Day Two: Already Attached

I hadn't brought a new dog into my home with another dog already resident for eight years and I suddenly realized that I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing no matter what I thought before.  It was a restless night and all of us were up and down every hour.  Ellie had sipped down a lot of water and giant dogs piddle giant puddles.  I had been trying to avoid a major clean up.  I was not successful.  Eek gads.....she may need potty training as well.  

As I was up most of the night, I read about training dogs as opposed to puppies.  There is a difference.  Something changes in a dog's mindset when it reaches adolescence. So far I had never had a dog who didn't know any commands.  Initially I had wanted to change her name, not that I didn't like Ellie, simply that I wanted a name that reflected meaning for me.  Yet she comes when called by her name.  That's all she's got on the training level and I don't have the heart to mess with it.  Ellie had been slated by a breeder for "breeding purposes only" thereby negating the need to train her at all.  She came from a malnourished, under stimulated environment covered in feces and filth.  

She is two and would have been bred in her next heat.  My understanding is, that of the three Irish Wolfhounds Ellie's foster Mom took in, only two made it.  One is so afraid that she shivers when she sees new people.  She had a benign tumor removed and a  large sliver of wood pulled from her gums between her teeth.  One died as she had a cloth item trapped in her stomach and the surrounding organs necrosed.   After the one died, the two remaining girls were found outside baying together mournfully one night.  The voice of a wolfhound  will move your soul. 

Rumor has it that the Irish Wolfhound community may be a bit closed minded.  Through the years I have found that many purists can be over the top with self righteous indignation no matter the topic.  The wolfhound community had strongly voiced their opinion that the eleven dogs rescued should be distributed only within the Irish Wolfhound community.  These dogs were breeding stock after all.  

The maintenance and necessity of  pure blood lines has value and purpose.  Yet it is not the only reason for breeding and adopting dogs. Certainly it is not a more noble cause than the rescuing of dogs out of inhumane situations and putting the dog's best interest first.  Being at at the top of the food chain means we can afford to demonstrate benevolent behavior and put the best interest of individual dogs above our own desires occasionally.  Sometimes it isn't about what they can do for us, but what we can do for them.  (This is coming from a woman who buys "free range" eggs as the thought of even a chicken unable to walk around as nature intended is offensive.)

I hadn't expected Ellie to stir emotion in me.  Last June 16 I lost my Aiden, an Irish Wolfhound/Terrier mix, to old age.  She was ten.  We had eight lovely years together.  The last three had been just the two of us as her soul mate Shasta, a very large German Wirehaired Pointer had died.  Never having adopted the same breed  twice, Ellie has taken me back.  She has some of Aiden's antics and the same beautiful, naturally black line that surrounded Aiden's eyes.  
 
Chance, my Rough Collie rescue, has made play bow at Ellie a couple of times.  She has yet to buy into his games but she did slap him with a big wet tongue.  Chance is smiling that silly smile again.  It was his smile in his picture that had prompted me to adopt him.  The three of us napped off an on all day after our short walk.  As the sun set, the wind began screeching outside and the freezing rain pelted the windows.  I closed the bedroom door and when I climbed into bed I could see the outlines of Chance and Ellie sleeping; their rear paws were just touching.  We have to make this work as I am becoming attached already.