Searching for Mrs. Good Dog

The kids and I have been plotting for years to get a second dog into our family, over the resistance of the Father Figure. In addition to the first dog, be it our old Golden, Boomer, or our relatively new Dobie/Shepherd, Schafer. We think the perfect household would have at least two dogs in it. Preferably more. But two as a minimal dog hair and slobber in the house quotient.

For a while, we tried the "But We'd Hardly Notice a Small Dog" approach. This required us to focus on the relative size of dogs to our house. For example, "This living room is so big that you'd hardly notice a small cute Dachshund sitting over there in the corner, wagging its tail devoted at you." We noted comparable dog food input and output, as in it wouldn't cost much more to feed one small dog and one big dog as it does to feed one big dog and it wouldn't require more poop bags to pick up after one small dog and one big dog.

This approach did not work. The Father Figure is of the Princess and the Pea mind when it comes to dogs. He'd notice a dog if he lived in a 30 room mansion--and he wouldn't be terribly enthusiastic about sharing those 30 rooms with that dog, either. It's not that he doesn't like dogs. He does. In their place. Which he'd prefer to be outside. In the barn. On the back forty.

Only we live in the city. Our back forty is maybe 200 feet of urban grasslike substance. With neighbors all living within 10 feet on either side. Neighbors who maybe wouldn't appreciate a dog living outside 24/7. So Schafer lives in the house. With us and the Father Figure. And he notices it.

So our newest approach was the Pity Tactic. We tried "Let's Adopt a Hurricane Katrina Pet Orphan". We discussed how sad it is that there are so many dogs with no homes now. Opined that it would be a wonderful way to support those who have no homes and are worried about their dogs having no homes, too. Talked about how it wouldn't really be for us that we would adopt this dog; we'd sacrifice our comfort for the Dog.

Hey. It was worth a try. The Father Figure is not inclined to take pity on a second dog. I don't think the kids have given up yet. But I have.

I've given up because serendipity brought a second dog into our house today. We are dogsitting a beautiful pup named Chloe. A neighbor friend (who interestingly enough is not a dog person but knew that I was) thought of me when Chloe's mom was talking about needing a dog sitter once a week. Our dogs seemed reasonably compatible upon meeting and, making a long story short, I am currently bookended by two devoted dogs while I sit here at the computer.

Ah, bliss. Even if it's only once a week, it'll do. :-)

Until tomorrow,
Liz