Here We Go Again!

Our family loves dogs. Loves them.

Were it up to our boys, we'd probably have our very own pack of dogs running around out back wreaking havoc and digging up the garden.

Every person peddling pups outside of WalMart or the grocery store probably thinks when we stop to croon over their puppies that we'll take one off their hands cave and adopt one of their (usually) pit-bull mix or Chihuahua mix puppies.

Not so. We've stuck to our guns.

Which, when Judah looks up with big pleading brown eyes and says, "When do I get my own puppy?" is a very hard thing to do.

We were suckered into fell for a cute puppy once, and found that (with that litter in particular, anyway) it just wasn't a good fit for our family.

The cute little puppy we enjoyed so much grew big and ornery and began to hurt our beloved Sharpei, Raisin. Literally nipping patches out of her fur. He'd also grown ungainly and routinely knocked Judah off his feet.

Our love of dogs prevented us from heartlessly dropping him off in the desert or taking him to the pound, so we found him another better home. One where he was spoiled rotten and actually grew to learn to do things like retrieve balls and obey commands, and lived the high life indoors on sofas and everything. What more could a dog ask for in life, right?

To help our boys adjust, they were granted visitation rights.

And when his new owner was away, Jericho even got to go take care of D.O.G. again.

It was really win-win for everyone involved.

The boys gradually grew to accept things and moved on.

When D.O.G. and his new owner moved out-of-State a couple of months ago, we thought that would be the last we'd ever see of him.

Perhaps I should clarify that I hoped it would be the last we would ever see of that dog. (I'm still suffering from a combination of mom-guilt and dog-guilt, for having found him a new home after the boys got so attached).

**sigh**

Well, to my dismay the kids delight...he's baaaaaack!



Temporarily.

Supposedly.

Need I say, hopefully?

It was a long sad story, but suffice it to say, one of their new roommates was mean to D.O.G. when the owner wasn't around. Abusive, actually.

To the point where the poor dog now cowers around males.

Even I, who was so happy to see D.O.G. go, can't abide cruelty to animals.

Though it was probably mostly due to the fact that the new owner, who regards her dogs more as children than pets, was so grief-stricken (teary eyes will get me every time, I'm afraid) at having to find a safe-house for her beloved dog.

She made the long drive back here to farm out her two dogs to those who she knew she could trust to care for them while she finishes her lease and finds a suitable place of her own.

And so, for now, D.O.G. is back with us once again.

Aside from the fact that he sneaks indoors every chance he gets and has to be put back outside each time...things are going pretty well so far.

Raisin is enjoying the change of scenery in the front yard, where she reigns as queen of the soon-to-be grass-covered (it's newly planted and growing in quite nicely) yard, which she gets all to herself, only occasionally working herself into a lather barking at her nemesis through the dividing fences, and usually then only when one of us gets too close to 'the enemy'.

Sharpei's are fiercely loyal and protective of their people.

The boys, of course, are thrilled with our yard guest. They are no doubt already getting attached to the cur all over again, because in spite of D.O.G.'s fear of men, he still still trots happily around behind his old buddy Jericho. Just like the old days.

(Oh, the guilt!)

When Judah exclaimed to D.O.G.'s owner, "Thanks for giveen him back to us!", she replied rather defensively, "not forever...just for a little while!"

And those words are what I'm clinging to. That all this is just for a little while.

:: :: :: ::

Edited to add that D.O.G. only ended up staying with us a few days.

His owner found them a new home right away, and he is now ensconced on his sofa once again.

However, not even a week later, we found this little guy taking refuge under our truck.



He shied away from us, and in the 104 degree hot summer sun that day, I decided to just let him be, as he needed the shade and a cool spot to rest his paws.

After he'd had some food and drink, he moved along of his own accord to another lady down the block, who managed to reunite him with his owners.

All's well that ends well, as Ma Ingalls used to say.