Lava and Hela: An Unlikely Bond

Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two crossbreed dogs, Lava and Hela.

In June last year, Hela joined our family, coming all the way from Greece. She is a friendly, gentle, and energetic dog, while Lava is a nightmare, to put it plainly. Don’t get me wrong, Lava loves other dogs! She loves playing with them, getting chased, and dragging them around by their harness. Yes, she is a bully. A sweet one, but still. However, having a jolly good time with the dog park crowd is one thing, but it’s something else entirely when one of those dogs comes home with you. And never leaves again.

How Lava and Hela First Met

A few days before Hela arrived, I made some preparations, such as getting her a crate and finding a nice quiet spot where she could rest, as well as her own set of blankets, bowls, and toys. But this was all easy. The problem was how Lava would take to a new dog coming into her home, invading her privacy, stealing my attention, and eventually using her toys and other accessories as if they were her own. Lava does not share. Well, actually there are only two dogs, whom she has known since they were all puppies, and she would let them have her toys, with a bit of grunting.

So, for their first introduction, we went for a walk so they could meet and interact on neutral territory. And it was amazing. Hela was thrilled as she could run free in the dog park, and Lava was chasing her around. It was great to watch! Then, both tired and pleased, we went home together for the first time.

It Wasn’t All Roses and Sunshine

And everything was perfect for the first hour. I was with them in the garden, they were still playful, and Hela was exploring happily. Then she got to the house door and Lava felt this was too much and snapped. Nothing happened, luckily. I’ve learned that with Lava, it’s often more noise than anything else. But it was scary and worrying.

That was the signal for a time-out. Hela was already crate-trained and happily went to sleep on her new bed, completely forgetting the previous minor incident. Lava settled on the sofa. For the next few weeks and months, as Hela was slowly relaxing and feeling more confident, Lava was still at times quite grumpy and obviously displeased with this new development.

Having the Same Hobbies Helps

Slowly, we all tuned into our new way of life. It was interesting to observe their dynamic, with Hela behaving as a younger sister who always wanted to play and be around Lava, not wanting to miss out on anything, while Lava was clearly annoyed with her presence. Hela learned that grunting and occasional growls are just how Lava communicates and do not necessarily mean anything vicious. And then they seemed to have found similar interests, or really, Hela started copying Lava’s behavior, like any younger child would their older sibling.

And so they became diggers. Every walk we now go on, Lava and Hela are always digging and searching for something. And it often looks amusingly synchronized. Both with heads low on the ground, or each in their own hole, and bums in the air. And in the last 6 months, another breakthrough! They will now even share a hole and dig one next to each other! And after such a hard day’s work, they will even have a drink from the same bowl, which for Lava is a major success.

An Ever-Evolving Bond

If someone had told me a year ago that the two of them would get on so well, I would have sighed and said, I hope so. But I realized Lava accepted her as an unwanted roommate, but their relationship has since changed in so many ways. Hela is the simpler one, in the sense that she is always happy and grateful, and follows Lava around like a puppy. And Lava has learned to enjoy it and seek Hela’s company. Lava is the thinker; she always looks worried and deeply troubled. She does remind me of myself a lot. Maybe dogs do take on their owners’ characteristics after all. But that’s another story.