There are currently two dogs in my house.
Before you all get too excited, it’s a foster *trial* that we’re trying out here. Nice adoption place down the street from us called Luck Puppy had a Shih Tzu come in they dubbed “Snuggles,” Liz saw her online, and we went and met her today.
She’d been found in the middle of the road a couple days ago and took her to the vet. She was severely matted, had dozens (literally) of ticks on her, and she appears to have recently given birth to puppies AND currently be in heat. That’s a lot to handle for anyone, let alone piling being in a brand new home on top of it all. But, she was wagging her tail when we brought her home and was a champ on her walk with us tonight…and she’s currently curled up asleep in the kennel that they gave us for her. All without a peep. Dogs really do live in the moment. She’s just happy to be here.
Not to say that ALL dogs would endure all that with a waggy tail and not a bark or a whine. But this little one is. She *did* fall asleep in Liz’s arms earlier, only to have a little yelp when she suddenly woke up and was disoriented.
Coops seems to be handling her well. I think he might even feel a bit protective of her already…which most people would just say “awwwww” and leave it at that. Which is all fine and good, unless he starts actually trying to protect her, which isn’t his job. It’s our job. You don’t want your dog to feel like they have to protect you when you’re around and there’s no actual danger. That makes them the alpha, instead of the beta or the omega. Ya, I just dropped some Greek on you at midnight on a Wednesday. But, seriously, Coops has been amazingly calm around her. She’s calm, doesn’t get up in his face about anything, and I bet her being in heat definitely mixes up his chemistry, at least in how he sees her. He’s a neutered as he can possibly be, so it’s definitely nothing baby-making-style…I just bet she smells very interesting.
My gut tells me that we have a new dog, we’ve even chosen a new name for her…but I’m not announcing that, or that we actually have a new dog until it’s official. She needs to see the vet and get a complete evaluation. We need to know what we’re biting off here with her. She still has to be fixed, obviously, and we suspect that she has cataracts in both eyes along with some dental issues. Some split teeth, which both dogs and cats get when they’re out in the wild from fights. No other signs of wear and tear on her, though, and she’s still got meat on her bones, so I suspect she wasn’t actually on her own for that long. Perhaps a dump by a breeder after he last batch of puppies. I can’t think about that stuff for too long. Gets me angry.
And, no one wants to go to bed angry 😛
I feel, to be honest, satisfied. Definitely anxious about the change, I was clenching my jaw today I realized tonight. But I really, far and beyond mostly feel satisfied. It’s going to be wonderful to have two pups. Dogs need each others’ company. It’s natural. And, also to be honest, the only way they won’t get along is if we as humans indulge that. I truly believe that. That can be a challenge to correct, but it’s definitely doable. We’re in charge. That’s the natural order of things.
I even got some editing work done earlier today. It was a good day. Not quite as restful as it probably should have been, but it was a good day.
Oh! And I finally bought myself a new desk chair. We went to Costco and snagged one. It was more expensive than I’d hoped, but worth it. My livelihood is now sitting at my desk, I need a freaking chair that isn’t just two pieces of foam. That’s what my old chair had disintegrated to. For, like, the past two and a half years. It’s basically ridiculous. But now, the horror is over. I have a new chair. And, it’s quite comfortable.
Anyway, that’s all for tonight. I’m sure there will be lots more to report tomorrow. See ya!