Names for Fuzz

My parents really seem to like the name Simka (a variation of Simcha down below). I really like it too. Still unsure. I can’t wait until tomorrow! Have to mail out my deposit to Iowa State, want to see if perhaps they do deferred admissions (maybe take a year off?? maybe not?? depends on if I can), and call people out there to set up appointments to see some trailers for June when I fly out there. And then…once that is done…unless I have to drive my dad to the airport…I get to exhaust my dog. Then drive and pick up Ruthie (aka maybe Simka) and then go to Petco to get her all the best that life has to offer, then exhaust her at the park with Clauds. Then…and only then…she will be meeting Lucky on our street and they will be going home together. AM SO EXCITED!!!!

OKing home for fuzzes

So that is Ruthie, aka dog with no name. I just had my house check by Benni, who is a really nice although somewhat stressed lady. Her poor dog Booboo (maybe?) is very sick with sarcoma and has only a little bit of time left to live. She really wants to spend more time with her fuzz, but it’s hard when you are also trying to find good homes for pits! So she came by today and we had a nice talk about how to introduce Ruthie and Lucky, about me moving her, about how to do homechecks – since I will most probably be helping her with some in the future. I will probably be picking her up tomorrow and I am really excited. I don’t know if I should pick her up in the morning to have my mom here during the introduction. I have to drop my dad off at the airport so I would have to take her with me. Or pick her up when I come back, take her to the park and wear her out. Maybe chill with Claudia somewhere until my mom comes home and only then introduce them? Still thinking it over. Anyways, I have been OKed and I am so uber excited!

Oh, on the name search – I still have to settle with a decision. Here is the list of potential names:

• Iti (means with me in Hebrew)
• Keena (means judged in Hebrew)
• Nissa (means sign in Hebrew)
• Sheba (means daughter of an oath in Hebrew)
• Simcha (means joy in Yiddish and Hebrew)
• Nessa (means miracle in Hebrew)

So, that’s all of them so far. Maybe we will ask Ruthie (aka dog with new name soon!) which one she prefers!

I have to go to the library but it closes in 15 minutes. Maybe I will go back to Barnes N Nobles. Get a book about training with crates and what not. Start reading. I have to buy her some food, toys, a crate, a bed, a collar and leash – all the good things in life. I do have a feeling I will be spoiling this one rotten!

OG Fuzz meets NG Fuzz

So…today was a decision day. I took my dog, Lucky, over to ______ Animal Hospital to introduce him to Ruthie (aka. no name) to see how they would get along. Because my dog is calm and likes other dogs just to chill out and be happy, I was a little worried. After all, an energetic 6 month old puppy is not quite what I would call “calm”. However, after the initial butt sniffing, my dog gave up caring about this other dog. Ruthie decided this was a good time to jump all over me and say hello – this didn’t phase my dog either. He was busy sniffing dog pee in the yard in front of the vet office. When Ruthie decided to jump on his head and then his shoulders, my dog seemed a bit taken a back the first moment. Immediately afterwards though, he decided this was a great position to fully check out Ruthie’s crotch. And when he was done investigating this and Ruthie jumped on his head anyways, he didn’t seem to care at all. She was happy to meet him, he seemed amused if not uncaring to the situation. All in all, a positive step in the right direction.

Now I am waiting for a call back from _____, from the _____ Breed Rescue on what she thinks of my adoption application that I sent her last night. And then I guess the next step will be the meet and greet on my property – since we’ll never really know how they will be at home until we try. Perhaps an overnight stay that may turn permanent. Don’t know yet.

However, at the moment, I must go back to jet off to Long Island to visit the other three shelters there in case this doesn’t pan out. Probably I will only end up seeing one shelter by the time I get there and see the other two tomorrow. Either way, I am excited since I will be going to a carnival with Kerri, my wife! Probably going to chill with a few of my other friends while I am there. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my Hofstra friends, so I am excited.

Playing with Fuzzes

So, today Claudia and I went out to investigate what fuzzes were available for adoption in the area. Trumbull – nothing. Well, not what I’m looking for. Then I called and set an appointment with _____ Breed Rescue but you have to have specific dogs in mind. So I told them which dogs I was interested in. I went to ______ Animal Hospital on the Post Road in Westport where I used to volunteer, where there were two dogs (one of which I had seen online). The first dog, Carly, was a brindle pitbull mix about 8 months old that was extremely hyper and so cute! She was gorgeous, her brindle coat was the most you could ask for.

Then they brought out the second dog that I was skeptical of. Ruthie was her name. She was a pup found wandering in Kansas that was rescued and then taken in by the _____ Breed Rescue. She was sent there because of an incontinence issue. They were unsure if it was medical so they sent her to the vet to be checked out. Otherwise, it just needs retraining. She was so adorable. She climbed up on my lap and all she wanted to do was be petted and loved. Kisses and hugs all around. She was a bit hyper – but with a purpose. She was also a lot smaller than all the other pit bull mixes I have looked at so far. Just a cutie. And she doesn’t respond to her name which is a good thing – it gives me the flexibility to change it (cause it suxs). So I really fell in love.

Then we went to the CT humane society. There was a cute chihuahua/terrier mix that was extremely small, hyper, and cute – but I’m not sure Lucky would be okay with that. Brandy, another pitbull mix was more interested in cats than with saying hello to people (and I just wasn’t that into her). The girl down at the end of the aisle, Tali, was an adorable blue colored pitbull mix who was about 2 years old. Housebroken, some obedience, she is fairly mellow but loves to play. She seems like a perfect dog. I am told she is somewhat dominant which may pose a problem with Lucky – so we will have to see. She is so far my second pick. She is adorable and so cute, and so soft, and her nose is so squishy.

Anyways, those are my top two picks so far. In the morning after I get a mani/pedi at 9 am (wtf???) then my mom and I will go to introduce Lucky to Ruthie (aka. no name) to see how they get along. Hopefully, they like each other cause I am absolutely head over heels for her. She is the dog I was wanted – even before I knew what I wanted!

Also, am going tomorrow to Long Island to go visit three more shelters there to see the dogs there. If someone really calls to my heart more than Ruthie (aka. no name) or Tali than I will consider driving my lazy big-butted dog down there. Otherwise, I will have to chose between the two. Not so bad of a position actually. And Claudia said I could bring the dog down there to Virginia if I end up adopting before Wed. because they have had dogs in their apartment before. Woop woop!

Relocating for a New Fuzz

So, I have been giving serious thought into adopting a new dog before I relocate out to Ames, Iowa for 4 years of veterinary school. I wanted to adopt the dog toward the beginning of summer so that I would have adequate time to socialize, train, bond, and love the dog before I started pack full days of studying at the vet school. I understand that it may be a little selfish to get a dog when I am planning to go away for school, but the worst part about undergrad and living in a dorm was that I couldn’t have a pet. It didn’t even hurt as bad as when i didn’t have a roommate. It’s just nice to come home to a warm, loving, fuzzy creature. But it might just be the FMA.

However, as noted before, I have a fuzz living in my parents house that is used to being the only fuzz, getting all the attention. I know that it is often hard to bring a new dog home and train it. I don’t want to make Lucky jealous when I spend time with the new dog, and I know that lots of energy will be put into planning how to spend time with a new dog without making Lucky jealous. Also, I am afraid that if I get a new dog and Lucky gets used to it, as well as the new dog, that it will hurt them both when I separate them in August. For that reason I checked out the room in the house (with a fenced in yard!!) where my cousin Mike has been living for the past year with his friend Max. Max has agreed to let me live there – but Mike has not yet mentioned the prospect of the dog. I think it would be good as I wouldn’t have to live at home (read earlier post), wouldn’t have to worry as much about Lucky, would give me place to socialize him with dogs and cats (Heather’s plus parks), and I would enjoy spending a summer up there with Heather. However, this is all if Max let’s me keep a dog there.

If that is a no go – I am unsure of what I am going to do. I am, however, certain that I will have a dog. I need to do this for myself and for the dog. As I said before, I have an addiction. And 8 hours just talking about fuzzes and not being able to come home to one – this would break my heart.

So I was thinking that I would probably keep him at home and go through letting him know Lucky. Despite how much of a pain in the ass this is.

Then…an idea struck me. At Mike’s house there is a one room apartment above the garage – they have a backyard where dog poops already. I could socialize it with that dog. The other dog is tiny, and I know isn’t territorial (when I brought Lucky there). Unfortunately, I know that my aunt and uncle with voice great complaints. And it would probably be worse living there than here even though it’s a separate apartment than from the house. They are clean freaks, who dislike anything that is not theirs. It’s hard enough to let someone borrow a car, or a rake, or some other meaningless thing. I highly doubt that in this life time they would let me live in the apartment over the summer AND train a dog there. “But housebreaking…and you’re so irresponsible…your house is so close”. I could just imagine the millions of protests they have.

So this is my current dilemma (as well as my messy messy room). I shall find a solution one way or the other. My sanity depends on this.