the good news
We have adopted another child! ( <--- and by 'child' I mean the furry, slobbery-kiss giving, leash-wearing, tail wagging kind :). He is a purebred Affenpinscher, just over a year old. His name is
Miles Davis Darling.
We weren't planning on getting another dog just yet, because we wanted to wait until after the Europe trip (so my parents wouldn't be saddled with boarding two dogs) but I saw him and there was just no saying no.. my husband and I have wanted a black Affenpinscher for a long time, and because of his circumstances he really needed people who have the time, patience and knowledge to work with him, (and who have no bratty human children).
Miles has had a very complicated life in a very short amount of time. We are the 5th home he has been in, and prior to us he was bounced back and forth between families who didn't have the patience for him, shelters and a man who was abusive to him, having beaten him so badly that he broke one of his legs. Needless to say, Miles has some issues with men after that, and is timid around all new men he meets. He warms up quickly and he is a very sweet dog. It is obvious by his behavior patterns that he has been horribly neglected and all he wants to do is make us happy. I know this is because I'm human but all I keep thinking is that he is saying, (in the only way he knows how) 'I will learn whatever I need to, just please don't give up on me, too'. It breaks my heart.
We took him lastnight to PetSmart to get him a new leash, collar, tags, (better) food, treats, a bed, food & water bowls and a huge, Great Dane sized crate (since the one he came with is about cat size and that is WAY too small for even a small dog... they need room to stand and stretch and have water, etc..) and at first he was so scared. It was as if he had never been to the pet store before! That, coupled with the fact that he is over a year old and doesn't even know basic commands makes me think he has never had any stability or caring in his life up to this point. But, that is quickly changing :) By the time we left the pet store (an hour later), he was smiling and panting and happy.. he learns very quickly and he is
so smart. He has already learned 'stay', 'sit', 'kisses' and 'lay down', none of which he knew 48 hours ago. He and Gizmo are good snuggle buddies and he has bonded very strongly with us already, following us around the house and falling asleep in our laps. He is learning that Andy is 'Dad' and I am 'Mama' and Gizmo is 'Bro'. The fact that he is so intelligent and learns so quickly makes me angry that no one put any time at all into teaching him anything when it would have been so easy to do.
He had mats when he came to us, and the first thing we did was give him a full bath, haircut, brushing and grooming, and he was so much happier once all those mats were gone. He is fixed, (probably only due to fact that he spent time in a shelter,) but having been to different homes since then, no one seems to know the status on his vaccinations. The vet says it doesn't matter if he has double vaccinations, that it won't hurt him, so she is going to treat him like he's never had any and get him all up to date on everything.
I am so happy he is with us and so sad for him at the same time. All animals deserve love and proper care, but the fact that he is a purebred (and an expensive, somewhat rare one at that!) makes me wonder if he didn't start out in a puppy mill or other such horrible place. But it doesn't matter now.. whatever bad things happened to him before we got him will become ancient history because I will never allow anyone to neglect or mistreat him ever, ever again.
