Six chicken eggs and three duck eggs.  I went to Jacksonville today and so I'm not sure what went on in the yard while I was gone.  I saw a turkey buzzard flying over when I got back home and was putting away groceries and looked out the kitchen window.  I was under the assumption that they only eat dead stuff, but Sam said they'll eat live stuff, too, so I went out to shoo it away, but by the time I got out there I think the geese had made enough noise that it had flown about 1/4 mile north.  I love those geese.

If you've been following along about the sister saga on Facebook you'll know most of this next part of the day.  The last couple of days Maezee and Jewel have been fighting.  I mean vicious I'm gonna kill you kind of fighting.  After reading for about the last hour, yes, two bitches will fight to the death.  Even sisters!  Or especially sisters!  Interesting and scary, because if looks could kill...  Jewel had blood on her neck, but I didn't find a wound, so maybe Maezee bit her own lip or lost a tooth and that's where it came from.  They did that a few weeks ago with some other baby teeth, but they were only play fighting then.

SO, after educating myself on this Littermate Syndrome, we'll see how it goes.  I have to admit, we've been doing it all wrong, namely me, since I mess with them more than Sam does.  It's human nature to treat everyone equal. In the pack that's just not the case.  I knew this!  Damn it!! We watch Cesar every Saturday morning.  So, anyway, yes I'm guilty of giving them both the same amount of attention.  Well, this undermines the alpha status.  I'm pretty sure Jewel is the alpha to Maezee.  Maezee is so calm and sweet, it's hard not to go to her first, and Jewel has noticed.  And she's so sweet about getting brushed first.....ah ha, because she's alpha she knows it's her position to get brushed first!  So Maezee has noticed that I treat her the same as I treat Jewel, or she would be thinking she should fight for this position.  Are ya following me?

We had put Jewel in the cage tonight, even though Maezee goes in willingly, while Jewel has to be dragged in there the last week or so.  They've no doubt hit an age milestone and this started the whole thing.  Teenage years, 6 months.  I've only had trouble with one dog that challenged me during his teen years and that was Shadow, our first Rott.  He was six months old, just like these girls.  He did not challenge me again.  Wink.

So, here we are.  I'm going to start separating them a few times a day so that they don't become more dependent on each other, and they can't see the attention being paid to the other, either.  I've read siblings will bond so closely that they pay no attention to us human's.  I've had a little more trouble training them when they are together, but not nearly as much trouble as I've been reading about.  They do listen most of the time if they aren't in the middle of something super interesting.  Currently, that'd be tearing each others throats out.  This bonding thing can keep them from learning good social skills, especially if they aren't introduced to other dogs or humans.  I think there's enough socializing with Merlin and with all the people we have coming in and out around here.  They are both very good with human's and Merlin has taught them respect of him when they play fight.  I just wish he had stepped in today.  There was a time I thought he was going to and that's when I remembered the water hose!  Yep, they both got soaked.  It took a lot longer than I thought it would to get them to let go of one another with full force of super cold water being sprayed in their faces.  Tough little bitches.  That's not all bad.

The other problem with Jewel being out with Merlin is she's a little pack rat and she loves to get into stuff she's not supposed to.  We may try separating the cage with the divider that came with it, too.  So many options!  I just want to do the things that will cause the least amount of stress and anxiety for us and them.  

Meanwhile, Merlin is all up in my face wanting to do anything he can to stay in my good graces.  Poor kid, he's not even in trouble, but he doesn't want to be left out, either.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!