Sibling revelry

Apple (on the left) and Adagio. Her head is a bit more delicate and feminine.

We just had a new experience in our career as puppy-raisers: having two young litter-mates reunite for some extended time together. This happened because the other day Steve and I had an activity scheduled in the East County. We knew it would consume several hours, and we could not take Adagio along with us. So we asked Cyndy Carlton, who is raising Adagio’s litter-mate Apple, if we could drop him off at their house while we were otherwise engaged. She welcomed him, and we offered to take Apple home with us later that day, when we knew Cyndy would be in school. Normally Apple stays with someone else during those hours, but we figured this would give the other sitter a break.

Since they flew down from Northern California together in early January, Adagio and Apple have seen each other several times at the puppy socials that Cyndy hosts. But those gatherings last only about an hour and are attended by a canine mob. This extended time, one-on-one, was special. The two youngsters seemed mad with happiness to see each other. When Steve and I picked them up four and a half hours later, Cyndy reported that they had wrestled and romped non-stop. Do they recognize each other? I can’t imagine how we could ever know that. What’s overwhelming clear, though, is that they find each other irresistible.

Back at our house, I watched them interact; it was better than TV. Mostly they attacked and chewed on each other, but the ambushes and chases often turned slapstick. They sent each other sprawling in many comic variations.

Occasionally, one or the other would get too rough, provoking ear-piercing screams. When this happened, I checked for blood, but I never found any evidence of serious injury. A few times, they even played nicely.

Here’s Adagio, trying to entice his sister into grabbing the keys.

She was up for a brief bout of tug.

Only on the second day did they mellow out enough to do some co-napping — mixed in with more playing. When Cyndy picked them up, she and I agreed that participating in a sleepover for three-and-a-half-month-old litter-mates is almost as much fun for the humans as the dogs.

He loves, loves, loves, his sister. That little tail was wagging!

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