[Dailydrool] New Guy at the farm

[Michele S.]

Ruger woofing in from Howling Hound Acres. On 2 July we drove a nickzillion 
miles to meet, greet and bring home my new adopted brother. Thank you Ohio 
Basset Hound Rescue for helping my momma find and adopt me a baby brother. 
Known by OBHR as The Duke, but now and forever here on out will be know as 
Xander.  He is 18 month old, skinny little fellow, with a huge head and even 
huger feetz.  His white head blaze is shaped like a heart.  Momma said that 
must be Colts kiss of approval. When he first came home with us he was a 
little shy...and scared...but he been through a lot the last couple of 
weeks. His family didn't want him anymore just because he found a recipe for 
Crockpot Cat...well the family had a cat and he wanted to see if the recipe 
as good as it sounded. Anyway he was missing his family. His family give him 
to a family friend...after 2 weeks she decided she don't have time to take 
care of him so she hand him over to Ohio Basset Hound Rescue. Then he get 
dragged off to the vets where he get poked, prodded, and they take his 
family jewels. Then after all of that he meet me, momma, and Grandpaw.  I 
liked him so we put him in our BUV and drive a nickzillion miles back home. 
I like him well enough...but the first few days I had to show him who rules 
this roost right off the bat...that mean I humped him to show my 
dominance...now the momma showing her dominance by pulling me off, growling 
no at me and saying that she the alpha dog in this house. Well she might be 
the Queen B----, but she not the alpha...Colt now ATB and I ruled this 
house, I still rule it and now I have a new assistant. Come Wednesday Xander 
will be with us for 1 week. So far he is adjusting fairly well.  He is 
eating good, he and I eat next to each other without any problems. the last 
couple of days he and I have started to play together a little bit, and I 
have started using him as my personal pillow like I used to do with Colt 
ATB.  (that ATB still hard to type) He has 4 issues that the momma working 
on him with.  Every couple of days he pooping in the house.  He don't do it 
everyday. Momma chalking it up to new environment, new food, and her not 
understanding his go out to potty signals. He also have a little momma 
separation anxiety, probably because of all of the moving around that he has 
done over the last month, but momma tell him that he not going anywhere, but 
I don't think that he is 100% convinced of that fact.  But momma working on 
this one too, by going out and leaving us for short periods of time 
throughout the day.  Some days he does better than others. 3rd issue is he 
is supposedly an escape artist.  So momma is working on this one too.  She 
is teaching us both door boundaries, plus  now we are only allowed to go in 
or out of the house through the garage that goes out into our fenced in 
area. This is partly to keep Xander from bolting out of the doors, and 
because all of the other doors have steep stairs that could injury a houndie 
back.  We have a ramp that goes from the house into the garage, and the 
exterior door doesn't have a stairs. She us also keeping a carabineer latch 
on the gate and the storm door on the front door locked. 4th issue is that 
he has a shoe fetish...well momma not sure if he have a shoe fetish or he 
just showing her that he not happy with her leaving us to go out to work 
around the farm.  He hasn't tore anything up, but he will get one of the 
mommas or daddies sandals or flip flops and give them a gentle chew and a 
good slobbering.  Xander tell momma that he cleaning them for her....she not 
buying it. So now she is keeping hers and daddies shoes in the bedroom 
closet. We'll try to keep you better updated on the goings ons here at the 
farm.  But it is summer and work picks up this time of year.
Michele, Ruger, Xander at Howling Hound Acres and Colt ATB
Women are Angels...And when someone breaks their wings..They simply continue 
to fly....on a broomstick...They are flexible like that...