Week One, Great Fun!
More from my mom, who is sharing her adventure of getting a new puppy. – Kelly
Fred picked up our new puppy from a meeting place in Indiana last week without me last Monday. I had to work. The pup had traveled all the way from his foster home in Georgia the day before thanks to a kind group of Ridgeback enthusiasts and volunteers. We were a little worried about this drive since the puppy was known to get carsick. It was a two-hour ride back to our house and he did very well. He just lied in the car very quietly.
My daughters help pick a name for him, something simple but relevant. We decided to call him Leo because Rhodesian Ridgebacks are also known as African Lion Hounds.
We found out right away our little friend from Georgia was not fond of the Chicago snow, or icy sub-zero winter! Thank goodness he came with a warm coat made by his lovely foster mom, Susan.
Leo was very tired the first and second day and just a little standoffish around us at first. Well, reserved might be a better word. I am sure he was confused and wondering why the heck he’d been moved from his foster home, where he’d gotten quite comfortable. Times like this I so wish we could just talk to dogs, so I could let him know that everything was going to be okay and that he was home for good now.
From the moment Leo set foot in the house we knew we’d made the right decision. Any apprehension we’d had just melted away. The second day that we had Leo there was a news report, on TV about how healthful a dog is for seniors. It improves their weight, mental outlook, and in general their health all around. It was nice to hear that kind of encouragement, along with the encouragement from the readers here at Dog Star Daily.
Fred & I decided to train Leo to ring the bells hanging on the door handle when he wants to go outside. This is working out really well for the most part. However, I may have to add another step to the training. Fred, like many men his age, is a little hard of hearing. So what I now need to do is train Leo to go up to Fred and poke Fred in the nose with his paw to get Fred’s attention before he rings the bells!
On the weekend our grandchildren (who are very respectful and dog savvy since they’ve grown up with doggy “cousins” Oliver, Claude, Dune, and Hugo) visited. Leo and the kids had a great couple of days getting to know each other. It was a blast for everyone and Leo was nicely tired out by the time they went home on Sunday. I think this too was the beginning of a beautiful friendship for both dog and kids.
I know it is early in our adventure, but I can assure any senior thinking of adding a dog to their life to go for it! A dog brings life, laughter, and love into the home. It is worth the little extra work and expense because the companionship is priceless.
I’d like to take a moment to thank Susan, the angel who pulled Leo from the animal shelter and took him on as her own personal project. She has been a great support and source of information during this process. Also, my daughter Kelly, who I usually only talk to once a week and sometimes every other week for her great support. I know I called her once or twice a day these past two week and she has been very patient hearing from her mom so often. The SIRIUS® Puppy Training and Dunbar’s Training The Companion Dog DVDs as well as the book After You Get Your Puppy have been invaluable. Our next adventure will be training class!
