Doggy Yin & Yang

I’ve been wanting to get a second dog for a really long time. Every since Charlie moved passed puppy-hood, I’ve wanted him to have a friend. He needed someone to balance him out. Of course, in order for another dog to fit in our house, he’d have to get along with people, kids, cats and a Min Pin who thinks he’s “dominant,” not be a puppy, not quite as crazy as Charlie, and also housebroken. (And by “dominant” I mean will-hunch-any-doganimal-that-will-let-him.) The pet store we frequent (or as I call it, the Dog Store) lets the Shelby Humane Society do adoptions on Saturdays. Yesterday I finally wore B down enough to agree to let me take a dog home IF it met all our criteria.

When we got down there they had all medium to large size dogs except one. His name was Tovie. He was a 2 year old Daschund mix who had been a stray that someone brought in. I, of course, fell in love immediately. When the let him out of the crate he was in, I got down in the floor and he came over and immediately curled up in my lap. I was completely enamored. After hanging out with him and seeing how laid back and uninterested he was when other dogs walked by, we decided to see how he did with cats. The pet store also has a room with cats that are up for adoption as well. We took Tovie in there to see how he did around cats. This dog? He could care less that  he was near cats. This was just getting better and better!

The last test was to see how he did with Charlie. We asked the girl who was helping us if she could hold him for us so we could go get Charlie and come back to see how they did together. Turns out? They did fine with one another. They both sniffed each other, wagged tails and then were more interested in the smells of the grass they were standing on. But every time they noticed each other, they were totally cool with each other. That decided it. Tovie was definitely coming home with us!

I filled out all the paperwork, bought him a new collar and name/ID tag and home we went!

He and Charlie did great in the car together on the way home and then he made himself right at home on the couch. I also changed his name to Cody to fit into the “C” theme we have going with all our animals. He’s already learned his name and we’re on our way to having “sit” down. He and Charlie are playing well together too.

Sharing, however, is going to be an issue for awhile. Charlie has Only-Dog-Syndrome when it comes to rawhide bones and also the crates. He can’t decide which one he likes better. But the bigger issue is with the rawhides. So far the only non-laid back thing Cody has done is growl at Charlie who was getting too close to Cody’s rawhide. Though Cody’s tail was wagging the whole time. This little video is from after the fact. Charlie was having a pout-fest.

We did have one big scare last night. B and I went back to the pet store to buy a crate and some new crate beds, a new toy and some cleaning solution for the wet vac. We left both boys in the outside pen to hang out until we got back home. However, when we got home? Charlie was still in the pen but Cody was not. I had a heart attack. B and I both grabbed flashlights and leashes and went walking all over the neighborhood looking for him and calling him. When we couldn’t find him, we came back to the house to grab keys to drive around the neighborhood.

You know how I got Cody his name tag? Well, when he found the one way to get out of the pen, he went straight up the front steps to our porch. Our neighbors across the street saw him and “rescued” him for us. I had both our numbers on his collar and the neighbors texted B that they had our dog. As soon as B told me what the text said, I ran across the street and went and got Cody. He was perfectly fine and so happy we were home! But I can’t tell you how good it made me feel to know that he already knew where his home was. He didn’t run away, he just tried to get back in the house!

Today we took them on a big walk. Cody walks great on a leash – doesn’t pull and likes to walk behind Charlie. Those boys have been worn out pooches ever since.

I think Cody is going to fit in just fine.

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