[Dailydrool] Snoopy's first few months as a Rutz

[Dale Rutz]

Reflections on our first few months with Snoopy.  So many firsts ….
 
First time we fed him …. and he screamed and attacked Cyrus and my husband and I 
jumped in between them and pulled them apart and realized that poor Snoopy was 
so hungry and scared he was trembling.
 
First time he saw the backyard … oh he was in heaven.  You could just see it on 
his face.  He inspected every blade of grass and every flower and every tree and 
every inch of that yard and you could see how much it pleased him.
 
First (and only) time he went potty in the house.  BAD DADPERSON!!!!  Who just 
stood there and stared at Snoopy as he hopped on one foot and then the other by 
the sliding glass door and asked to be let out.  Snoopy had only been in our 
home TWO days and had forgotten where the dog door was and needed to go out … it 
was first thing in the morning and he REALLY had to go and my husband just stood 
there and looked at him until poor Snoopy couldn’t wait any more and just peed.  
Poor baby … it has never happened again.
 
First time he played … really played.  Out in the backyard and I picked up a 
ball and threw it  and he pranced over to it and picked it up and brought it 
back and when I threw it again he HOWLED and charged after it and Cyrus wouldn’t 
play anymore because he doesn’t like loud noises (he has since become largely 
immune to the howl) but Snoopy was just SO happy he was howling and bouncing and 
running and grinning and we realized that Snoopy probably hadn’t played in a 
very long time.
 
First time we left both dogs home alone together for the day and came home ... 
and they were happy and fine.
 
First time Snoopy stole my daughters underwear and came charging down the hall 
tossing it into the air and catching it (he still does this if she leaves them 
on the floor ... GOOD dog!)
 
First time I posted on the drool …. and so many nice people wrote to welcome 
us.  And I’m sure so many more laughed hysterically at what we’d gotten 
ourselves into when we let a pretty face charm us into drastically and forever 
changing our lives (for the better … albeit crazier).
 
First time he and Cyrus cuddled.  That took a while.  When we brought Snoopy 
home he smelled like the dog pound and Cyrus does NOT like that smell (he came 
from there) and we couldn’t give Snoopy a bath for a week because they had just 
neutered him that day.  Snoopy REALLY wanted to be friends (or at least not be 
enemies with the HUGE dog who lived here already) and Cyrus was standoffish to 
say the least.  Then there was the howling and the food aggression and the 
sharing of the people ... and Cyrus was nearly 7 … it took a few weeks before we 
found them laying down together and touching.
 
First time we all cuddled.  Oh, that was SO sad.  I was laying down on the floor 
with the two dogs and my husband laid down on the floor with us and the four of 
us were all cuddled up and Snoopy was on his back and I said to him “Snoopy, can 
you feel the love?”  Well, Snoopy looked at me and he rolled over and he just 
started to sob!  I’ve never, in my life, heard a dog cry like that … it sounded 
like a HUMAN SOBBING!!  At first I thought he was hurt somehow and I started to 
check him out but my husband said “honey, he’s just emotional.”  He cried like 
that for a while.  After that when we laid down and cuddled him he would melt 
into our arms … but only for a couple of minutes and then he’d start to moan.  
These days he likes to cuddle, he’s a snuggle basset.  Last week I told him it 
was ok to remember Diane (the name of his momPerson who died a year ago which 
set the stage for a long period of being passed around and finally ending up 
homeless before he came to us) and that her memory should be for blessing and 
that she would be happy to know he was happy and loved now.  He doesn’t need to 
forget her and we hope he can enjoy her memory now.  Call me crazy but I believe 
he understood … and he doesn’t get as overwhelmed with his sadness when we 
cuddle him now.
 
First time Snoopy went after Cyrus over food and I had my hands full so I just 
told him to knock it off …. and he actually DID knock it off and everything was 
fine and I didn’t have to do anything more.
 
First time Snoopy had Cyrus at a disadvantage (Cyrus came home from the hospital 
all doped up) and he reacted by being sweet and supportive and loving and didn’t 
howl once all night after we gave him his Cyrus back.
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