Final Decision: No Second Dog July 1, 2009

I was browsing Pet Finder the other day when I ran across a dog at the Lakes Region Humane Society. Scoobie, a somewhat chubby dachshund, was surrendered by his family due to financial reasons.  He’s a bit of a senior dog, supposedly sweet, doesn’t bark, is housetrained and loves people, dogs and cats. Perfect.

I’ve been thinking a lot about why I want a second dog. I would love for Jasmine to have a doggie mentor…a dog to help her become more…well…dog-like.  Learn to play. Romp. Wrastle.  You know, doggie stuff.

I put in an adoption application for Scoobie after trading emails with the coordinator at the shelter. I’ve been thinking about him. I know we could give him a good home, but how would it impact Jasmine? My greatest fear is that I disrupt the progress she has made. I also love her deeply (as if you couldn’t tell that from this blog), and I would never do anything that would cause her distress. Jasmine is happy now days. She romps through the yard. She loves snuggling with us on the big bed. She has a good dog’s life, and she is enjoying it to the fullest.

I told Hubby how conflicted I was about bringing a new dog into our happy home.  I’d love to give Scoobie a home. But would it hinder Jasmine’s progress? Would it take away from her?

He finally asked me WHY I wanted another dog. Jasmine is happy. I am happy. I told him that I wanted him to have a dog as well. HIS dog. A dog who follows him everywhere. A dog who greets him with the same joy that Jasmine greets me.  He told me that while it would be nice, he’s not the dog person. I am. So it wasn’t necessary for him to have HIS dog. As long as Jasmine and I are happy, he’s happy.

And we are. I love the life I’ve given Jasmine and the companionship she gives to me.  I don’t think I want to disrupt that. So once and for all, no second dog.

UPDATE: One of this blog’s readers saw this post and is now going to adopt Scoobie!!!!!!  YAY!!!  I’m SO happy that Scoobie is getting a home and that I had some small part in his adoption.  WOW!

I’m Not Ready November 16, 2008

We went to the foster home that Jasmine came from yesterday to check out more potential companions for Jasmine.  The foster mom had just received two females from a backyard breeder–one of which had just had puppies nine weeks ago.  The puppies (two girls and a boy–all three are black-and-tan) were being fostered as well.

The two females–Millie and Molly–were very friendly and happy, but a bit undisciplined.  Millie is a tweenie red and Molly is a black-and-tan with a tiny bit of dapple in her blood.  Molly seemed to be a bit malnourished–she had lots of thin spots where hair should have been.  She was also swollen from recent nursing.

There were several other doxies in residence.  Tuli and Mack have already been adopted and are awaiting the renovation of their new home–complete with dachsie ramp.  Hank and Bella were rescued from a situation where they were kept outside all the time.  They are a bonded pair, and since coming to the foster home, they have adapted well.

I liked Hank.  He was about Jasmine’s size, and he really liked hubby.  The problem was that he once was a pampered boy…and then his family banished him to the outdoors (they had a baby).  Because of this, he has trust issues and has been known to snap when scared.  He also has issues with possessiveness with food and with handling.  It’s going to take some time to build his trust, and I’m not sure that I’d feel that he could be safe around the grandkids.  He’s also bonded with Bella…it would be a shame to break up the pair.  Bella is a dominant female, and that wouldn’t sit well with Jasmine.

Jasmine didn’t want anything to do with any of the dogs.  I even had puppies climbing on her.  She loves puppies but was so intimidated by the situation that she ignored everything and everyone.  When I put her on the ground, she cowered behind my legs.  The only time she relaxed was when she was curled in my lap.  I was hoping she’d connect with one of the dogs, but that was too much to ask.  There were too many dogs, and she just shut down.

I learned something else yesterday.  I’m not ready.  I keep thinking about what will happen to her if we bring another dog in the house.  She’s still coming out of her shell, and I’d hate to reverse her progress.  It may sound silly, but I don’t want her to lose her status as the “pampered pooch” of the house.  If we bring another dog in that becomes alpha, she WILL lose her favored position.  And I’m not ready to do that.  So I think we’re going to shelve the “get a second dachshund” decision until we’re settled in our new home back East.  After the dust settles and we’re all comfy in our new lives, we’ll revisit the question.  Until then, Jasmine will be an only dog.

P.S. If you’re in California and are interested in any of the dogs described above, please go to the Southern California Dachshund Rescue page.

Doing What’s Best for Jasmine September 22, 2008

I stumbled across a post on Craigslist for a dachshund that needed rehoming, and after talking with my husband, I answered the ad.  The cute little black-and-tan boy needed a new place to live because of a family health situation.  The owner responded to my inquiry, and I called her to talk to her about the dog.

The dog, a 4-month-old puppy, is a happy, healthy little guy that just needs more than the family can give him in the coming year.  I understood their decision to find him a new home, and I asked the owner a bunch of questions.  The original ad didn’t state that the dog was still so young, and I was a little concerned that a puppy would be a bit too much for Jasmine.  However, Jasmine is great with puppies (albeit, much younger than this dog).  We talked a bit about our situation, and then scheduled a time to meet that afternoon.

Hubby, Jasmine and I went over to meet the family and the dog.  The dog is a very well-mannered, beautiful boy.  He loves being held, but he’s coming into maturity and has started, um, practicing for the future.  He even tried to “practice” once with Jasmine.  However, he was very friendly, curious and not at all hyper like some dachshunds (especially puppies) can get.

I watched Jasmine carefully, and unfortunately, she didn’t relax at all.  She was stressed the entire time we were there, and she spent most of the 1 1/2 hours we were there huddled in my lap or behind my legs.  I thought that she would be okay after more time and we really liked the dog and wanted to give him a home, so we arranged to take him in.

That night and all day the next day I thought about how this new dog would impact Jasmine.  He’s sweet, happy and very well socialized and would provide Jasmine with some lessons on how to be a dog.  However, he’s also very dominant and given his current hormonal situation, he would definitely be jumping on Jasmine quite a bit.  At 18 weeks, he already outweighs Jasmine by a few pounds and a few inches.  My main fear was that he would undo much of the progress that we’ve made with Jasmine and push her further into her shell.  She’s just starting to come out and show more confidence, and I didn’t want to undermine all that it has taken to get her to where she is today.

I called our pet-sitter (a former dog breeder and trainer) and asked her opinion.  She told me that given what she knows about Jasmine, a puppy with dominant tendencies and one that’s coming into maturity would probably be bad for Jasmine.  She told me that a calm, quiet and older dog (preferably male) would be the best companion for her–not a dominant male puppy. 

While I really wanted this beautiful dog, I needed to take Jasmine’s best interests to heart.  I called the owner and told her our decision to decline to take the dog.  I know my husband wanted a dog that would be more of a companion to him, but I think this dog wasn’t the right one for all of us.  So, we’ll just wait until we’re moved and then look for a suitable friend for Jasmine (and hubby). 

And yes, I think the “do we really want a second dog” question has been settled  ;-D