Our "new" dog is a mystery. Actually, he is not "new" at all. He belonged to someone else before us. We don't know what his name was and have given him a new name. We don't know how old he is, but the vet says between 4 and 6 years. We don't know how he came to be lost, only that he was picked up by animal control in Bountiful. No one claimed him. We don't know why.
These are the things that we DO know about Walter:
1. He does not chase or bark at the cat. He gets a bit more excited about the ducks, but controls himself perfectly when told to.
2. He does not jump up onto anyone.
3. The only time he barks is when the family is getting in the car and he hasn't been invited to go along.
4. He allows 4 year old girls to dress him up (including socks on all four feet), wipe his nose with a tissue, lift him onto and then push him off of the trampoline, take him on 29 walks a day, comb him with the Barbie comb, and attempt to feed him sand-repeatedly.
5. When he sleeps at night, he must be in physical contact at all times with this same girl. His favorite position is supine, front feet raised in the air. He snores quite loudly.
6. He loves to sort the garbage and will tip over any and all trash receptacles left within reach.
7. He will lick every square inch of Milo's exposed skin when he thinks no one is watching. This affection is lavished solely on the baby, perhaps because he is the only one who tastes good enough to lick.
8. He has very quickly become a member of the family.
For two parents who are not dog lovers, adopting Walter was very risky. When I consider the problems that we might have had, I wonder at our luck. I can't help but think of his previous owners with sadness for their loss, in spite of our gain. I'm too jaded these days to believe in fate, but I hope that our crossed paths feel as serendipitous to Walter as they do to us.
These are the things that we DO know about Walter:
1. He does not chase or bark at the cat. He gets a bit more excited about the ducks, but controls himself perfectly when told to.
2. He does not jump up onto anyone.
3. The only time he barks is when the family is getting in the car and he hasn't been invited to go along.
4. He allows 4 year old girls to dress him up (including socks on all four feet), wipe his nose with a tissue, lift him onto and then push him off of the trampoline, take him on 29 walks a day, comb him with the Barbie comb, and attempt to feed him sand-repeatedly.
5. When he sleeps at night, he must be in physical contact at all times with this same girl. His favorite position is supine, front feet raised in the air. He snores quite loudly.
6. He loves to sort the garbage and will tip over any and all trash receptacles left within reach.
7. He will lick every square inch of Milo's exposed skin when he thinks no one is watching. This affection is lavished solely on the baby, perhaps because he is the only one who tastes good enough to lick.
8. He has very quickly become a member of the family.
For two parents who are not dog lovers, adopting Walter was very risky. When I consider the problems that we might have had, I wonder at our luck. I can't help but think of his previous owners with sadness for their loss, in spite of our gain. I'm too jaded these days to believe in fate, but I hope that our crossed paths feel as serendipitous to Walter as they do to us.
