Two Sides Of Fudge

You've heard many times that Fudge can be a bully. He loves to tease the other dogs and see who reacts, even though he usually gets the worst of it. I can't count the times he's gotten cut or scratched when someone objected to him pushing them around or stealing their toy. He almost lost an eye one time when he tried it.

Fudge drives me crazy at times, too. He's always jumping all around me when I try to walk and he spins in front of the door so I can't get it open. He grabs my sleeve sometimes when he wants my attention and has even torn one. He steps on me when he gets on the sofa next to me and he jumps on me when he gets on the bed. He barks when I'm trying to listen to the news or weather on TV and he's just a general nuisance.

BUT, Fudge has another side to him. When Samba and Sky were sick, he stayed close to them and would sleep beside them. He never tried to take Sky's ball from him when he was so weak and he grieved for them for a long time.

Morgan is frail now in her old age and walks slowly. Fudge always waits for her outside and escorts her up the hill and into the house. He lies next to her in the evening and he doesn't tease her or steal from her.

Fudge also does something else for me. He tells me when one of the other dogs needs my attention. Earlier this week he alerted me to the sore in Morgan's mouth. He kept going to her and sniffing the area till I took a look. This isn't the first time he's done this. Fudge is the one who showed me that Lola had been stung by an insect. Lola didn't act like anything was wrong, but Fudge wouldn't leave her alone. He followed her around and kept sniffing her foot. When I looked to see what he was so interested in, I saw that Lola's toe was swollen about four times it's normal size.

He's pointed out red ears before they've gotten badly infected and any cysts or sores get his special attention. Even with our language barrier, Fudge has been a great helper in keeping the pack healthy. So I guess even a bully can have a good side.