The pit bull thumps his tail, a little confused, and licks at his nose before eying Alpine with some trepidation. For his part, Alpine settles down a little more comfortably on Sharon's lap, licking a paw in studied ignorance of any other creature around him.

"I wouldn't want them both to get surprised," Sharon points out. "Maybe we shouldn't throw things for Alpine before they've gotten used to each other."