The Honeymoon is Over!

(originally written 4-25-2008)


In any Husky pack, there will emerge an Alpha, a leader, the Head Honcho of the Husky Haven. Often, an Alpha Pair, consisting of the Alpha Male and Alpha Female, will join forces and become Lords of the Lair, prowling around the homestead in lupine fashion, nipping at the young ones to keep them in line, reminding the peasantry of the canine worlds that they are the King and Queen of the Sibes and Don't Ever Forget It!

My mom's Alpha male is clearly Prancer, the big handsome red and white boy who rules the ranch, strutting around in his fur-clad glory. Tasha is clearly this sultan's favorite wife. The two of them are inseparable. Now, there are times when Xena would like to challenge Tasha for the position of Alpha Female, not because she wants to co-rule with Prancer--see my blog entry, Husky Reality TV, Praying the Rosary with Sister Xena for an explanation--but because she simply wants to rule as Alpha Female in her own right.

At my house, the Alpha Leaders are Dougal, the big white woolly man, and Maia, the small black and white Ritalin dog. The Dynamic Duo rule the roost here, making rounds to ensure that the gang is behaving to their standards. I've seen the two of them standing up on the hill behind my house, each one perched on a tree stump, surveying their domain. I've observed the two of them lying lazily on the back deck, guarding the back door from....whatever...while the rest of the pack rested in various places around the kennels and the yard.

This Canine Couple does not always live in peace and harmony, however. Just as all newlyweds eventually learn, the honeymoon ends at some point, and arguments erupt. For humans, the arguments may be over money, who is supposed to wash the dishes, who left the toilet seat up, or who farted under the bed covers. For Huskies, the sources of the arguments may be harder to discover, at least for those of us humans trying to learn about canine behaviour.

Imagine, though, that all is quiet and peaceful, then all of a sudden, the growls and ya-ya-yas erupt. Anyone who is familiar with Husky talk knows that these dogs do not merely bark and growl and howl. They yodel and ya-ya and aaa-roooo. They are very melodramatic animals and could easily win awards for their performance on a stage, if just given the chance. When Dougal and Maia argue, they really ARGUE. They don't fight, as in a knock-down, dog fight. They get in each other's face, and they Husky yodel and ya-ya-ya-ya at each other. They may argue over a dog toy or a treat or sardines. Sometimes, there is no apparent reason for the argument. Like a human couple, maybe they sometimes just get on each other's nerves. Perhaps Dougal is growling at Maia to calm the heck down or Maia is yipping at Dougal to stop being such a hog and for Dog's sake, does he have to fart every time he stands up?