Charlie

We've had a new addition to the family. Or do I even say that? I don't want to become one of "those" people who raises an animal to the same level as the humans in their family. (My apologies if you are one of "those" people...no offense intended, it's just not where I want to go.)

This is how it all began...

For Christmas Alex received, from Santa Claus, a certificate to pick out one dog with the specific stipulation that not even Dad could over rule this gift! So, the hunt for the perfect dog began. We decided that we would like to find a rescue dog, not a puppy. To say that this process was more than we bargained for would be an understatement. There were applications to fill out, home visits, trial periods, visits with foster families and more. It was craziness!

On the Friday after Christmas, we brought Confetti home with us to see if she might be a good fit. Confetti was a shy, timid part beagle/part blue tick hound mix, about 2 years old. She was sweet and cute but she did not interact AT ALL! She spent all of her time hiding out in her kennel or in one room of the house. She would not come when called, would not play, would not eat, would not go outside. Two days later we called the foster family and told her we wanted to bring her back....it just wouldn't work. We wanted a dog to play with and enjoy. Not one that apparently needed some therapy to overcome her past! To say that the foster lady was ugly would, once again, be an understatement. She would reluctantly take her back, but she couldn't do it for at least three more days. Let me tell you that lady knows what she's doing. Of course, after three more days, we felt bad for sending her back. She really wasn't getting any better but we were starting to feel sorry for her and felt that maybe she just needed a little love and attention to come around. So, we paid the (rather high) adoption fee and committed ourselves to helping this little dog.

Fast forward a month and here we are...she is much better! Still doesn't like to go in our back yard (loves the front?), but she interacts, comes when called, likes to go for walks and will play on some occasions. She is still slightly neurotic, but we love her anyway. She is house trained and crate trained (although, now that she likes us, she isn't too happy to be left in her kennel). We renamed her Charlie (from the show Good Luck Charlie) and have transitioned pretty easily into our new role as dog owners.

So...without further delay, I introduce you to Charlie.