February 27th, 2025

Enigma of Rylee and Puppies...

I am shifting from training talk for a bit to share something about Rylee and her recent behavior.

As some of you know, I picked up a Jack Russell Terrier puppy from Denmark in the summer of 2019. Mowgly took no prisoners. He passed away on March 7th, 2020, right at the beginning of COVID-19.

Rylee took to him immediately. I think she had been lonely since I moved us away from her friends. She spent her days training with me or waiting for me. But when I got the puppy, she acted like I did not exist - ignoring me, refusing to cuddle, pretending I was just there to serve food and give commands.

That lasted until the day Mowgly died.

After he was gone, she came back to me - cuddly as ever, never leaving my side. I thought she was grieving too. To help both of us move on, I brought Bella home in December 2020, and Rylee ignored me again, as if to say, "Was I not enough?"

She accepts all the dogs and raises puppies beautifully, but for a year after each new addition , she keeps her distance - until one day, she is just back, as if nothing happened.

I have said it before, but I always miss my little dog when she punishes me for adding puppies...

Happy Training!

Addi and her dogs.