I know that I've talked about before but.....Yes! I am crazy but life is short. I tried to do it before and that's how I got Jimmy. I went to the shelter looking for a playmate for Blue and came away with my Jimmy Chew.
Blue could have cared less about Jimmy. In fact I think he found him rather annoying.
Then Jimmy tried to play with the little ones but terriers play so ROUGH........
Enter Ralphie.
OK, full disclosure about Ralph. When I pulled up to his previous owners house, he was sitting on the back of the tailgate with the woman and he was barking and growling up a storm at me. She had to wrestle her arm around him and hold his muzzle closed with her other hand. His name was Dexter at the time. I immediately thought of that HBO show about the KILLER...But I didn't turn around and leave. Instead I looked back at my car and there was Jimmy standing with his front feet on the dashboard.
He was entranced! Is this MY new friend?
I went to the car and brought Jimmy up to Dexter/Ralphie and BAM!
Immediately they were best friends. So I handed to woman a twenty and she handed me his adoption papers from the kill-shelter she had gotten him from, his carrier and him. I put Jimmy in the car and Ralph jumped in too.
As I backed out of the drive I know I had a silly stupid grin on my face and the woman was LAUGHING as I drove away. Yes, I did have thoughts of Dexter/Ralphie turning on me in the car and attacking me as we drove home but....and now as I type this he has his little head resting against me.
So it worked out just fine! OK, yes there were times where he tried to be Alpha dog but he's finally realized he's #3 in the dominance of this home. Of course, I am Alpha. and then there would be Blue and right behind him is Ralphie. He's tried to challenge Blue before but finally Blue body slammed him to the floor with his mouth. Ralphie was wet with Blue spit and very shaken but now he gets out of his way rather than challenge him. The same thing happened with Jimmy when he first came home and Blue put him in his place the same way but Jimmy squealed and peed himself. So now when Blue walks up to the loveseat and Jimmy is on it, he doesn't even make eye contact with Blue. He just gets up with his head hung low and gets off the sofa so that Blue can lay down. Because of all this, whenever Blue wants to jump and pounce at them in the yard to play...they run like Hell. Sometimes Ralphie will still run a big circle and come back up behind Blue to nip at his back leg and then it's game on for a moment until Ralphie gets too freaked out.
So....should I get a dog for Blue? I remember when I had my Golden and she was maybe 7 years old, I brought home a second dog and I swear that she acted like a puppy again! Jumping and playing....
Of course things are much different now. I have my little "herd" of tiny dogs. I would have to get a little puppy so that it would grow up with the little ones and understand how to treat them. I'd need something with a low prey instinct. Nothing that has been bred to go after small animals. And if I did get another large dog, I would wait until I cleared the bottom of my ravine-like backyard and bring in more dirt to level it out more and then extend the privacy fence all the way to the bottom. But I need to do that anyway.
(The neighbor lady said last summer that it looks like a JUNGLE and she wants to put a gazebo on the bottom of her yard but is afraid what might be in my "jungle/ravine).
I've spent part of the day researching backyards with privacy fences:
and backyards with trees to block out the neighbors hot-tub and laundry line:
and different ways to terrace it:
#1 White German Shepherd (lots of white hair ! Yikes!)
This -
This-
into this-
Or #4 Some big footed puppy at the shelter.
so, you can see....I've wasted the day...doing laundry, mopping the kitchen floor. Doing some sketches in my SKETCHBOOK. Getting mad at myself for always putting things off to the last minute. Reading some blogs. Sketching some more. Throwing away my sketch book and now writing out a post after looking up dogs. Yeah, I have to wait. I have to get things done around here and the backyard redone and finished but I was just thinking....
Guess I'll go clean the bathroom now, throw in another load of laundry and read another chapter from my library book on "writing".
12 comments:
oh yes...get Blue a Buddy...how about a shelter rescue... what's that noise here at farmhouse? uh oh.i hear some thrashing around upstairs...it's teddy and whiskey sour....never dull with a house full...and i LOVE it....
sending love,
kary teddy and the kittys
xxx
Awww Blue living with all those tiny dogs. He could use a friend. I've thought about getting a friend for Lita maybe another Chihuahua since they are supposed to be very tolerant of other Chihuahuas? But she's so freaked out by other dogs I don't think it's a good idea. She's also such a Diva and attention hog that I know she won't share me.
Best of luck in whatever you decide to do!
I think if you get a dog for Blue it should be a mix. My friend has a mix Shepherd/Lab/Husky...that is the most gentle soul. She wishes for a another big dog for him to play with too as she has two little dachshunds.
I loved your story about Jimmy and Ralphie. Too cute. How nice is it of you to get a friend for Jimmy when he wasn't even nice to you.
I don't know how you do the terriers...they exhaust me. I kept a schnauzer for a weekend and she wore me out. She wore out the weenies too...they kept looking at me like..."Is she magic or what?" because she could just spring up on to things with no effort. It really hurt Newman's feelings to see that she could just go boing...up onto the bed.
Fortunately, I found her owner and she went back home.
I loved your backyard inspiration photos...I'm going to save those to my computer for future reference. I MUST do something about my fence this year...it is in such bad shape. Fortunately...I have rabbit fencing up inside of it to make sure no weenies get out through a hole...but my stockade fence is not long for this world. I must do something.
So many things that need to be done...it hurts my brain.
You know, I think Blue just wants you, not a playmate. He'd probably like it if he was the only dog, not to add one more and who knows if he'd like that dog anyway?
I would suggest a mixed breed/mutt if you went for it.
No Giant Schnauzer. Read up on them, you may have met one you love but they are tough dogs and very alpha. One has to have complete control of them generally.
yup, me, the devil's advocate.
Thanks everyone for the comments...and ya know how long it takes me to finish a project so Blue might have a bit of a wait.
And honestly, I'm kinda leaning towards the White Shepherd but...
IF I do get a "pal" it will probably just end up being someone who lands in my lap!
You lead a charmed life, dear! Oh, and I'm wearing shorts here, but I do all year-round. I want some winter!
Yes! get another, get another!
I love your choices. But then, I'd love anything!!!!
Love ya Cindi x
As You know, those White German shepherds I´ve met have been anything but bright :-) :-) But wonderfully kind and gentle :-)
A retriever of any kind fits most other dogs, so even if it isn´t a new Golden there´s lots of others to choose from.
Have a great day now!
Christer.
Bue is sooo CUT!I thought that you there were already decide that dog to arrange for Blue... being like this me leaning that the ideal would be a dog of the same race of the Blue.. why would he identify like this.
or better still.. to adopt a dog without defined race of some shelter which wants.. thousands exist needing a home and of love as the one that you can give :)
xoxoxoxox
yasmin
This is a sweet post but why has it attracted 8610 hits? We need to figure that out, Cin.
i know this is an old post.
but i couldn't resist commenting.
that may very well be my favorite picture of blue.
i loved the story of jimmy and ralphie!
i love you so much for what you do for these baby furries.
you walk the talk.
so few do.
i would let blue be blue and not share his throne with any other.
you're HIS best friend you know.
and if he needs cousin company for fun... well... he has a lot to choose from!!! XOXO ♥
Oh gosh Tammy...a lot has changed since this post.
I did clear the ravine last summer and terraced the hill, that's how I spent my summer vacation.
And Ralphie...I have never in my life given away a dog but I ended up turning him over to a very good rescue group. He had become overly aggressive and one day, for no reason, attacked my sweet little poodle, Vera. It was the last straw. Since that time I have brought Nora, my Border Collie into my home and she is my pal and Jimmy's too.
And yes, you are right. I did come to realize that I am all Blue needs. He really prefers "people" and usually could care less about other dogs.
xoxo - Cindi
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