Damn Fate

[Hound dog]

I sent Travis down to the gas station for soda just a bit ago.

Remember what I told you about me and Fate??

Guess who followed him home? OMG Sadie. Not only did she follow him home..........she slipped into the house and ran right into her crate while he was attempting to shut the door and tell me she followed him home.

Stupid me said "Wha?? Sadie??" and she comes running to me thrilled to death to be "home".

My nightgown is now all dirty.



She is laying at my feet after properly greeting her "mommy" and her joy at being home. And she was thrilled to death to greet Molly.......and Bruce. Oh wait........now she's checking on all her toys and her chewies. And back to lying at my feet.

See? What did I tell you about Fate.

Now what am I going to do? Do I worry about the defensive posture with Molly or do I take is as simple "getting to know each other" stuff and try to see if it doesn't become an issue? I don't want to stress Molly. But in all my years with strays.............I've never had one that run off come back "home" and treat it as such, and folks this little girl was only here 2 days to begin with. She recognized Travis and was on his heels all the way home.

If I take her back to the lady on the other street.........she'll just continue to come back here. So that is not going to work obviously.

Things don't go well for me when I try to buck Fate. Yet I don't want a dog right now. And if I can't contain her in the back yard.........I haven't a clue what to do with her when I go to work tomorrow. She can't come with me because Mommy cat will attack her. If I put her on Rowdy's lead........she tangles herself all up in it, gets it around her legs ect. So I don't like to do that when I'm not in the yard watching her.

Is all the bad karma in the world going to come crashing down on my head of I work my tail off to re-home her? Or is she here to protect me from something........and so if I re-home her I live to regret it? omg I hate this Fate crud.

I've had literally hundreds of stray dogs come through my home over the span of a lifetime............and never, not once, had this. This. Is. Weird.

The other odd thing about this.........and I've hesitated to mention it because it is sort of twilight zone.........or maybe over active imagination. But every time I look at her I think of when I was a year old and had stumbled onto the railroad tracks when there was an oncoming train. There was no time for anyone to reach me before the train would hit me. My mom watched in horror..................as a stray dog appeared out of nowhere, literally, and sank his teeth into my diaper and carried me from the tracks only seconds before the train hit. It was a very very small town. No one had ever seen the dog before. And in all the commotion (you can imagine) the dog slipped away and was never seen again. Town wanted to make a huge deal out of the hero dog.....but never could find him.

So. Yeah. Now what do I do? (I ask as I fight the urge to pound my head into my desk) How do I prevent her from stressing Molly? Because obviously she's not going anywhere.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I just read your post - so I'm yakking off the top of my head, not necessarily thought through, but...
What if Sadie becomes Travis' dog (for now)?
i.e. sleeps in his room (in her crate), etc.?
I mean, she followed HIM home, right?
Is Travis around during the day? can she mostly hang out with him, and go to her crate if he goes out?
Would that leave Molly with being "your" dog?

 

[Liahona]

I looked up these links and hope they are helpful.
http://www.cesarsway.com/askcesar/new-dog-or-puppy/introducing-puppy-to-older-dogs
http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-training/socialization/a-new-member-of-the-pack

http://www.australian-shepherd-love...aggressive-and-jealous-toward-older-dogs.html

 

[Hound dog]

Wouldn't work. There is a reason Rowdy is outside.

But Travis is going to have to be up and watching her tomorrow while I'm at easy child's because if I keep her in the crate that long and come home at 9:30 she's going to be bounding with energy.........and I won't be sleeping tomorrow night.

We just did a potty run. That was fun. Not. It was a royal pain in the rear. One, she's not so afraid of the many stray cats outside......and now tries to play with each one. Two my back yard is leterally pitch black, you can't see your hand in front of your face, so I can't tell when she's gone potty. And three she kept trying to play with Molly who was trying to do her own business. So i took Sadie to the front yard where I could see. Then it was Go Pee Sadie. No. Go Pee Sadie. No, Mommy doesn't want to play. No we're not here to play with the cats. Go Pee Sadie. Finally I told her she couldn't go back inside until she went.........finally she went, on the side of the house. I forgot she likes to do it "out of the way" of everything.

I fully appreciate the "special" dog that Sadie is. And I find it rather ironic that probably the one time in my life when I don't want a new dog........she appears, runs off, gets "resuced" by another neighbor, escapes her and runs back to me. Because I'm not joking. I don't want another dog right now. I've said before it's mostly because of Molly. And it is. But it's also a major PITA and I'm having issues feeding the ones I have now.......and I'm looking for work..........and good grief, I'm not quite in the state of mind to be training a puppy and bonding with a puppy, playing endless games of fetch to burn up the energy of a puppy (yes, we're doing that now). Those things are a bit hard to adjust to after having senior dogs when you plan to have a puppy. So I admit I feel a bit "put out" that I don't seem to have much choice in the matter.

I'm seeing no defensive/aggressive type behavior tonight.........even after playing with Sadie for the past lord knows how long now.........when I just let Molly out of the living room to take her again outside because Sadie distracted her to the point where she forgot to potty herself. Tonight she's all about playing with Molly. Molly is not all about playing with Sadie......but it's chilly and sort of damp out and her arthritis is probably acting up. (or it could be that Molly is miffed at her for running off, Molly is like that lol ) Sadie is behaving as if she's always lived here....... When I took her out to potty Sadie just had to run to Rowdy's kennel and take the time to greet him properly. wth?? She has within the short amount of time she's been "home" greeted each member of her "family" enthusiastically as if she's lived with them her whole life. What dog does that with animals they've known 2 days??

And here's another odd thing that came to mind. Rowdy does not take to new dogs. Puppies are ok, he's great with puppies. But new dogs, no. He'll bark and carrying on, especially at first. I don't think he'd hurt one on purpose that I introduced him to but he doesn't like the idea much and he makes a huge fuss over it. With Sadie........she got sniffed at and a tail wag, every time she's gone into the yard.

It's sort of weirding me out more than a little. I've never ever had a stray behave this way. Oh, I've had them adjust quickly and smoothly many times. But this is waaaaay beyond that. Sadie is behaving as if she's just always been here.

Currently Molly is in the kitchen with me and Sadie. So far.......all Sadie is doing is hoping to play (no jealousy going on) and sniffing every "bad" area on Molly. Molly is lying under the table and Sadie is at my feet. I want to see how they're going to interact together before I allow myself to bond with Sadie. I'm glad to see that Sadie did not push the playing or sniffing. And from our walk together the other day, I know Sadie has no real fear of other dogs, even ones that she should, she just seems to want to play with them all. So perhaps I mistook her stance that day and misread it due to my own nervousness of having a new strange dog around Molly.

I know I'm probably rambling a bit. But like I said.....it's weirding me out.

And I wish right now that Fate was an actually human being so that I could grab him by the collar and shake him until his teeth rattle.

Although I don't want a dog, I've thought about what sort of dog I might want to chose when Molly is no longer with me. (because I simply can not live without a dog) I came up with all sorts of breeds or breed mixes that I admire for various reasons and weighed the pros and cons of each type. I knew that I'd be super picky. It wouldn't be just any dog that could live up to my Molly girl's standard. So I thought maybe I'd watch for mixed shepard pups..........check them out slowly, take my time to make sure I got just the right one with the right intelligence and personality. I figured it might take quite a while, and I was ok with that. I even thought I'd probably attempt to rescue an older, but still young dog.....since there would be no other dogs competing for it's attention ect.

Then along comes Fate and basically drops Sadie into my lap. Young pup, but not itty bitty where you just can't take your eyes off them for a second. Shepard mix and female. Sweet through and through, playful, loving, and I think she's proven her loyalty now. Intelligence? I think she is as smart as Molly. I mean seriously, she recognized Travis in the dark and followed him home. She was only here 2 days, and trust me, she did not see much of him during that time. She acts as if she has always been a part of the family, eagerly accepting each member, recognizing each member, and greeting them when she returned wholeheartedly with great enthusiasm. She will sit, stay (if not distracted by cats) and come to her name.......a name I just gave her that is nothing like her former name. Two days ago she could not play fetch. I know, I tried. She couldn't catch on to the concept. Tonight she learned fetch in like 5 mins......and we played it for 45 mins. Yup. This little girl is smart. I can talk to her just like I talk to Molly and she listens and responds like Molly did at the same age.

And I want to shake the snot out of Fate because this was all that I wanted in the next dog I would have. More because of the accepting the other animals......when I didn't expect Molly and Rowdy to be here when I adopted.

But no one ever said Fate makes things easy. I certainly won't. Because this is going to be anything BUT easy. I really honestly, as fabulous as she is, don't want this dog.....because the timing is totally awful. Even if Molly stops being jumpy and stressed. I will have to train Sadie. I'll have to get sister in law onto redoing the front fencing of the back yard so it's a full 6 feet high with a new gate just as high that she can't jump. (I scanned the yard and didn't find a spot under the fence she could've gone through, she must have jumped it. Because she has to be in the yard when i watch the boys, at least for a few hours so she's not spending the whole time in her crate. I have to get her shots and give them to her. Take her to the vet for rabies and to be spayed. And tomorrow before work I have to give her a bath because she's dirty where she was once muddy, so I'll have to bathe Molly too.........and I don't have my wading pool yet so in the tub they both go........and then I have to clean the tub.........And while at easy child's I'll have to call Travis and remind him at least once to take her out to potty because I'm not sure how long she can hold it in the crate yet. And my neighbors are going to hate me because she is not crate trained and when she cries the whole world can hear her. I could go on but you get the idea.

And even as I say all that........and I know I'm going to grumble and complain (I'll probably wind up sounding like husband)........I'll do it as long as she does not become aggressive with Molly. And I'll be cursing Fate until I figure out why he picked NOW to bring her to me instead of later when it would've been much simpler to handle.

Because only a fool re-homes a dog that has known you for 2 measly days, runs off, gets herself rescued by someone else and escapes a lead in order to find your son and follow him home again. So as much of a PITA it will be, Miss Sadie has found her forever home...........all by herself, whether I like it or not. I'm not that much of a fool.

Now I have to take her potty again so I can put her into the crate and I can go to bed. ugh More No Sadie, don't play with the cats..........Go pee Sadie.......No, it's not playtime .....Go pee......... in the dark, in my nightgown..........

 

[DammitJanet]

Face it, you have a new dog. Sometimes it is, what it is. Molly will get over it eventually. This dog is simply meant to be your dog. Not an outside dog, an inside dog right next to you. I have no doubt my Abby is meant that way either. I havent seen Tony tell me to train a puppy for living inside for a long time now. He didnt want the last couple to be inside dogs. Not since Heidi. I think he is afraid neighbor will kill this one too so this one will be on a leash unless we are with her.

 

[InsaneCdn]

{{hugs}} Lisa...

Sadie is a bit like our first dog. The first week was tough... and after that? All the physical stuff got easier. And yes, it's a PITB to teach them to "go" on command, at first, but we found it really pays off in the middle of winter.

I just got in from taking our two out for their "last run". And boy, I'm glad they know how to "go" on command!

Have you ever done clicker training? If not, I'll PM you some info. It would probably help with the crate training, for starters.

 

[Hound dog]

Yeah. I know. She's here to stay. So now I just hope no jealousy/aggression issues crop up and do what I can to make sure they don't.

Reading those links above, I think I figured out what happened with Betsy. It wasn't only that once I went to school that the dogs attention dropped..........but Betsy was husband's buddy. I was always having to remind him that Molly was to do everything first because she was top dog. He thought it was silly. Which is why I had to keep reminding him. Bet he didn't keep consistent with it when I was in school, if he did it at all........and Betsy got confused about her place.

I'm going to have to watch what I'm doing with them both because I'm so used to dealing with Molly and Betsy alone, never together. And I want these two to be able to be together without conflict.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Key top-dog reinforcements include feeding first, releasing for "play" first (opening kennels or other dividers), and acknowledging first when you enter the room.

We have a pair - adopted at the same time. They were old enough that "top dog" was already established - but we have had to be careful to maintain that. There are a few things we can do first with "underdog" - like prepping for a walk, she is calmer, and getting her done first helps him calm down. But he ALWAYS gets fed first, and is ALWAYS the first dog out in the morning. What HAS helped a lot is that the boy dog has a primary bond with the guys of the house, and the girl dog has done the same with us gals. Each one is NOT jealous of how much attention the other gets... from THAT dog's primary people... only if it's from THEIR primary people. Which is why I wondered if Molly would take it better in the long run if she knew that SHE was still YOUR top dog...

 

[DammitJanet]

I sort of have that issue with my Buddy and any new dog. Buddy is a 5 pound Havanese but he is top dog in the house...lol and he will tell any dog around that this is his house, his yard and they better remember it. He used to roll Nina even when she was 10 times his weight. She wouldnt say a word except to whimper as he whipped her butt. People used to hear that commotion and think the pit was eating the little dog but no, it was the little one beating the big one into submission. So far Buddy hasnt taken so much as a glance at the puppies but I imagine when Abby comes inside that will change. I will have to teach them to be nice to each other. I do want to teach Abby to play with toys which is one thing Nina never did.

 

[Hound dog]

Janet I'm so glad you'll be having another dog in the house.

I've never thought it fair for a dog to be kept outside when their family is inside. So I've carried 13 yrs of guilt with Rowdy. When we moved here, I did try to move him inside. He wouldn't potty in the house for nothing, and he and Molly have always gotten along without issue.......But it was "inside" he couldn't adjust to. He could tolerated it for over night tops (in really bad weather) but then he just had to go back out and would not want back in. So instead I've given him the best outside life I can give him. That is part of that rebuilding the front fence to 6 ft and new gate of the same height.......so he would not have to use the lead anymore at all, he could romp the yard as he pleased. That won't be possible, at least for quite a while, with Sadie.

Sadie never ceases to surprise me. The first night with the crate (night before she ran off) she carried on something horrid. I put her into it last night, she didn't want to go, but I put her in anyway. I always do a treat for the crate, Betsy has received a treat for the crate for 6 yrs lol, and Nichole does it too. Not a peep out of her, not so much as a low whine. Nothing. Not even when I got up this morning. She's quiet as I'm waiting for Molly to finish in the yard so she can have her turn. Might be because she was exhausted from all her running around the neighborhood.........so I'm not going to count on this being the norm just yet. But I made certain she went potty well before putting her in.

I don't use the clicker. To me animals are people. I wouldn't use one on a kid, I won't use one on a dog. And the noise drives me nuts. LOL

I "train" dogs the same way I do toddlers. It works. Sadie is now learning House and Gate. House means come inside, Gate means go to the back yard. Go to bed= go into your crate.

The going potty thing will be the biggest issue until I figure something out.

 

[donna723]

Lisa, I think you went and got yourself adopted! SHE picked YOU and you don't get a vote! She decided that a soft bed in the house and regular meals beats the heck out of being on the streets.

You know, the dogs that were the easiest to potty train were the strays, the ones who were already used to being outside all the time. To them, it would seem very unnatural to be doing their business inside the house.

 

[Hound dog]

She and Molly just had a good major play romp session in the backyard. Sadie was off leash because I was there to watch her. I played with Molly with her herding ball and Sadie learned really quickly that you can play with Molly who is play with the ball and rolling/chasing it, but you dare NOT touch the ball. Molly put her into her place more than once, Molly style. Which isn't mean, just some authoritative barking and stance, pup backed off immediately. I told her she was a good girl......and from then on Sadie just played with Molly and left the ball alone. Then they got along just fine. Which let them both get a good amount of exercise.

When we came in, Sadie got a game of fetch...........Molly was too tired to care. lol

Molly doesn't seem too stressed when I make extra effort to show Sadie she is boss. In fact, I see her being the way she was before Betsy started going after her. And Molly actually loves other dogs and used to enjoy having new additions to her family, whether they stayed or not. So maybe with me reinforcing the top dog deal with Sadie, maybe it makes Molly more confident in her role.

So I've had a rather lengthy discussion with Travis about keeping Molly first in everything when I'm not here to do it and he's handling them both. Sadie will be in the crate much of that time, so his interaction will be limited.

Last thing I'll introduce them together with is rawhides and food. My dogs have always shared rawhides.......actually played tugowar with them with each other, with me, with children......with no possessiveness of them. (there is always plenty) But I'll have to see how Sadie does with this since her arrival is so late in puppy hood.

At the moment Molly is happily chewing her rawhide in the living room and Sadie in the kitchen.

Now if I can just come up with an easy way for the potty thing in the dark...........we'll be good, it seems.

I am forming a theory as to why and perhaps how Sadie wound up here with me. But I'll wait a while and see if it seems I'm right before saying anything.

 

[buddy]

congrats on the new addition! LOL!!!

Hey, do you have one of those camping headlight/flashlights? They really light up a huge area, just a light on a strap that goes on your head, we love those. Would that help with the potty thing, or just a regular strong flashlight?

 

[Liahona]

I'm glad everyone is adjusting so well. I hope you enjoy her.

 

[Tiapet]

Hound, I'll say this again (copied from my post in your other original thread about Sadie):

"Sometimes angels come to us in different forms then we expect and speak to us in languages we don't understand. Ours is to accept and embrace it. I DO believe in fate very very strongly! Open you mind, you are being observant now, continue. Your answer is there and will be totally revealed if you allow it.

Ok.....sounds like mumbo jumbo.....but wait and see!"

I'm not kidding!

Oh, on a side note, a little over a year ago I went looking at a shelter to adopt a small dog, a maltese type one. I didn't find one at the shelter I looked. It happened to be a kill shelter as well. All the dogs were barking their heads off of course. I came upon this sweet red bone coon hound (think "where the red fern grows). She was quiet and timid but kept coming up to the gate then walking back to the back of the kennel but still coming up to me. Her eyes were sad and big saucer puddles. I couldn't resist them! This was NOT the dog I was seeking at all. She was just too big for me to handle with my physical abilities nor could she crawl up on my lap like I was wanting. Still I couldn't resist. Then I thought about the family. They all wanted a BIG dog, not a "little yapper" as they put it. So, thinking of them and NOT being able to resist her quiet peaceful manner and those big sad eyes I took her.

I'm telling you I was not at that shelter more then maybe 10 minutes. I didn't even take her out of the kennel and interact with her. Who does this when choosing a dog? NOT me, not ever! I am far more careful then this but this dog spoke to me somehow. Her original name on plate at kennel was "sable". That just didn't work for me and I renamed her "Sadie", like yours.

I brought her home. She never ever barked and coons are known to have a very distinct type howl. She doesn't. She was completely housebroke and I took a real chance on that because there was no back history on her. All they knew is that she was picked up wandering in the woods from another country county and brought there. Another quick thing is that her nipples were out so. They were thinking maybe she had just had a litter. They didn't know if she had Rabies shot or not either and I had to have her spayed. I took her next day after adoption to my vet at the time. She looked her over and found her to be in perfect health but the unknown fact was regarding spaying. She thought she "felt" a lump that might indicate she was spayed but no scarring from it. So, rather then opening her up unnecessarily we opted to wait and see if she went into heat. If so she got spayed and if not fine. That was also agreed upon with the shelter under the circumstances.

Fast forward about a month or so, 3 weeks before Christmas 2010. Tummy started getting bigger but I thought perhaps it's because we were now feeding her well but I was feeling her belly and I felt puppy movement! Holly cow! PUPPIES!!! I call shelter and tell them and the vet. The shelter wanted me to bring her back and "they'd take care of her". Oh heck no! They would have destroyed the puppies in spaying her right then and there OR they would have kept her. We decided to see it through and ended up fostering a litter of beautiful puppies (6) that were born the day after New Year's! We kept them until they were 6 weeks old giving them all their first shots and worming. Then we handed them over to a foster agency to have other foster homes because we could not longer handle all 6.

Anyway, the point of telling you about the puppies is that due to the puppies, Sadie either learned to bark or decided to start barking because of them. The first time she did it about made me jump out of my skin because it scared the daylights out of me! LOL Now she is still very quiet but will bark on occasion. Just recently she has a new routine of "telling a story" to me and oldest difficult child in the afternoon at a very specific time of day. It is not really a bark but truly like she is telling us a story in dog language. It is interactive. You talk to her, she responds and it's like a rolling bark. No howling.

The other thing is she is stuck to my side. If I don't leave my room, she won't. She knows when something is up with me. Dogs are intuitive in many ways and they know things we don't. Emotions, etc... Your Sadie's breed as well, as someone pointed out is good too.

I will repeat.....FATE and angels......


Angels DO exist though some do not believe.......trust in it........wait and see and all reveals...I think your revealing is happening. You say Fate, I believe in Fate as well, very strongly. We may not know the reason, we may learn the reason, or we may never know the reason. BUT, there is ALWAYS a reason!

 

[Hound dog]

Tia

It doesn't sound like mumbo jumbo. I've had enough unusual experiences in my life to convince me long ago there is more to this world then what we can "know" with our 5 senses.

I had a suspicion but I kept pushing it away.

As Sadie and Molly are sleeping together (yes I said together) with me in the kitchen.........it hit me so hard I just started bawling. Not tears of sadness, but well.....not sure if joy would be the right word either, more that I was just so very very touched. Because I knew who had given me this gift.

I think husband brought Sadie to me. I sort of wondered when she was here before she ran away. But then she ran off and I thought........ehh, obviously not. But the way she arrived last night.......the way she is so identical (well as much as she can be) to Molly.........husband knew the only way I'd accept a new dog would be if she was just like Molly.

The first time I saw Sadie in the neighborhood was on my birthday. I just didn't pick her up because I thought she was the neighbor down the alley's dog. Then I saw her the next morning and didn't pick her up then for the same reason, but did pick her up later that evening.

I don't believe in coincidences.

I firmly believe she is a gift from husband to me from the other side. And so I will find a way to make it work. husband thinks I needed another dog.........so he brought me the only dog he knew I would accept and did it in such a way that I knew I was meant to keep her.

If that makes people thing I'm off my nut, then so be it. I've actually had much stranger things happen than this concerning the Other Side. Strange to other people, not to me.

So now every time I look at her and think what a PITA it is having a new pup around........I think of husband and I smile and stop grumbling and just do what I gotta do. There is a reason she is here. And when the time is right, I'll know the reason why.

 

[Star*]

I think DUNCAN is a more fitting name for Sadie - she's a Yo-Yo - comes and goes as she pleases and I believe she's going to cause you a lot of heartache. She's not settled. She's a roamer/wanderer...and the minute it suits her to take off after you've invested some money in her care? I think the gypsie bone is going to ache and she's going to take off again. The fact that she upsets the other older dog (TO ME) is reason enough for you to part company with her now before everyone is too attached.

I'm sorry Hound - I KNOW your heart - and I know mine too - but that last time a stray wandered in the yard? I didn't go outside begging to bring her in - I went outside yelling for her to go away (OH I did not I got a flashlight and chicken and wandered in the woods for an hour) but I wasn't keeping her either - she belonged to the neighbor and I couldn't catch her. Training or no? She's going to be a real challenge a digger or a climber and my back story thought is - she'll either take the rest of them with her - or cause you a LOT of money and sorrow with local law enforcement because the others are going to follow her in her great adventure - and get out. Just a thought from the dark side.....and I hate to be the one to bring it to light because I'm usually the one to say OH puppies - yeah.......but not with her. Something just gives me a no no wtih her. Sorry...I hope if you keep her - you prove me way wrong.
Hugs

 

[Hound dog]

Starbie, I totally hear ya.

But I've dealt with a gypsie dog (to some extent, Rowdy always comes home and is not gone long) for 13 yrs. I'm not just re-doing the front fence/gate for Sadie, I was going to do it for Rowdy anyway so he wouldn't have to be on the lead when he's in the yard. I won't chase her down, I'm just that way. Even with an animal, either you want to be with me or you don't. (not to mention chasing after them can become a never ending game)

She did great in the yard this morning off the lead for quite a long time. If she approached the gate I told her no and she left it alone. So at least I can be with her in the yard with no lead so she can run and play.

The only real money I'll be investing is mostly her spaying because I will not have puppies ever again. If for whatever reason she just does not work out, the re-homing fee will be the cost of shots, worming and spaying. Not unreasonable.

Now I'm unsure about the crate thing. I thought she wasn't crate trained because she put up such a fuss the first time she used it. Last night and today, she's totally fine with the crate, no fuss at all. Only thing is she's not eager to go inside. I hope it stays that way as it makes my life so much easier.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Lisa...
My take on the crate thing?
Sadie came.
She wasn't totally sure, so she left.
She thought about it.
She knew, coming back, that it meant...
- being the underdog
- using the crate
- learning to mind

And decided it was worth it.

We don't see subtle dog body language, but I'm guessing her approach to Molly and Rowdy the second time told them that she was acknowledging their place in the pack, and her own. Which in turn makes them more accepting.

 

[susiestar]

Dogs are not dumb. I think IC may have a point. I also think that sometimes we are meant to have a specific animal at a specific time. Even if it ends up not being forever, it is still meant to be. This may very well be husband taking care of you and wanting you to have a younger dog around just in case something happened to Molly or Rowdy, esp with Betsey at Nichole's now.

I talk a lot about trusting instincts when posting about a parenting issue. The same thing applies in other situations also. Follow your instincts because they rarely lead you wrong.