We didn’t intend to get a dog, yet we now have a Husky. Our neighbor found a stray and convinced us to take it in. We left a notice at the animal shelter, but so far, nobody has claimed him. We figured that it would be good practice for us to prepare for a child in our lives. We named the dog Lenny, after the title character in one of our favorite movies, Zelig.
We got Lenny a doghouse, and he stays in the yard. I’d let him inside, and clean up after him while he learns, but Lou is adamant that dogs are meant to live outdoors. When he was a kid, the family had a dog named Lucky who was just fine outside until he escaped and was never found. Hopefully he was lucky enough to find an indoor home. I am having fun teaching Lenny tricks, good behavior, and going to the park to run around and fetch. Fortunately, he isn’t much of a barker. I just need to figure out how to get him to stop digging holes in the backyard. Lou made a concrete pad for his doghouse and embedded a stake to attach a line. Lou takes such good care of the yard and the gardens, and the dog simply doesn’t understand that his digging is not part of the landscape plan. I think the digging would stop if he could have our companionship inside.
Our ex-friends recently got a couple of unplanned dogs as well. Lou got into a dispute with the husband, and after several heated arguments, they both told him to cease any further contact, and made it clear they now had a security system and guard dogs at their home. I honestly don’t know all the details, and it is probably better that way.