We got a dog.
Carrie told me she was going to NOVA to drop off a client packet, but I was already suspicious. I'd been seeing "dog sign" for a while.
"What's this leash doing here?" I'd ask.
"OH! That's nothing," would be the reply.
Chew treats in the front seat of the Subaru?
"Hey! Don't go through my stuff," Carrie would say.
Shane started to talk in front of me one day, and I said, "Isn't that supposed to be a secret?"
The look on his face was priceless.
So, I started to make my thoughts on the matter clear.
"I don't want a dog right now."
I'm the dog lover in the family. Shane likes the idea of a dog, but he doesn't know about the work involved in raising one. Carrie can't stand the smell of most dogs and is scared of anything too large (whereas I dislike dogs who fail "the football test").
I wanted a dog eventually. Not while unpacking, adjusting, building a barn, helping my wife heal stress levels, and helping Shane start at a new school as I started a new job and was gone for most of the day.
Next summer was idea of good timing. We'd be settled, know what it takes to run a barn, and Shane and I would be home to help.
Clearly, that didn't happen.
His name is Loki. I had no say in the matter. Carrie and Shane had already bought a collar and tag for him. Shane likes the name because the twins on How to Train Your Dragon, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, say, "Loki'd" whenever they pull a prank on someone.
If Carrie wasn't trying to be loving the whole dog delivery may have felt like a massive prank, so it sort of fits.
I didn't want the puppy now, but he is a cute little guy.
Loki is a Sheltie. If you don't know what that is think "miniature Collie." He should be roughly Indy sized by the time he's done growing (20 lbs?). He's 8 weeks old.
Carrie started looking for a dog she could live with when I said, "If we get a barn, I get a dog." She'd said, "Deal" and meant it.
Carrie went to several local(ish) Shetland breeders to learn more and check if her nose could handle the breed's aroma. She didn't like that most of the breeders she found were older and without kids. She wanted a highly socialized dog.
The research trail led her to a breeder in Pennsylvania who was loaded with puppies and kids. The breeder only bred her Sheltie once a year, and Carrie hopped on the waiting list. She knew I didn't approve of the timing, but she felt like she'd found the perfect puppy and gambled on it.
I'm still coming around, but Shane's a big fan.
The cats are not. Max has been more curious,....
...but Bucket is not amused. She actually peed on a plastic bag the first night Loki was in the house. She spends most of her time hiding. The sliver of time remaining is spent watching from afar. She won't even come up to Carrie until after Loki is locked up for the night in our bedroom.
I'd wanted to keep our bedroom pet free, but this seemed like the best idea. The cats like to run around at night and I can see that exciting a pup to barking. Our room will be quieter and while my allergist said I'm allergic to dogs my body has never reacted to them. We can lock Loki up with the lights off and enjoy some TV time in the living room without him whimpering at us this way, too.
We're still figuring things out. Carrie planned ahead for a lot of things, but the situation is fluid. Loki isn't housebroken, so we're taking him outside a lot. We keep doors shut and Carrie installed a cat door to the laundry room to keep the litter box accessible to felines and not canines (Plus, it gives Bucket a safe room).
We're still figuring out food bowls, how much to feed the pup, and which toys are favorites and which are busts.
Meanwhile, Max has been establishing herself as an alpha. She has acted half annoyed and half curious about the puppy. She made the mistake of running once in surprise, but has held her ground since. Loki doesn't seem to understand the threat of it all and can't figure out why she won't play with him (but he seems to sense it'd be dangerous to dive in, so he doesn't fully pop her bubble).
I wonder how much he'll grow. For now, he can fit under the living room table with ease.
Loki is a bundle of energy, so we have to work the stink out of him.
Shane did a great job the first day.
It turned out the puppy had more stink than him in the end, though.
We're trying to communicate to Shane that some things which are funny now won't be funny later. Carrie and I don't want to teach things like "it's okay to bite and pull on people's clothes." Shane didn't see a problem with it until he wanted Loki to stop and Loki wouldn't.
Shane got the hint for all of twenty minutes before he forget whatever it was.
Carrie's trying to impart certain ways to pick up the puppy without hurting it, etc that Shane sometimes gets and sometimes ignores.
A puppy pen (that Shane called a "jail" and the term stuck) went up over the weekend to help corral the little guy. He's a nonstop bundle of energy who wants to mouth at you until you play with him.
Maybe he's smart? He seems to like to chew on rocks and dirt.
The drain pipe was tasted, but ruled undesirable.....eventually.
It's fitting Shane would get a dog who's interested in Shane's rock collection.
Just not for the same reasons.
Life is going to be full of all sorts of adjustments with a puppy in the house. I'm hoping that since Carrie went all in that she'll be okay with being home with the puppy all week without support! She says she's up for the task.
Carrie's hoping that Shane will bond with Loki and enjoy having a furry friend at the house especially after he had a rough first day at school. It may be that the timing of getting the puppy now (while very much not my choice) could be God's perfect timing.
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