That's why moments like these take my breath away. Every breed has unique traits, but to me the temperamental blend of a Pyr's make up is as miraculous as birth itself, and I marvel to watch them do what it is God put them on this planet to do.
It's been an emotional week here on the farm. It's been a hormonal week. Like any blended family, we have our moments, both good and bad when living together requires a concerted effort. And no one has flexed his emotional muscles this week more than TJ.
Still mourning the loss of Rosebud (who is absolutely fine; she's just off on vacation while she gets through her season), TJ has been the canine embodiment of Elizabeth Kubler Ross's 5 Stages of Grief. In denial he paced the pastures...("She was just here...Where could she have gone?") His anger he took out on Hix. Bargaining got him nowhere with Rosey, and the depression period broke my heart. But then there was acceptance. (Ah, blessed acceptance! We live for the stage of acceptance.) With the birth of our first goat baby, TJ hit acceptance and from there, his whole demeanor changed. His circle of moods now calming, TJ lost himself (as we all did) in the miracle of birth. It was now time to get to work.
As a girl who grew up raising Siberian huskies, trust me when I say this was not an easy picture to take. The very thought of this big-headed dog (who was trenching his way under barn doors and tearing down reinforced gates to get to a dog in heat just 2 days prior) getting anywhere near a newborn baby goat seems counter intuitive, but TJ's gone downright maternal. Not since Hix taking up with Charlie goat have I seen such bonding, but that's precisely what's happening here. Spotting that Cupid was done with her labor (i.e. she was at the clean-'em-up stage when I arrived with the towels) TJ likewise spotted we were safe to enter her realm and cautiously, protectively began inching and sniffing his way toward the baby, submissively asking to assist. First watching Cupid, then eyeing me (who was also watching Cupid, AND the baby, quite closely I might add) TJ slowly mimicked Cupid in the lick-them-clean routine, with Cupid peacefully acknowledging, even encouraging. Cautiously watchful (for it would take but one "gulp"... you would NEVER let a husky near this scene) I watched, half holding my breath, half marveling at the focus that rolled in like a wave over this massive beast...Here is TJ (all 150 pounds of him...about 30 of that being his head) delicately, curiously, lovingly licking his newest best friend clean, forever imprinting the scent of this newborn into TJ's circuitry, adding him to the list of TJ's charge.
For the record, I had removed Hix from the premises the night before as a time-out measure per the Rosebud skirmishes. (i.e. the boys just got too rough). But now, as if some heavenly reward for his calming, God gives TJ a goat of his own...bonding for which is now cemented for life. (Heaven help if I ever try to sell THIS baby.)
These are the moments you live for...days lived in wonder ...to the point of tears.
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