Betsy's got a boyfriend

While I put the kids to bed, Brad took Betsy for a walk around the block. He returned with two extra dogs in tow: a HUGE black lab and a small little curly-haired mutt. The mutt didn't hang around too long, but the lab is outside our door now whining for Betsy to come out and play.

They had a grand time playing together on their walk. When Brad tried to carry a few Walmart bags in from the van while holding Betsy's leash, the lab bolted right into the house--much to the surprise of Cookie, our cat. Cookie is very gentle, and he and Betsy are the best of friends. He wasn't so sure about this enormous lab though, so he did the hunched-back-hissing-cat routine. Both dogs joined his game and an all-out animal brawl ensued. We broke it up, but not before Betsy took a claw across the face from Cookie. Oh boy, our first domestic dispute.