Adding a New Dog to the Pack

On June 30th, Winston (a one year old, intact male Pug) came to live with us. It was completely unintentional... which goes directly against the advice I give people who want to add a 2nd (or in our case a 4th) dog to their family. I always recommend thinking long and hard about whether getting another dog is feasible before beginning the search for a suitable dog.

A neighbor had Winston in a small (3' x 3') plastic pen in her front yard with a sign saying, "Free Pug" nailed to a tree beside the street. While the pen was in the shade of a large tree, it was already over 80 degrees at 11 AM. Pugs don't do well with heat, so I went over to check on him when Mickey and I were headed to the woods for a run. Good thing I did because he didn't have a drop of water!

So, I filled his bowl from the bottle I carry to rehydrate Mickey when he exercises hard in hot weather. This was one of the friendliest little dogs I've ever seen. He just oozed with the "Pet me, love me" vibe. My neighbor's son came out and told me that "Hooch" was a year old and needed to find a new home because his owner was moving to a pets-prohibited location. I took a couple of pictures to send to friends and contacts in the dog world, so I could help find the little guy a good home.

At 1 PM, the temperature was still climbing and Winston was STILL outside in that pen. The neighbor said she had put him out there because chaos reigned when Winston was in the house with the Pomeranian she had recently adopted. Apparently, it was a growl-wrestle-run-and-hump-fest. Not having seen the two dogs play together, I had no way to determine if the neighbor was confusing appropriate play (which often includes chasing, wrestling, and what Patricia McConnell calls "tooth wrestling") or if there was a real problem.

A friend-of-a-friend had a lead on a potential home for the little guy, which thrilled me. I brought Winston over to our house to get him out of the heat.  I also wanted to see how he would do with Mickey, Mo (my friendly, but sometimes overbearing Chihuahua), Jax (my sister's shy Sheltie), and Merlyn (my 17 year old cat). We stayed outside for a while and Winston just charmed the pants off of us. The other dogs didn't mind him, even though he is full of adolescent energy.

So, we brought him inside to see. He was very interested in Merlyn, following him and play-bowing every time Merlyn deigned to look in his direction. Merlyn, of course, was totally uninterested and let him know it in no uncertain terms.  My sister's "niece" (her best friend's daughter) came by with her very skittish Italian Greyhound bitch and Winston was great with both of them. He seems to have never met a stranger.

By the time we were ready for our evening walk, we had decided to keep Winston. I am pleased to say he's fitting in well. For the first few days, the other dogs were giving him a "puppy pass," making allowances for his lack of manners. Once they realized he was sticking around, they began to issue gentle corrections when he didn't follow the rules of the house. I'm pleased to say that Winston takes the corrections well and learns from them.

We went to the vet for a check-up and to get his first round of "puppy" shots. He weighed in at 23.7 pounds, which is just a little heavy for his size. He's taller than breed standard, so I think he'll be perfect if we can get him down to 22 pounds. Although we were assured that his shots were up-to-date, there was no paperwork to prove it and I'd rather err on the side of caution. He goes back in next week to get the rest of his shots, to be mirco-chipped and to be neutered.

Since Winston's previous owner didn't teach him much of anything, having him around is like having a small puppy... minus the house-training, thank goodness! I am, however, treating him as I would a new puppy: potty breaks after eating, naps, and play coupled with lots of praise and treats when he goes outside, just to reinforce his good habits. I'm starting his obedience work from scratch, though. This week, we're working mainly on SIT, DOWN, and STAND. When opportunities arise, I'm also shaping his OFF and ON. I'm proud to report that he is doing well. I hope to start taking video of his progress this week.