My husband had a conversation about Puppy getting poisoned with his boss and two days later came home with Terry even after I told him NO MORE DOGS! Apparently, we had an opening that needed to be filled, although I’m sure we are still way over our animal status quo. Terry’s owner has recently had a foot amputated and he isn’t up to taking care of him anymore. So here he is.
Terry is a pedigree Belgium Shepherd. He’s absolutely gorgeous. He’s about the same age as the Puppers, but he’s been cooped up inside for so long that he’s a bit needy. He’s also bigger than the Puppers and honestly, somewhat of a bully.
George was NOT happy with Terry’s arrival. He had assumed Puppy’s position as head dog in his absence. He and Terry had to battle it out to establish dominance. George lost, but I don’t believe he’s given up quite yet. We’ll have to keep an eye on the two of them as they try to figure out who is in charge.
Fred is our meek and mild Pupper. He just wants everyone to be friends. When Fred and Terry were together, Fred rolled over and submitted without batting an eye.
Even though Terry is a shepherd, he hasn’t shown any inclination to herd. Our goats are terrified of him. That’s disappointing. He’s also impossible to walk even though he’s supposedly leash broke. He runs in circles and even gives my husband a rough time of it. We aren’t ready to let him off the leash yet because of the whole poisoning risk and then there’s the fact that he’s still settling in. He might run off and get lost or something.
Our animal routine has become complicated with the addition of Terry. The Puppers need their walks but can’t be taken out at the same time as Terry. Terry needs walks, too. So that means two sets of walks each time it’s walk time.
Then there are the living accommodations. The Puppers are in the animal area, which is where all dogs are supposed to go. Terry is in the backyard. Only he can’t stay there after the chickens wake up because he thinks they are fun to chase. The thing is, the chickens aren’t supposed to be in the backyard either, but it seems I have no say in the matter. Therefore, after the sun rises and he has his walk, he is taken up to my sister-in-law’s backyard for the day. The Puppers stay down here now instead of heading off to doggy daycare.
Despite all the walks that must be taken, I don’t get to handle any of them. The Puppers on their double leash are too much for me. Terry, with his wire cable extra reinforced leather handle leash, is certainly too much for me. I miss Puppy who would gleefully walk around the block by my side.
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