Just under a year ago, I asked the board’s advice on getting a new dog. There was a consensus that we weren’t really home enough at the time, and then the discussion devolved into a debate about the merits of shelter dogs vs. dogs from breeders and I don’t know what else.
Anyway.
Schedules have been altered, the kids matured a little more, and last week we finally adopted a new friend. Eddieis a 1-2 year old yellow lab (mostly) that we got from a rescue org. He and the kids (10 and 6) fell in love instantly. Funny story - we actually applied to adopt a female dog. We didn’t realize until we were in the car on the way home that we’d picked up the wrong dog. By the time we’d gotten home and had a chance to discuss what to do, Eddie was perfectly at ease in our house and playing with the kids. The adoption coordinator was more than a little embarrassed, but happy to trade adoption papers.
Things I’ve learned this week:
Boy dogs can pee every 20 feet of a two mile walk. This amazes me.
One 45 pound dog eats a LOT more than two 12 pound cats. I’m going to just sign my paycheck over to Petsmart now.
A 10 year old boy and a 1.5 year old dog can have a fabulous time wearing one another out. Also, the 10 year old really did mean it when he said he’d walk the dog. We were about to start driving around looking for them after they’d been out for an hour yesterday evening.
The DC area apparently has a shortage of homeless pets. Most of the shelters and rescue orgs we looked at import dogs from shelters in more rural areas - West Virginia, South Carolina, etc. Now I’m intrigued by the geography of dog migrations.
One of the cats hasn’t adjusted to the new family member, but all in all it’s going well. No accidents in the house and only one chewing incident. We start training classes tonight. And, I think that the need to take the dog for regular walks will mean more exercise for all of us, which can only be a good thing!
Awww. He looks like a sweetie. Here’s to many years of happiness between your family and your poochie. (He’ll eat a little bit less once he’s done growing. I think 1 1/2 yrs means he still has some filling-out to do, but I could be wrong.)
What a cute dog! Cute name too - that’s my son’s name, lol - never knew an ‘Eddie’ that I didn’t like!
Do you mind a little advice? I think labs tend to put on weight rather easily, at least I’ve seen a lot of pudgy labs! If I were you I would go for a low carb or grain free high quality food. That way he won’t be eating massive amounts of corn, wheat or soy which can pack the weight on him. And, just like people, overweight can lead to health issues and subsequent vet bills. A high quality food is more expensive, but the dog tends to eat less of it while still getting all the nutrients that he needs. And the long walks are great - let’s hope your son maintains his interest in ‘walking the dog’ - it’s good for both of them!
Cats can be slow to adjust to changes in the household dynamic - some are more resistant than others to the change. But be patient with your reluctant one, cats are practical and self serving by nature - she may just need some time to figure out how to make this work for her, lol!
Congrats on your ‘new’ boy - looks like you guys were all meant for each other!
Well, he has got one skill down pat: looking cute.
The ‘boy and his dog’ wonderfulness is um… wonderful.
I didn’t get to keep a pet until I was an adult.
Your son is lucky. And not just because of Eddie.
Congratulations on your new family member. Eddie looks like a sweetie.
I’m interested in the part about DC area shelters importing from rural areas. I volunteer at my city’s animal shelter and we do not have that problem at all. We are always looking to rescue groups to take animals from us (in addition to adoptions, of course) because we are always so full.
I see you’ve already named it. I was going to suggest, since it’s the “Q” household, that you name it “007.” That way when you’re training it, you can say, “Now pay attention, 007!”
The two shelters near me (Second Chance in East Brookfield and Worcester Animal Rescue in Worcester) have a combined 29 dogs. Two of them are under a year old. One of those is 5 months and one is 10 months. Those are the two primary shelters in Central MA. When I was working for a vet over the summer we had a lot of people bringing in their new dogs, most were adopted from one of the two and most were at least 2 years old. One of our drug reps told me shortly before I left that the whole state has a shortage of puppies and kittens because they get adopted as soon as they’re available and because getting the word out about spaying and neutering is actually making a difference.
My town offers a discount on licensing for spayed and neutered dogs and I’m pretty sure that’s common all over the state. It may not seem like a lot but when added to a decrease in potential health problems over time, it really does make a difference. I always made a point to mention the discount to Southbridge residents who were wimbling over whether or not to get their dog fixed.
I didn’t even know MA had a puppy shortage when we started looking at petfinder and I wasn’t even sold on the idea of getting puppies. My imported dogs are my world and I am so grateful to the people who first got the idea of sending the south’s extras up here.
I somehow managed to delete the first part of my post.
Eddie is wicked cute and I think that’s his chair now. Alan Smithee - thanks for the laugh. My boyfriend laughed too.
congrats on your new family member.
