First meeting of the canine cousins...

So before Saturday, the most Annie and Gracie knew of Harley was that every now and then, they'd pick up on the scent of another dog on my hands and clothes. Since Harley, Ryan and Marissa's lab mix, was staying over at Brady's parents' house, I thought it would be a good idea to make the introductions and let them run around and play together. The playing part would be implied for Harley and Gracie only, as Annie does not and will not play. She loves people and only tolerates other dogs. She also very much appreciates air conditioning, so staying out in the backyard for extended lengths of time was out of the question.

A little intro of their personalities, breeds, etc.:

Annie--as I mentioned, she's all about humans. She's a very adorable little Cocker Spaniel who recently underwent a makeover, where she was practically given a buzz cut. She's rather tolerant of her self-taught stylist (me) and reassured that her hair will grow back. Other dogs seem to recognize that she's the wise one (she's 13) and she loves nothing more than to just hang out on her pillow or go for a car ride.

Gracie--the biggest baby you'll ever meet. She's a whopping 90+ pounds and resembles Petey from the Little Rascals. She's the youngest of the group at 3 1/2, an American Bulldog who looks more like a Great Dane and will cower to a Chihuahua.

Harley--a 5 year old Lab-mix with a lot of energy, loves attention from people, and is quite happy being the only child.

On first sniff of the new dogs, Harley went on alert. This was apparent by the mohawk along her back, as her hair stood on end. She started barking when we came in, which made Gracie back off a bit. After a bit of chaos, we let the dogs run in the backyard...and boy did they ever! Gracie and Harley are too very long-legged dogs with a lot of energy. It took about an hour of running around and an hour of swimming and a little more rough housing to get them to finally settle down. We think they had a good time and it looks like the two youngsters have the potential to be best buds :)

Here are some pictures from the day:

It's very difficult to get a non-action shot of these two!

"Why did my back massage stop?"

Happy Harley coming in for some attention!

Annie finds the pups mildly amusing.

"Harley, do you want to go swimming?!"

The tile must have felt nice and cool after being out in the heat! It was humid too, as a monsoon was lurking.

Playing...

Believe it or not, Gracie is about 30 lbs heavier than Harley, yet she was the one who wound up retreating behind the coffee table.