This is Libby Blue at roughly 5 & a half months…

…no longer the fuzzy little, tip-eared puppy we found in the woods.

She’s a growing girl & life with a growing puppy comes growing pains.

You get one good behavior mastered, one bad behavior corrected…only to have another bad behavior manifest itself.

That’s typical of any growing puppy.

But as a Jindo mix we’re not sure what all kinds of phases we’ll go through – through puppy-hood, adolescence & into adulthood.

Maggie, for example, was an obstinate, willful, stubborn jumper who used to latch onto my arm & clamp down when she wasn’t happy.

But we got through it.

A pure bred Jindo is considered a Korean national treausre & last year only 5 were allowed out of the country, if that tells you anything.

So I’ve been having trouble finding much information about the breed online & in English.

What I have found describes the Jindo as one of the most primitive dog breeds out there - fiercy loyal, intelligent, agile, independent, highly active watchdogs.

The warnings all describe a breed who doesn’t define their territory by a fenced yard, who can jump a 6 foot fence or tear up a house if not given the proper exercise.

But this is what I’m working towards…

This old girl sits tied outside the main gate on warm, sunny days.

I haven’t thought of a name for her yet but she’s very well mannered – calm, watchful, quiet, content to be outside & watch all the people walking by.

And there are moments, like earlier today, that I can almost see it in Libby.

Libby loves her duck. Libby loves to sit outside.

Completely content to “watch” the yard & broadcast the Libby Alert System should any stray cat, rogue farmer or unknown noise arise.

And because our back fence doesn’t go all the way to the ground…and I spent the majority of March walking the rice fields (through mud & snow) to round her up, we resorted to putting her on a 15 foot lead whenever she goes outside.

But she’s perfectly content.

She has the roam of the full yard & she absolutely loves being outside.

And now that it’s getting above 40 during the day, she’s staying outside longer & longer – not wanting to come back in.

But our latest growing pain is the dynamic of two dogs in a single house.

I knew they would jockey for the higher place in the pack – and expected a bit of turmoil until it was all settled – but we’re in the middle of the turmoil & it’s beginning to get a bit hairy.

Over the past two months, Moo has “schooled” Libby four times.

Ok – so “schooled” being the politically correct word – the more acurate phrase would be she’s been working her way through a 6-pack of whoop-ass.

And without going into all the minute details, I could use your advice.

For those of you who have or have had 2 or more dogs at a time…

did you go through this same kind of pain?