Our little "Angel"

Last year was hard. Last July, after 2 seizures in two weeks we decided Liam, our big lovable 12 year old Golden Retriever, had lived a full and happy life.  It was time for him spend the rest of time chasing squirrels in the sky.  In mid-September we had a month-long battle with Nikki, in and out of the vet. Every few days with a new, scary symptom. It was heart wrenching. In the end they realized she had had a stroke.  We had had enough of our 14 year old lab suffer.  Another terrible, terrible decision.

I swore I wouldn't get another dog.  Or if I did I'd wait years. I knew I wasn't ready because I'd tear up randomly thinking about Nikki and Liam. It didn't let up. I didn't let on to the hubby how upset I was, especially when months had passed and I still was a mess.

I think the worst part was the quietness.  After having 2 big dogs that snort and snore and always under foot (so you're constantly "Liam, move! Nikki, come!") it was unsettling to read early on a Saturday morning with three cats on my lap but not a peep in the background. (they're quiet purr-ers)

A few weeks ago I couldn't stand it. I'd wrestled with how easy our life would be with no dog. We didn't have to worry about being home at a certain time, We didn't have tot worry about going out of town "Who's going to watch the dog? Is the pet sitter available??"  If the hubby was out of town I wouldn't have to worry about running home to let a dog out.  But the more I thought about it the more I'd rather deal with those "impositions" than be dogless.

So I made the decision for us that we were going to get another dog. : )  I like big dogs. The hubby wanted one that wasn't so shaggy and hard to groom. We found a rescue that was a great dane/ hound mix!  He was perfect!

The hubby named him Indy.

He's about 2-3 years old. He's housebroken, (fantastic!! : ) knows a few basic commands, (when he wants to "remember"...) and he's very gentle and calm.  IN THE HOUSE.   When you get him outside around other dogs and/ or lots of people he goes bat-shit crazy!!!

This is why he and I are starting obedience training Wednesday night.  Oh, did I mention he doesn't come when called either??  And that when we took him to the vet he had a major ear infection so we get to start out our first two weeks torturing him with ear meds?? (no wonder he won't come when called...)

Over the weekend I happened to catch Indy in the neighbor's yard.  That's a problem because we have a FENCED IN YARD!!! Panic ensued inside our house as we raced outside to track him down. That was followed by the hubby going outside and "fixing" a few spots that apparently this monster of a guy could squeeze through.  (He's only 80 lbs - I call him my "mini dane" but he's tall.) 

This morning, before heading to work, I went to fetch him from the yard after his morning poo time. I couldn't find him.  At all.  Damn it!  He escaped again!  The "fixes" weren't "fixed" enough, apparently.  The problem now is that the hubby is out of town.  I was on my own.

After much wandering through the neighborhood, trudging through bushes, brambles, overgrown trees, ravines and underbrush I caught him. (See, doesn't come when called)  Luckily we had circled back around and were close enough I could walk him back to the house instead of back to my car (which I initially drove through the neighborhood trying to find him) because he was COVERED in mud. I shut him in the garage and retrieved my car from the other end of the development.  Gave me time to calm down because at this point I admit I was rethinking this new dog decision...

The local K-9 Wash-n-Go is closed on Mondays. (crap!) so Indy got a nice warm sponge bath in the garage (which he enjoyed waaay too much, if you ask me) before he was allowed back inside. I had to change my clothes and ended up at work 2 hours late.

I'm hoping, dispite this fiasco, he will become my hiking buddy, running friend (oh, he LOVES that.  that's another sotry for another day.) and I hope he will even go camping with us. But before we try any of that I need to be confident he'll come when called!!! 

Check back here for more Indy shenanigans. Because, unfortunately, I have a feeling there will be more to come.