Josh and I had been talking about maybe getting a second dog. Happy loves to run with other dogs and gets really excited when she hears other dogs playing in a nearby yard. It’s a little pitiful to see her run to the top of the hill, wagging her tail excitedly, and then realizing that the dogs aren’t coming over. So we’ve been saying maybe it’s time to find Happy a buddy. This dog apparently overheard us. I was in the front yard, watering some creeping phlox I had put in a few days ago, and looked up to wave at some neighbors. Then I looked down to see that this dog was sitting quietly at my feet, much like he’s sitting in this photo. Like, poof! here’s a dog. I continue watering; the dog continues sitting. I go to fill a watering can; the dog comes with me. I say to the dog, “If you’re going to be in my yard, you’re going to do as I say. Sit!” The dog sits as I walk away. “Stay!” The dog stays. “Come here!” And the dog trots over to me.
The dog follows me all over the place, which is kind of funny. Then I go into the yard and close the gate, and the dog trots into the street in front of the neighbors’ lawn service truck. The dog walks back into the front yard and sits down. Dilemma: Leave the dog and go on my way, or bring this dog, which clearly must belong to someone who I’d imagine is missing it, into the yard? Well, you see the photo, and I’m writing this post, so it’s pretty obvious which way I went on this.
Took him to the vet this morning: no microchip. Walked him around the neighborhood; nobody recognizes him. Put up some signs and am hoping for the best—whatever that is. Happy totally digs him for now, for whatever that’s worth, and Josh has started calling him Tito. As in Trinidad.
In birding news, I just saw a wood thrush land in the backyard—the first of the season. Thrushes I’m ready for; new dogs, I’m not so sure.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Kathy // Mar 28, 2008 at 8:59 am
He’s adorable! I’ll take him if you don’t want him and are unable to locate his owners. I live in Winston-Salem.
2 Jane R // Mar 28, 2008 at 1:07 pm
OMG he’s cute! And I am not even a dog person.
3 Iris // Mar 28, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Isn’t he just ridiculously cute? And so smart and well-behaved. I’ve never been a small-dog person and had been on the fence about keeping him, but Happy is just crazy for him, so we might have to make room for another dog bowl. We’ll see how things go through the weekend…
4 Stephanie // Mar 29, 2008 at 7:56 am
You’d be surprised at how quickly you can love a small dog! I’ve always loved and had larger dogs, and our current one (rescued) ended up being about 30 lbs…not too large or small, but my how we love how he can snuggle up to us on the couch. Now if I could just get him to stop barking at the birds…
5 Mary // Mar 29, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Tito looks like a dog from a Disney movie! Suddenly he was at your feet? How funny!
THAT is a very cute dog. Being obedient is a real bonus, too.
I wonder about his owners…
Mary
6 Mel // Mar 31, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Yea! He’s so cute! I think it’s time to get Jackson a new friend too. Maybe they could all be in a hipster band together? Jackson might be a little pushy and piss everybody off but he’s a good howler and he plays the banjo.
7 gwen Buchanan // Apr 4, 2008 at 7:51 am
Love this little story … so cute ,and your bird photos too, beautiful….. at one point last year we had 5 dogs… One was a visitor like yours that stayed with us for about 6 weeks… he was pretty cute and he would dance
8 Iris // Apr 4, 2008 at 8:18 am
Oh Gwen, five dogs? I’ve had moments this week when I thought these two would make me lose my mind. You’re much stronger than I am!