Dos Peros

Soooo..what do you say about a man at 45 who suddenly comes up as the possible owner of two dogs? As regular readers know our family suffered a major psychological blow last year with our sons leaving (escaping?) to college. We dealt with that very well trying to focus the excess energy on our two remaining homebound, long suffering children. They did not seem to enjoy that. Then our old, tired, back surgeried mutt declined to a point where she was fairly unhappy... perhaps even tremendously unhappy...and she needed to be put to sleep. That was Rascal and Rascal was a smallish, skittish mutt who came into our lives when we were obsessed with the rearing of young children. The kids noticed we had a dog around but not much else. Anyway...Rascal was gone and my wife was thinking we did not need another dog but I began to plot and scheme.

For me, for whatever reason with all my insecurities, a family does not look like a family without a dog shambling around, sniffing people, barking at strangers, peeing wherever sometimes, sleeping in the same room and generally being around. (That is what we call a run on sentence). So I wanted a dog. I had a good friend who was very active in animal rescue and when she realized I was a candidate for one of her charges she went to work. She had us out to a birthday party where she had some friends who were dog people and also had her 7 or 8 dogs wandering around. She also had a book of the dogs available for adoption and told my wife when they would be at Pet Smart.

It was not too much later when my wife told me she was going to “look” and that same day when she said “come over, I think I have found our dog.” Lily was there on her lap in the pet store nervous and shedding like it was snowing. Very cute. I walked her around and she skittered nervously, just a puppy. They said she was a Jack Russel/Beagle mix and she was very loveable. We took her hom, my daughter named her Lily after a few starts and stops with other names and....we had a new child. My wife focused her formidable skills on acclimating the dog getting firmly involved in:
1. Potty training
2. Diet
3. Exercise
4. Obedience School
5. Finding dog people for our rambunctious dog to play with

Sooner or later the dog started sleeping with us and became firmly embedded in the fabric of our family. Although she has too much energy it was good and with the recent Michael Vick thing I came to grips with the fact that Lily was a Pit Bull who had likely been discarded due to her smallish size. She looked liked one and acted like. If it looks like a duck and flys like a duck... But just as people told us, she was sweet, loveable full of energy and great to have around. In playing with other dogs it was rougher then I was comfortable with but tails were always wagging with all the dogs and everyone seemed to get along at the dog park.

So when my wife informed me that there was a 2 year old Labrador mix...Lola...who needed a home I thought, well...why not. Lola was owned by a couple who then had a small child and could not handle her anymore and was living with a single man who already had a dog and was hoping to find a good home. He assured us we could “try her out” but I knew from past history that when you get a dog, you tend to keep a dog. Lola is a sway back, bowl legged, ematiated dog, about 60 pounds of dog and on her way to 80 when we start to feed her. Her ribs stick through and she walks (shambles) around our house as we see if this is going to work.

It is amazing how much every new personality changes the dynamics of a household. This dog is even natured, calm and pleasant. She and Lily spent the entire first day wrestling, mouthing and of course humping each other going through all the dance of establishing the dominant dog of the house. It was all pretty pleasant and innocent with Lily walking around outside in our yard and peeing EVERYWHERE and then generally tussling on a non stop basis, tails wagging as they danced their dance. Lola has a lot more energy then Lily who although energetic has lived with the Beckers for coming up on a year and has acclimated herself to our slothful lifestyle. Lola has not been indoctrinated and by the end of the day Lily was tired so I separated them and took Lily upstairs to be with Sandy where she collapsed on the bed. My daughter let Lola upstaris and when she stuck her large face up on the bed Lily, the Pit Bull did not hesitate and made one quick violent snap at her head, catching her delicate noze in her teeth and ripping it. Sending Lola screaching downstairs to park by the back door, bleeding...as Lily settled back in on the bed. Lola seems to be a pretty gentle sweetheart and I think she was a little in shock but she cleaned up well but...it is a gash in the nose. Lots of blood.

Territorial...that was the other thing I read about Pit Bulls...territorial. She acted just as we should have suspected that she would. She was tired and wanted her space and she was laying in bed with Sandy..her master and was going to allow this final encroachment. Mid-life is odd. Stupidity never seems to go away and although we know the dog makes no sense it seems like the right thing to do. So, we are feeling our way. Seeing if this works out. Perhaps the second dog does not make sense yet...perhaps we need to get rid of another one of these kids? Food for thought.