Of all the dogs I have had the pleasure of knowing or owning in my lifetime, our recent acquisition is the least likely to require a human or animal companion to keep him occupied and content.
His previous keepers represented him to be content to be quiet, not at all finicky to feed, and just the proverbial slow-boat rather than a showboat. Fast forward to reality.
Our new roommate zooms around the house like he was avoiding ICE, dashing in and out of his gifted cage multiple times in succession, then around the couch, in and out of the kitchen, and through any open door to a bedroom. He has a conniption when witnessing the reflection of a biker, walker or truck passing his lodgings and actually flips if one of them strolls up to the door for a delivery or to say hello.
Yes, one can easily get whiplash trying to follow his constant pace. But there’s more. That is if you are bold enough to purchase toys for him that emit a squeaky sound or offer him a “bully stick” or “chicken stick” that cause the security alarm to provide unwanted entertainment when surprised by the sounds emitting from him chewing on his possessions. Of course, either choice beats his chewing the laces on my favorite walking shoes.
Most of this behavior could be tolerated with the assistance of a few glasses of Pinot Grigio were it not for being awakened every morning to my friend pulling my bed sheets, trying to bite the mattress, and crunching sleepy fingers if I am not quick enough to remove all body parts from danger before he lunges towards my sleeping area.
He does possess some decent traits, however, that I would be remiss not to mention at least briefly. Such as keeping his pee pads free of defecation by removing such contents from the pad in question and hiding it somewhere in his cage or elsewhere in the home.
Were I totally honest about this new family member, I would have to mention somewhere between the lines or in the margins that I would be devast-ated not to have the little runt in our lives!