We have a new dog in the family, a four-month-old puppy. The picture at the top of the page shows our puppy when he was at the rescue kennel, before the adoption was final. My daughter and granddaughter fell in love with him, but the kennel was very cautious.
The shelter called me, before the dog came home. They were checking references! They wanted to make sure the home was suitable for this sweet puppy.
It had been a hard year for us. Several of our pets had aged out, one of them at 16. That last loss was just a month ago. We all had a large hole in our hearts, a place for another puppy to fill and find a happy home.
Here's another picture of the puppy while he was at the shelter. Hard to resist, isn't he?
Our family was required to pass the shelter's screening, and so did the puppy have to pass muster. We have a cat, a very mature cat. The dog had to be 'cat tested' before he could live with us.
Our puppy passed with flying colors. I can't say the same for the cat. As soon as he had a chance, this haughty feline swatted the dog. The dog responded more with surprise than anything else.
Our haughty cat :)
We kept dog and cat apart for a few days and things settled down. The cat's aggression (resentment?) has diminished but not disappeared. The dog wants to make friends. He wants to play. And he does get to play...just not with the cat.
Here he is in the yard with a toy my daughter brought him.
One of the questions the shelter asked addressed space for the dog to exercise. We were asked if we had a backyard. The shelter also wanted to know, if we went out and left the dog home, would it be in the yard or in the house? Obviously, not in the yard.
The puppy has a lot of energy, and is curious, very curious. You can see that in his face, I think.
Our puppy loves to play, but he is a toddler. He has no judgement and must be watched all the time. He will eat anything. He needs constant supervision. The yard is a minefield. Rocks. Twigs. Plants. A moment of lapsed vigilance and the dog will eat something that could be his end.
Here he is trying to eat a very large rock.
Obviously, eating a rock is dangerous, but twigs--his favorite snack--are also a great hazard. Not only can he choke on the stick, but it can also tear his gut or cause intestinal blockage. Plus, many sticks are from trees that are toxic to dogs.
We cannot supervise the dog when we are sleeping. We can't protect him from the cat, nor can we protect him from his own puppy instincts. At night he sleeps in a crate. This not only keeps him safe, but helps us to advance his house training. The crate is right next to my daughter's bed.
Here is the puppy on his first night at home. He settled in nicely and spent the night quietly and peacefully in his crate. We got the largest one we could find ($$$!) so he would be comfortable.
The shelter recommended introducing the dog to all kinds of stimuli. This would possibly prevent the development of fear to strange sights, noises and scents. We take the puppy on a walk around the neighborhood almost every night, and my daughter has taken him to the local beach.
Here he is on the beach.
There was a fireworks display on the beach the other day. It was the Fourth of July, Independence Day in the U. S. We settled on chairs in a grassy area and watched the show. All around us fireworks boomed. The dog didn't flinch. He seemed to be more interested in the people who flocked to the area than he was to the noisy fireworks.
He likes the water. This beach is on a bay, and there are few waves. It's very still. You can see in this shot how placid the water is.
Here is another shot of the puppy happily wading through the water.
Yesterday my daughter took him to another beach. This one is on the Long Island Sound, which extends out to the Atlantic Ocean. The waves on the sound are fairly large. The puppy did not like that and resisted going in the less placid water.
He can be skittish. I don't know how much of that is due to being a puppy and how much is intrinsic temperament. It doesn't seem that he suffered trauma so far in his life, at least not the trauma of violent abuse. His records from the shelter indicate that he was transferred from a shelter in Texas. Despite this checkered history, he is a happy dog and friendly, after an initial cautious approach.
The puppy on the grass in our backyard.
We have ordered a variety of chew toys for him to safely exercise that chew impulse. Some of the toys are classic run and fetch types. Some have hollowed out insides where peanut butter or some other tasty substance and can be inserted.
Here he is in the house with a chew toy. I was watching him (someone is always watching him) and had him restricted to an area to keep him from foraging for something that might hurt him.
Adopting a dog is not something we do lightly. When I was a child and lived in a rural area, dogs used to come and live with us. They stayed mostly outside and were largely on their own. Many of them had short lives. They were hit by cars, poisoned, killed by other animals or even disappeared. The dogs were much loved but not much supervised.
As an adult I have adopted many dogs over my life. Some of these were puppies. Some were not. Each was an individual, with an individual challenge. In every case, though, the dogs were supervised and great care was taken for their welfare.
Here is a picture of our puppy a day after we adopted him.
What kind of dog will he grow to be? We've had a deaf dog and a lame cat. Stubborn dogs, calm dogs and feisty dogs. There is no way to know once we adopt how a dog will grow. There is only one certainty. We'll stick with the pet, no matter what the future brings.
I'll keep the community updated on the evolving adventure with our new household member. Can we see a suggestion of the dog he will be in this picture?
Thank you for reading my blog. To everyone, both human and otherwise, I wish you peace and health. Hive on!
** All images in this blog are mine **
He is gorgeous, love that upturned ear appears the cat may take a little longer to make 'friends'.
Have fun with this youngster in the home, furry friends are something we do miss once they are gone.
@tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 45/75) Liquid rewards.
Thank you!
Thank you. Yes, we do have broken hearts, but always there is another animal out there who needs a home. That's one thing we can offer :)
Let's hope this one has a long and healthy life.
I appreciate the @tipu very much🌷.
Have a great week, @joanstewart
After three out of six of dogs taken by cancer (always 2 at a time), only one made proper old age. Seventh puppy decided he did not like the home he was in, came to live permanently with me, celebrates 10 years of which 6 so far with me. I can never say no to an animal....
Enjoy a pleasant looking puppy!
♥️♥️♥️
Not something I have been able to do either.
He looks like a darling, right at home, knowing he's hit the jackpot. We have 2 rescues, sisters, one half blind, and they're the most affectionate little girls you can imagine. They obey voice commands immediately, don't react if we meet other dogs and walk to the grass verge when they see a car approaching, so we don't have to leash them. I can't imagine they'd be too fond of fireworks though since recent thunder sent them scurrying under the bed.
Your 'sisters' sound like perfect pets :) I think pets often reflect the personality of their human companions. Of course they are good, and intelligent 😇
I hope the future shows a dog developing with a benign character. Who knows? We once had a biter and that was really, really hard😁
Nice puppy! He seems playful and easy going. Too bad the cat wasn't so impressed but hopefully he'll come around 😸
What I'm hoping is the dog doesn't realize its power. If it ever decided to fight this cat...no contest.
The cat is wonderful, but strong-headed :)
Thanks for the appreciation of our sweet new puppy.
Aw...🐶
Aw! He is such a sweetheart. I fell in love just looking at him. Hopefully he'll remain free of fear of fireworks; it will save everyone hardship.
I believe your beautiful puppy will grow up to be a docile, medium to large sized dog. I love the look in her eyes; one can tell he'll be always this sweet. And hopefully, he will stop trying to eat rocks 😂 I'm happy he's in good hands.
The cat might never accept him completely; the "young cat-mature dog" combination is better (in my experience). 3 weeks ago, someone abandoned a 2 month old cat in our garden; we had no choice but to adopt him; he's already friends with our older dog (13 years old), who is calmer and doesn't harass him to play like the younger dog (14 months).
Best of luck house training that sweetie.
I think you are right about the cat. He has been here a long time and feels the right of primacy 😄
2 month old cat! They knew where to leave it, didn't they? Dogs, especially older dogs, can be very kind to cats. One of my dogs also had that relationship. Used to sleep with the little cat.
Thank you for your kind wishes. I hope your prediction ('he'll always be sweet') is true.
Thanks for the kind observations 🌈
This is precious 💗
I've dealt with dogs for over 6 years now.
Lost 2 adults due to age and a puppy due to a disease.
Each one hurt differently. Almost like losing my own kid.
Currently have 3 adults with me, although they do act like children 😂
Just separated a fight now and kept them in different sections of the house.
Tensions are high so they may be seperated for some days😂
A white coat is beautiful but hard to keep clean, hope he doesn't grow to hate baths😂
Yes♥️
I didn't know you loved dogs. You certainly have lived with a lot of them. I hope those feisty critters don't give you too much trouble with their fighting.
As for the white coat... so far the puppy has had one shower and did not enjoy it very much. Fortunately, that's my daughter's problem, not mine. I just get to have fun with puppy.
Thanks for the interesting comment, @seki1
😂😂😂😂
He's super cute and looks like he loves attention. It's obvious he's comfortable and knows he's found his way into the home of a loving family. What a cute new addition to your family @agmoore, I'm sure he'll bring you lots of joy!
Hello my friend,
He is comfortable, and certainly loved. He's working out that cat thing :) And he is full of energy. My daughter has to keep up with that. Fortunately she is on vacation for the summer and can devote a lot of time to him.
Thank you very much for stopping by. I hope your summer is going well. Take care, @futuremind
He's sure gotten himself into a nice home, one with tons of dog friendliness.
So, some day you'll tell us his name?
😇
That's for sure.
We're not sure about the name...still working on that.
Thanks for stopping by 🌈
Oh he is a beautiful dog and very lucky that you have adopted him, he looks very happy and calm in his new home, I hope and many years of happiness with him. ❤️
Thank you! He is already attached, I think, especially to my daughter and granddaughter. We are lucky to have him. I appreciate your good wishes🌈
Está muy hermoso su cachorro. ❤️ Espero que el gato y el cachorro se vuelvan amigos. Ahora está en un hogar donde recibirá mucho amor.
He looks very beautiful your puppy. ❤️ I hope the cat and the puppy will become friends. He is now in a home where he will get lots of love.
Thank you very much, @ljfenix. I do hope they become friends. They could have fun together. I appreciate your comment 🌷
Aww... such an adorable dog he is! Only four months old?! Such a cutie. He looks happy to join your family.
Thank you. I hope we get to enjoy him for years to come...my kids will, anyway😇
What a wonderful new addition to the family! So nice that you are all taking part in welcoming this new member.
Thank you, @novacadian. We are all dog lovers. There will always be a smile for this little one 🌷
Your puppy is cute and I love the way you are treating them very nice and not just making them feel like animals
I love that bed. It must be so comfy for them☺️
So cute pets 🥰🥰😻
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