We have lost 2 of our dog companions this year to debilitating diseases–the first, Keppler, had lived with Kidney Failure for over a year. Maxwell, who we lost in the past month, was a beagle terrier mix of nearly 16 years. He had an untreatable form of skin cancer. We adopted these dogs while in college, and they were truly a connection to that time in our lives and in our relationship (living together before we got married). We miss them both dreadfully, but realized after Keppler’s death that we are indeed a 2 dog household. A couple of months afterward, we adopted a 3 month old Australian Shepherd Mix from a rescue in western Colorado. He had been slated for euthanasia in a shelter before being brought into the rescue. We call him Loco.

He’s grown into a gorgeous dog and is smarter than a whip. He learns commands quickly and potty trained in 4 days(wow). He loves to chase balls and is fiercely loyal, but very gentle with the kids.
Our most recent addition brings us back to two dogs:

Her name is Daisy. She is a 2.5 month old Basset Hound Pug (?) mix. Her mother was living in a Chicken Coop in Southern New Mexico. She was taken to a shelter where she had her litter of puppies. She and her puppies were slated for euthanasia. A day after the puppies were born, someone rescued them all and drove them to an animal sanctuary in Santa Fe, where her mother (a full blooded basset hound) was able to raise her puppies. This past week the mother and 3 of the puppies were transported to the Boulder Valley Humane Society, where we found them. I called the Sanctuary in Santa Fe to talk to them and was told that they believe the father was a black pug that apparently was either owned by the same family as the Basset Hound or lived in the neighborhood.

She is very sweet and extremely mellow (especially for a puppy!). She was a little unsure of us the first day, but is doing great now. She and Loco are really enjoying each other.

While researching the breed (and trying to determine whether she really does look like a Basset/Pug mix), I found that this is considered a designer breed. Yeah. Go figure. And I thought it was just a mutt. They call the mix either a Bassugg or a PuggleHound.

I never realized how much being a dog guardian gives to the kids. While taking care of our sick elderly dogs, the girls learned a lot about patience and compassion. They learned that what was best for our pet was not necessarily what made US happy, but something we had to do as the animal’s custodian. With the newer 2 dogs, they have learned the importance of pet population control, why its important to give unwanted dogs a good home, and take your time and find an animal whose disposition is a good fit for your family. We looked at one extremely adorable dog who unfortunately was scared to death of us. Right now they are learning how to care for something else and the consequence of not keeping an eye on a puppy and picking our toys up.

I am learning that I covet a full nights sleep.