It’s been a minute since I posted about our lovely little family. Between a new house, full time job, and everything in between, we’ve barely had time to breath. Yet somehow, despite all that, we ended up with a new addition to our family (and no, it’s not a baby).

World, meet Spike.

The Boyfriend and I Fall for it Again

I thought four animals would be enough for anyone. Especially since ours are probably some of the most high maintenance pets I’ve ever seen. We had just adjusted to life in our new home when we found ourselves at Animal Services, debating whether or not a new addition would be a good idea. We both already knew we’d probably leave with a dog, but I was apprehensive about how it would affect the dynamics of our little pack at home.

As soon as I saw him, cowing behind another pup in a small cage, I knew he was going home with us. My boyfriend really wanted a Chihuahua, even though I’m not a fan of the yappy buggers. But this little guy had something- he was so scared and sweet when we took him into the meet and greet area. He immediately latched on to my boyfriend. We agreed to try it out. Foster, so to speak. If it didn’t work out, Leo’s aunt had been looking for a small companion dog. He was so submissive the first few days I thought he would be a breeze to train. I really should stick to judging human character, not dogs or cats.

Dealing with the Inevitable Case of Kennel Cough

I don’t know why we were surprised, to be honest. At first, Spike was scared and overwhelmed. He also had kennel cough, which is when my boyfriend and the little pup bonded. We took him to the vet and got him medicine, but there was only so much we could do. There were at least 2 nights when I thought he wasn’t going to make it. He had to much mucus and gunk blocking his little nose, as well as wheezing and hacking, that I wondered how much he could take. My boyfriend devoted himself to his recovery. Eventually, he did get better, which is when we started seeing his little personality emerge.

The Pack Begins to Merge

Darla loved her new brother from the start, while Thor seemed more cautious. As it turned out, Spike was an adaptable little dog who immediately knew his place in the pack. But as he recovered, I discovered two not so pleasant things:

1. Spike SHREDDED EVERYTHING
2. We had ourselves a stealth pooper/urinator.

Toys that had survived a Great Dane were disemboweled and scattered all over the house. We managed to save two of Thor’s favorites, but he was merciless on the rest. We have grown used to coming home and finding the white fluffy guts of stuffed toys everywhere. And no, the vacuum does not pick up that fluff, so…yeah. We discovered he has an extraordinary talent for finding any paper we might have left on a table or nightstand. Unfortunately, he shreds them and scatters the pieces like crumbs for us to find. Just this morning he decided to jump into our garden and destroy the three chili plants that had just begun to really take off. You guessed it- shredded. Completely gone. Only random leaves remained.

He also developed a serious case of hero worship with Thor. Everything Thor does or doesn’t do, Spike follows. Which would be great if he also emulated Thor’s impeccable potty skills. But no. To my horror, I discovered he was a stealth pooper. He would go out with his pack when we let them out, but also chose random corners and nooks to also do his business. It was, and occasionally still is, infuriating and frustrating. It also means our rug cleaner has seen more action than it usually does.

It’s been about four months since we got the little booger, and I’m still amazed how

well he merged with the pack. Even Willow, who usually manages to barely tolerate the canines in the family seems to look after the little tyke. With minimal hissing. What we did notice, however, is how grateful he seemed compared to the other spoiled ones. Every morning when he wakes up and finds us all still there is an occasion to celebrate. Granted, his enthusiasm is not so cute in the mornings, when it seems he is just waiting for an eye to open before jumping on us.

Little by little, he’s making his mark on our pack. While we were lucky that our dogs were delighted with their newest member, introducing new additions can be tricky business. For some good tips on how to properly introduce a new dog to your pack, we recommend Cesar’s method. As for us, I’m waiting to see what crazy adventures we will discover with our new addition. If you are thinking of adding another companion to your household, skip the breeders and stores. There are millions of homeless animals that deserve a chance to be loved and to love in return. And speaking from experience, seeing the happiness and transformation of a scared shelter dog into a confident member of a family is a reward in itself. Until next time, furry fans!