After 3 years since we put down our last standard poodle, Max and decided to pet sit, but not get another dog.
The loss was just too painful. And then something changed. We took care of a friend’s dog, Duke, that had the same temperament as Max and the house felt the same as before.
We decided then to adopt another dog … a small one this time. Along came a 15-pound Schnoodle that stole our hearts. He was very shy, afraid of people, and would not walk on a leash.
We met him and decided to adopt him (we were the 4th family who met him). When the foster mom and her daughter arrived with “Gaxton”, I was told that he was a “hoarder dog”, a dog raised with lots of other dogs and no human contact … almost a feral dog.
He was sweet, sad, very submissive, fearful, and leary of us, and stopped shaking after I held him in my arms for a few minutes. We renamed him “Lucky” because we were lucky to have found him and for him to have found us. That was early May 2020.
For over a month, he never lifted his tail nor his head and did not utter a single sound. An animal communicator spoke to him for us.
He was going on 4 years old when the weather got cold, wanted to know where all the dogs were and what he was supposed to be or do with us.
We then understood why he paced around the perimeter of our yard, looking for a way out (he did escape 4 times) so he could search for the dogs … his only companions.
Enter Kiki, a Jack Russell-Rat Terrier mix puppy, who he had grown very attached to at the foster home.
The foster mom offered to bring her and another dog to visit Lucky, so we could see how he interacted with other dogs (her ulterior motive was to get us to adopt her, too, but that’s another story).
As soon as Lucky saw her, he immediately started barking and wagging his tail, jumping and playing! OMG, he was a different dog!!!!
After they left, he spent the next 1-1/2 days searching for her and, finally, crying and moaning. It took a few days to get ready for her, but we got her shortly after.
Her name was “Trouble”, but we renamed her Kiki (short for “Kinky Boots”, for her 3 white paws and one white boot).
They are inseparable and Lucky is learning how to “be” with people. Kiki is a bundle of energy, she just turned 1 the end of last month.
I can’t wait until she stops chewing things and “spiriting” things out through the doggie door … socks, gloves, treat bags, small dishes, toys, whatever she can get her mouth around.
Lucky goes on walks with us, off-leash and we are still working on getting him to walk on a leash.
Their favorite thing to do with us is lay on the couch with us while we watch television.
We are quite a happy and hopeful family!
Happy February, hope your month is full of love,
More of Lucky and Kiki together
Because I just can’t resist.
