An "Anniversary Gift" for Rusty

So Rusty missed writing on his "anniversary," which was yesterday; Mommy had a long day at work and got home late. Three years ago, we brought him home from the shelter in Citrus County...that's right, we drove all the way up northwest of Orlando to adopt him! Or as Justin said, "Three years ago today, Rusty was barfing all the way home in my car." One of the many sad things we learned about him in those early weeks and months was that he is prone to carsickness. Much of that has disappeared as he has rehabilitated, but for long rides, we give him a dose of non-drowsy dramamine, and he does just fine.

The main reason I wasn't able to write on Rusty's behalf last night was that I was working on a possible "anniversary gift" for him. I spotted a rescued young male Pekingese on http://www.petfinder.com/ who is in a shelter up in Hollywood. According to his bio, he was rescued from a breeder who was going out of business. He's a year old, already neutered, and is friendly and affectionate, according to the information. His name is Miracle, which we will be changing if he ends up coming to live with us permanently. I spent a good part of last evening filling out the adoption application and gathering my reference info. The shelter opens at 11AM, so we'll be heading up that way, with both dogs in tow, around then to visit Miracle. This would be a good weekend for us to bring him home, since I have a three-day weekend with President's Day on Monday.

Miracle

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this adoption will work out. Rusty went to the vet last Saturday for his annual checkup, and he now weighs 19 pounds! He's gained about a half-pound since his last checkup in August, which is too much. He has a chipped bone and some arthritis in one of his front legs (I never can remember which one it is) that are a result of injuries he received before we adopted him, presumably as a result of the abuse to which he was subjected. We keep it in check with Dasuquin, but controlling his weight also helps reduce the stress on those joints. It occurred to me immediately that, since Shasta has been gone, we know he is not getting as much exercise as he used to when he had her to play with. So, as you can see, adopting another baby is really a medical necessity for our beloved Rusty!

The reason we are considering another male is because of the remarkable change in Lady's behavior I have mentioned previously. She and Shasta never really got along very well. Shasta, of course, was always our "alpha;" she was the boss, and let everyone know it. But Lady came to us from an "only-dog" household, where she had been for over eight years. The two girls eventually learned to co-exist, but there was regularly friction between the two of them. We found ourselves frequently breaking up arguments, especially at bedtime, over sleeping arrangements. They both liked to sleep under our bed, and each thought the other was an intruder.

Now that it is just the two Pekes, they share more of an egalitarian existence. Neither dog really exhibits "alpha" behavior, and Lady actually kind of likes Rusty. She has become more outgoing; before, she spent most of her time sleeping behind the sofa or upstairs under our bed at times other than bedtime. She is eating much better, and has gained weight up to almost 9 pounds. That is a real accomplishment, since at the worst of her behavioral issues, she was down to about 6 1/2 pounds!

Lady has also become more playful and frisky, bounding around the house like a puppy, dropping down into the trademark "Peke stance" (front legs down on the ground, butt stuck up in the air) that says, "I'm ready to play!" She STILL won't play with Rusty, and he certainly tries to engage her, but they do run around together when they are outside.

The most interesting development we have seen in Lady is she has become much more vocal. If they are outside, and she is ready to come in, she lets us know if we don't get to the door quickly enough to open it. We call it "ringing the back door bell." She also has just begun to bark to let us know when she is finished with her meal and is ready for her reward/goodie. We learned from Kathie*, on one of our trips away, that Lady likes to eat in a crate. Whodathunkit? She hates being crated; we tried that when we first got her and learned the hard way that she is what Kathie calls a "dirty dog." That is to say, she has no problem soiling her crate and lying in it (most dogs will not do that, which is why crate training is a valuable tool in housetraining).

However, a crate, or the "dining car," as we have come to call it, is where Lady likes to have her meals. We think it probably stems from the fact that she was an "only" for so many years, and is not comfortable eating when there are other dogs around to possibly molest her. And Rusty certainly will do that, the chow-hound!

So Lady enjoys her meals in peace in her "dining car," but again, if we are not quick enough to let her out of the dining car and reward her for eating all of her meal, she lets us know about the infraction with a short, loud, sharp bark! It's really quite humorous.

Since we have observed these dramatic changes in Lady's behavior and character, and we know that females will often...um...argue, that is why we are considering a male playmate for Rusty. He is so easygoing that he will probably get along with anyone; the girls certainly have him whipped into shape. And with another, younger male in the household, Lady may continue her more dominant behavior. Who knows, she may assert herself as the new "alpha!" At 12 years old, and with one eye blind, she is really amazing.

Please stay tuned, as I will be writing more about how it works out with the potential "new addition."

And happy "belated" anniversary to our Rusty!!

* To learn more about Kathie the Dog-trainer, please visit her website at http://www.happypetdogtraining.vpweb.com/.