My 3 Children

I only have one human son, but last night, Jax met my son's Mal (Westin) for the first time.

We went to the DP first, let them meet, and worked them. Then brought them back the the house. We walked them, then went right into the house.

Wes lived with Peyt and I for a few months. Wes is not new to Peyton. Jax on the other hand had never been in my house with Westin and Peyton.

Westin is really a good guy, confident and friendly. It was interesting to watch Jax though. Jax is also an easy going guy but he watched Westins every move all day.

When Westin and Peyton were interacting, Jax would go over and check in on Peyton, as if to make sure she was ok. The only time Jax growled at all was when Westin became a little too excited around me. Jax may have been telling him, don't hurt my Dad, I'm watching. Of course Westin would never hurt me, he was just excited to get attention and Jax sensed that later.

We all stayed for most of the day/night together, Jax showed signs of wanting to play with Westin. Westin wasn't really interested in play, but then Westin didn't want to play with Peyton at first. Wes and Peyton do play now but didn't yesterday.

Jax would approach Westin and lick him in the side of the mouth and gently play bite on Westins cheek. Jax is just such a sweet boy and gives almost everybody a chance to be nice.

Jax kept an eye on Westin all day and shadowed him wherever he went. I think Jax was just trying to figure out who this Westin guy is, and if he could be trusted. Westin felt 100% at home at my house, he was at Grandads after all. It looks like the "3 some" is going to be just fine although it's almost 200 lbs of doggies.

We are planning a car trip soon with the 3 of them to the mountains for run and play time off leash. It's important that they feel comfortable as all of them will be in the backseat of my car.

One thing that struck me was how soon Jax wanted to play with Westin. It took weeks for Jax to play with Peyton. It could be that Jax is settling on more and getting more comfortable in his new home. That is good news.

The cool thing about all this, is that Jax seemed to take it upon himself to be watchful over his family but at the same time be friendly to strange dogs and give Westin a chance to earn a place in our home.

Everyone left it on very good terms, and I would say the first "meet and extended stay with Jax and Wes" went very well.

Good news!

Sounds like a good time to me

Good to hear !

I took a road trip yesterday to the mountains with my Son, Jax and Westin. Other than some short stops throughout the day, we all were in the car for 10 hours with Jax and Wes both in the back seat the entire time.

Not even a single issue between them except when Jax was asleep and we think Wes sat on him. Jax barked and then it all dissipated instantly.

I think it's safe to say now, all 3 of my dogs get along just fine but I need a larger backseat.

THat's great. I think Jax is settling down and not as worried about anything which is good news. Have fun on your trip!!!!!

I agree. I had to look last night to remind myself how long Jax has been here and it's only 5 weeks. Seems like he has been my dog much longer.

We had a great time in the mountains, 100% off leash. We were pretty much the only people in a 10,000 acre national forest. We did some hiking, cave exploring and both dogs were very good on recall and for the most part stayed on the hiking paths and kept looking back to see where we were. It felt under control all the time, relaxed, interesting and fun for all of us.

Westin has always loved the water. Jax, not so much but he sure likes to watch Westin. Here's a little video of Westin and Jax playing at the stream.

YouTube - Westin & Jax - Stream Time

Their day had this kind of energy pretty much all day. Two very happy dogs who get along extremely well even if confined in the backseat of the car for extended periods of time. It was probably a trust/bonding experience for both Jax and Wes as well. It was all good.

We left Peyton at home as this was just us "boys" day out. She can go with us next time.

IT has taken PEpper two years to love water. I never pushed her (not that she could be rushed anway) and each time she has stepped a little closer. Watched Victor and Mary swim like ships while she stood daintily with her toes getting wet. The last time we went to SHawnee Dog park she really swam and enjoyed herself. THey get there in time. Especially when they run until they are broiling and hit the water to cool off.

WHat was Peyton's reaction when you got home? I took just Mary to the woods and Victor read me like a newspaper when we got back. HE was obviously distraught that i went without him.

Peyton is a pretty independent dog. She was glad to see us but didn't make much of a fuss. She had a new soup bone to work on all day, so I think she was happy.

I would have taken her, but I didn't know what to expect with 2 dogs, much less 3. I knew she would be fine with both the dogs, but if Jax and Wes got into a fight, I didn't want to have to worry about her as well.

Jax and Wes have decent recall, but I'm not so sure about Peyton when she's out in the woods. If any of our dogs ran off chasing something, they would be nearly impossible to find and that was a concern for all day. That's a pretty wild place up there, with mountain lions, wild boar and other potential nasty critters. Anything could have happened, but it all ended just fine. That place is 2.5 hours away from us one way. I doubt we'll get up there again anytime soon.

Having a Mal and a BC in the back seat is a lot of dog in your car. Adding an Aussie would be a WHOLE lot of dog in the car

The water was very cold. My son and I agreed, if we had to go in the water to help our dogs, we would, but would really rather not and that's why we picked a shallow stream.

Wes is a great swimmer and we knew that, how Jax would react was the unknown. As far as I was concerned, Jax could do whatever he wanted to the extent he didn't endanger himself or others. I think he found his comfort zone and that was perfectly fine. Jax had fun and another "experience" for him.

It was just a day to doing something different and enjoy our day with the dogs. I think it proved that Jax and Wes will get along just fine and Peyton get's along very well with both, so having our "family of dogs" is very workable even in tight conditions. Next time, we'll plan a shorter trip and take all three but I may need a bigger car.

Nice your son could spend time with you too. I think i am green with envy there. I hardly ever get to see mine he is working so much, 6 days a week doesn't leave much family time.

I have had a lot of dogs in the backseat of my car and knock on wood we have never had an issue. Can't imagine what a dog fight would be like if it happened while i was driving down the road.

I'm fortunate in that my son and I talk on the phone several times a day. He works long hours too, but calls me on breaks. My son and I are best friends and we text all day too. We were always VERY close but after we lost his mother, that solid bond we already had grew even stronger.

Wes is good guy, and so is Jax, but you never know. They did well in the house that first night and at the DP and so on, but a long car ride could make anyone cranky. A fight between a Mal and a BC would not be pretty.

At the end of the day we felt comfortable enough to leave the dogs in the car alone while we went inside to eat dinner. We came back out and everything was still fine.

Westin is no stranger to the DP and my son socialized him well early on. Wes is confident dog but not arrogant and even puts up with Peyton insistence to constantly play.

Wes is a good guy and tolerant and is completely devoted to my son. He doesn't mind me or anyone else for that matter but he'll jump through hoops for Joe Jr. Wes is very much a one person kind of dog.