New Man in My Life
I have a new man in my life. His name is Louie. I changed it from his given name, Hughie, pronounced Hugh-gee. That was too hard for me to say over and over as I babied him. He’s somewhat cute but he’s shaved. He’ll look better when his hair grows in. He literally has no balls and is thirteen pounds. How did this happen? I swore I would never get another white dog. They show dirt way too easily.
As I was walking Sparky last week, a woman called to me from her porch. She was petite, about my age, and dressed in her jammies. I went towards her porch but she waved me off. Her dog Lucy had a back problem and couldn’t handle the excitement of dealing with another dog.
“Do you know anyone who would be willing to give a sweet small dog a home?” she asked. She proceeded to tell me about Hughie, who was abandoned in her friend’s complex back in Phoenix. He’d been rescued five years ago and now he was up for adoption again. His owner was having problems.
When I saw her the next day, Laura encouraged me again to try out Hughie. She said he was used to being carried around all the time and taken for walks often. He also barked a lot, so there would be some retraining necessary. I made the call to Tanya, the rescue person in the complex, and made an appointment to meet Hughie when I returned to the valley on Sunday.to take my childhood friend Linda to the airport the next day.
We stopped at Tanya’s. Sparky and Hughie got along fine. Of course perfect Sparky gets along with all dogs. Tanya gave me the third degree about my situation to see if it would be an appropriate placement for Hughie. I passed. A neighbor came over and cried when I left with the dog.
I still had both of my grandchildren’s car seats, so each dog rode in one on the way home. There was no whining or growling. When we got home, Hughie made a bee line for Linda and attached himself to her. He slept on her bed when she took a nap that afternoon. We decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea for him to bond with Linda since she was leaving the next morning. She closed her door that night, and Hughie slept next to me. Sparky spent his night as usual, partly on the foot of my bed, and partly on the padded rug by the side of my bed.
Linda and I brainstormed names for the Hughie. I wanted the new name to have some of the same sounds as the old so he would recognize it. I tried out Doogie, Tootsie, Boogie Woogie, and Pooky. He looks like a lamb, so I came up with Louie the Lamb. It sounded a little Mafioso (e.g. Sammy the Bull) but it fit and that’s his name.
Louie the Lamb
He did fine in Scottsdale and travelled noiselessly up to Munds Park. He seems to be fitting in well and walks on a leash, following Sparky and peeing wherever Sparky does.
Sparky has been an only dog for the last five years of his ten year life. Before that there were one or two dogs in my home, and a cat. Since I take care of my friends’ dogs when they’re out of town, I’m sure Sparky is wondering when Louie is going home. Fake out, Sparky! I’m sure Sparky will adjust, especially since Louie doesn’t like many of the dog treats I have. Sparky eats Louie’s, too.
