderstorms
I am so loving watching the interaction between Emi and Kiah. Yesterday we had a bad thunderstorm blow in late afternoon. Emi is very nervous during these storms and usually wedges herself under my desk downstairs. I have tried to help, even going so far as to sit under the desk with her and try to talk her through it but she refuses to even acknowledge me. I was preparing my supper when the first rumble of thunder hit. Emi was visibly shaking and she would come up behind me and poke her head through my knees and look up at me with a pitiful expression on her face. I kept talking to her and Kiah stayed calm and nearby. Eventually I got to the point where I could just sit and wait on supper to finish cooking and went over and made myself comfortable. Both dogs lay down at my feet with Emi closest. It seemed like Kiah was the calming factor in all this and Emi, while not exactly happy, spent her first thunderstorm out in the open and not hiding under the desk.
Once the worst of the storm blew itself out, Kiah went outside to check on everything. I heard her bark but it was a small bark, not urgent, loud or frantic, so I admit, I ignored her. Today when I went outside I saw that one of the trees had been split and a large limb was laying over in the yard. This must have been what Kiah was barking at to let me know something had changed in the backyard. What a good little girl.
Tonight you could see the clouds gathering and the storm beginning to build. It didn’t look like it was going to be as bad as yesterday, but I’m sure the dogs could sense something approach. We had just gotten back from swimming and we were all hot, tired and hungry. I prepared supper for Kiah and Emi and then noticed that Emi wasn’t in the room with us. I guess Kiah noticed about the same time and she knew supper was ready since she watched me while I worked. Kiah let out a little bark and was walking around as if she was looking for something. She went to the stairs and looked down into the lower level, barked again. Something was bothering her. She wouldn’t settle down and kept letting out little barks as she walked around. She would go back over to the steps and bark, circle the coffee table, look at me and bark again. Finally Emi came up from where she was probably hiding under the desk. Kiah calmed down, went over to make sure Emi was OK and once Emi started to eat her supper, Kiah joined her.
There is absolutely an interaction between the dogs that goes beyond simple tolerance. Kiah is aware of where Emi and I are most of the time. When we go to the ponds to let Emi swim and “fish” and both dogs run a little energy out of them, Kiah will sit with me and watch Emi on the pier. My mom and I have a garden as well and if I’m working in the garden, Kiah will eventually find me and stay near me while Emi continues to “fish”, coming to check on me every half hour or so. Sometimes I sit on the porch and let the dogs do as they will while I keep an eye on them from the comfort of a rocking chair and a little shade. Kiah will swim or wade to cool off then come sit on the porch with me. Today she sat at my feet with her nose through the railing, watching Emi. Once Emi jumps in the water, Kiah will run down onto the pier and follow Emi as she swims to shore and jumps back up on the pier. Kiah, once she is satisfied that Emi will be on the pier for a while, she will return to the porch with me and make herself comfortable again until she has to run check on Emi.
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