New Addition

If you follow this blog, you know that we have thought for a really, really long time about adding another dog to our household.  We have had Gracie for three years now and questioned whether or not she would like a buddy.

Last week, we visited Brother Wolf a couple of times and found two prospects.  On Friday, we arranged for Gracie to meet one of them, a miniature Schnauzer.  She was completely uninterested.  We left Brother Wolf without the dog.  We wanted to think about it further.

On Saturday afternoon, I popped out for a quick errand.  I was not terribly far from the house when I spotted a Schnauzer trotting alongside the road.  Now, if you see a hound dog in the country, you think nothing of it.  A Schnauzer, though?  That’s rare.

I stopped the car and coaxed him to me.  He was dirty but had been recently groomed.  His collar did not have an identification or rabies tag.  I placed him in the car, convinced he was someone’s dog who had escaped.

I called around the neighborhood.  To make a long story short, it turns out his original owner was going to have him put to sleep because he was “too much trouble.”  The owner’s next-door neighbor had taken in the dog but had second thoughts.  Her Pomeranian did not like him, and she had already spoken with the local shelter.  So, he is now at our house.

The nice lady who took him in had taken him to the vet recently and made sure he had all his shots.  He was given a flea/heartworm preventative.  He has not been neutered, though, and does not appear to be housetrained.  He is used to roaming free as an outside dog so he does not like being inside.  He howls and cries when he cannot go outside – and then howls and cries when he is outside.  The poor guy seems really confused and depressed.

Gracie seems fine with him.  She growls occasionally but otherwise ignores him.  He will be spending his nights in a crate beside our bed while Gracie can continue to sleep on the bed.  Let’s hope that helps Gracie with the transition.

Kiki has been slinking around the house.  She has been face to face with him on a couple of occasions. 

This change is really discombobulating for all of us.  After all, we had not fully decided whether or not we would adopt another dog.  However, we could not let this poor guy end up in the local kill shelter.  We are hoping that, after he is neutered (ASAP!), he will settle down about the roaming thing.  And, when he has been here for more than 24 hours and becomes familiar with the daily routine, maybe his anxiousness will ease.  It will take time and patience.  Let’s all hope for the best!

Rescue Mommy