Our New Dog

It had been 8 months since we lost our precious Miss Lily (cocker spaniel). We recently decided that we were ready for another dog and gave Kellyn the job of researching what type of dog would be best for our large family and after much research on her part she decided on a pug. So I filled out all the paperwork with the DFW pug rescue, all my references checked out, we passed the phone interview, and they came for a home visit today. After learning that my father was Dr. Shaffer they suggested we get 2 dogs!  Needless to say, we passed the home visitation and got approved to adopt a dog. Whew that was close one.  We met with a dog the very next day, July 11, to see if he was the one. And turns out he was! He stayed at our house for an hour and played with the kids. He seemed super kid friendly. He didn't mess with the baby and didn't mind the 2 year old messing with him. I would have really liked to shop around a little more or at least have slept on it, but the kids were begging and I gave in and we adopted the dog on the spot. And after only the first 4 hours he and the kids were already feeling very relaxed with each other. He is a 2 year old puggle, pug and beagle mix. He doesn't bark or howl like the beagle, thank you, Jesus! But he is still a puppy which is not what I was wanting. I was really wanting more of like a 5 year old dog that a nice family had surrendered due to a move or something. A dog that was already fully trained and just needed a new home. We did not get that. :( Right out the gate Kellyn decided to name him Buddy. Easy, simple, boring, but whatever it's not my dog. I personally thinks he looks like some sort of weird alien. Not at all like my pretty Miss Lily. :(

This was taken just a few hours after adopting him. 

So things looked like they were starting off well, but boy did things change quickly! Like I said he is still a puppy and he was like a wild dog. A good tempered dog that loved people and kids more than other dogs, but a wild untrained dog. He was in a foster home for 2 weeks and where he was 1 of 9 dogs! I don't think she ever walked him and she even told me that all the dogs peed in her house and on her bed, but that Buddy was potty trained. He kept nipping at the big kids. He never really bothered the littles kids. They seemed to be more in charge or something. But he wanted to play and rough house with them, but they did not know how to make him stop and would end up crying and yelling for me to make Buddy stop biting them. He never made them bleed or anything malicious, but every time they would move he thought that meant play and nip. He just had to be taught what was acceptable and what was not. But the big kids and Max for that matter didn't know how to be the authority over him. Each time this happened I would tell Kellyn we cannot keep a dog that bites her and her sibling. She would agree that we could give him back, but then change her mind when he would be good again. Then there was another problem, he peed and pooped in my room, our room, the mast bedroom like 5 times. He peed in Kellyn's room once. And then peed on everything downstairs. We quickly learned he could not ever go upstairs again. He destroyed the most toys and peed the most upstairs. Thank God for the baby gates and being able to sequester him downstairs. Kellyn wanted him sleep in a bed on the floor in her room. I don't think so! This went on for about 4 weeks even though he would use the doggie door and go outside with no problem. He just still wanted to mark his territory all over our house. He chewed up about 5 stuffed animals. I mean stuffing was every where! He chewed up numerous toys and all of our plastic drinking cups. The little kids could not play with wooden blocks, Duplos, train tracks, baby toys, you name it without having it stolen and destroyed by Buddy. This also went on for about 4 weeks. And still happens a little bit now, but not nearly as bad. Dad gave us some flat dog bones for him that he likes and we discover that he likes to chew on cow hooves so thats helped. Regardless, by early August, after 1 month of dealing with this I was done and ready to give him back or pay $1,000 for dog training bootcamp. Let's just say the first 6 weeks was awful. He even jumped on kitchen table and dinning table during dinner and stole food constantly! I hated this dog and was not bonding with him at all. I mean he would dart out the front door all the time, but not go too far so we could get him back easily, but it caused Kellyn so much stress and anxiety. We were all living in jail. We had be on constant lock down and squeeze in and out the front door because of the dang dog. She couldn't even walk him. He would pull her down and he only weighs about 25 pounds. The dog was a source of constant fighting and arguing and just was over it and couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't worth it.

After he destroyed Kellyn's brand new, expensive glasses, that we made her pay to replace, that was it. We had a heart to heart with Kellyn about either giving him back or training him. Like I said, he is super good about letting the baby pull his ears and mess with his feet and letting the 2 year old sit on him all without even flinching. But he wasn't trained. He seemed very trainable, but I didn't have the time or money to do it. So Kellyn solved her own problem and began watching dozens of You Tube videos on dog training and actually somewhat trained the dog. She has him at a tolerable level now. He no longer jumps on the table or pees in the house. He still chews up stuff, but not to the point that it was and we can leave the little kids toys out now without worrying about him destroying all of them. He doesn't dart out the door anymore. She trained him to stay back when we open the door. He did run out once recently, but ran right back. He is learning that we are his forever home and that Kellyn and I are the pack leaders. :) We got on a nice routine of Max walking him in the mornings and Kellyn walking him in the evenings. One of us goes with her and the other stays home and bathes the little ones then we switch the next night. He is getting more behaved, but still drives me crazy and really wouldn't be upset if he ran out the door and didn't come back. :0 But Max has really bonded with him. 

When Buddy first arrived Priscilla and Rosey the rat were thrilled to have a water bowl to play in and drink from. :) We finally had to keep his food and water outside because Priscilla kept dumping all over the floor and eating it. And we don't let Rosey out to play now until after we put Buddy in his crate for the night. At least he came to us crate trained. That was his saving grace and he knew how to sit. That was good too I guess. 

I do believe Buddy would eat Rosey if give the opportunity so we don't risk it and keep them separated. He seems content to just stare at her. 

Bo and Priscilla have so enjoyed playing in the crate, but she doesn't like it when we put Buddy in his crate to leave the house. She always wants him out. 

He can be a good dog and lay down and relax with the family sometimes, but other times he is a spaz.

Bo really likes him and the feeling is mutual. 

Kellyn took these pictures of her dog one day before school to show her friends. 

He is by no means my favorite, but he is ok, I guess. I mean he destroyed all of our plastic drinking cups. I think he looks like a small boxer. Everyone told me they couldn't believe I was taking on getting a new dog with 4 young kids, but I didn't know why people were saying that. Now I get it. It's a lot of work for me, mostly me, just like everything else, but the kids love him. We'll just have to keep up with training him.