Tucker and Bella: A Story of Two Unlikely Friends

We’ve had Bella now for about 6 weeks.  I’ve gone totally bonkers over the little dog.  I think the fact that I know I’ve gone bonkers makes it ok.  I mean, sometimes people go crazy and they don’t know they’re crazy and that’s when it’s bad.

So I’m crazy and I know it. 

I decided with this dog that I wasn’t going to hold back.  I think with other animals, I kind of had this mindset like I know they’re going to die in just a few years so I shouldn’t love them too much.  And I missed out.  So I’m not missing out this time.

 

If she gets run over tomorrow, everyone will be able to say I couldn’t have loved her more.

I want this mindset with the people in my life too. I don’t want to hold back just in case I might get hurt if I love them too much.

I probably need counseling about this. 

But like I said for now, I’m crazy and I know it.

But what has been so interesting about having Bella is the friendship she’s developed with Tucker.

They are cute together.  Like, seriously.  They could have a reality show and people would watch.  Honestly, sometimes when our small group comes over, there’s 10 adults in my living room all just staring at these two dogs interact with one another and laughing.

 

 

You need to know that Tucker has always been high maintenance.  HIGH. MAINTENANCE.  I mean, he’s a lab with lots of energy and he liked to chew everything as a puppy.  One day I had to replace TWO wired keyboards because he ate through the wires.

 

 

You couldn’t out-play Tucker.  He would play with our neighbor’s lab hard for like 4 hours straight and  still would be raring to go after a 10 minute break. 

 

 

Tucker is the reason we had to replace our picket fence with a privacy fence.  And since then, he’s jumped over that fence at least twice.  I think the Energizer Bunny died and came back as Tucker.  Just high energy, you know?

 

 

So Bella comes along and she’s this little thing.  I thought Tucker might want to eat her when we first got her.  But really, he has been so amazing with her. 

 

 

She doesn’t realize she’s tiny.  She really ought to be scared of Tucker but she isn’t.  She has so much spunk and goes after Tucker without reserve.  Especially in his face.  Tucker could snap her in half but he doesn’t.  He just lies down and lets her attack him.  Ever since she got here it’s like half his energy got poured into Bella and everything got balanced somehow.

 

 

She does hit limits with Tucker though and when he’s done with her, he takes his front paw and slams it down on her so she’s pinned to the ground.  He does it gently though so he doesn’t hurt her but he’s pretty clear about what he means.

 

 

Sometimes he gets super tired of her and he jumps on the couch where she can’t yet get to on her own.  Or, if they’re on the ottoman, he’ll hop down to the floor so she can’t get to him.

Bella wakes up with the family but gets tired about 8 in the morning and I’ll put her back in her crate.  She will sleep for hours.  Tucker gets impatient sometimes and will jump on the bedroom door to go get her. 

I haven’t yet figured out if he just hears her before me or he just gets impatient to have her come play again.  Either way it’s pretty adorable.

 

 

If Bella gets tired before we go to bed, sometimes she just gives in and goes to sleep with Tucker.  She curls up really close and he lets her. 

 

 

Have you ever read the Big Dog…Little Dog series by PD Eastman with Fred and Ted?  Well, that’s what I think of every time I see Tucker and Bella.  Fred and Ted.  Tucker and Bella.

 

 

These two dogs are so different but they’re best friends.

 

There’s something beautiful about that, isn’t there?