Yesterday we made it official and added another family member. We’d been hosting Magnus on a two-week trial courtesy of the Pixie Project, a local animal rescue organization, but it became clear early on that we wouldn’t be taking him back. Over the past ten days or so, we’ve become pretty attached to him and he seems very comfortable and happy around us. Our two cats are not nearly so sanguine, but we’re hoping that everyone will in time learn to get along. Fingers crossed.
We’ve gone from being relatively carefree bon vivants to our lives revolving around the bodily functions of a 16-lb. Chiweenie…a breed I’d never even heard until the day we brought him home. Erin walks him in the morning, whoever gets home from work first (usually me) walks him in the afternoon, and I take him for a walk before bedtime. Regardless of who takes him out, the question the other has upon returning is, “Did he poop?” It feels kinda pathetic to have the rhythm of our lives held hostage to the bowel habits of a small dog, but such is where we (willingly) find ourselves. I realize that every dog owner in the world deals with much the same thing, but this is new to us. There’s no deciding we deserve a break…because Magnus’ digestive tract certainly isn’t about to take one.
His first vet visit yesterday revealed him to be disgustingly healthy, so now all we have to concern ourselves with is obedience training, which we’ve already started…and the cat chasing. I’ve set up a baby gate at the top of the basement stairs so the cats can get through a space just a wee bit too small for Magnus to squeeze through. That at least creates a safe space for the boys where PsychoPuppy can’t get at them.
Fred and Sjón won’t let Magnus anywhere near them, and there are a million and one places in our house for them to hide and/or make themselves inaccessible to a dog with more energy than sense when it comes to getting along. For now, I console myself by trying to remember that it hasn’t even been two weeks, and it’s clearly going to take some time for the three of them to sort things out.
Stay tuned….
