The Four Legged Crazy

This summer I got the bright idea that we needed to add another four legged member to our family.  There were many reasons that I justified this addition, but mainly it was because I was scared.  Early that year, around Thanksgiving to be exact, was when we found out that our oldest girl Lola (our black lab) had cancer.

You see before the hubbie, before the kids; it was Lola and me.  We did everything and went everywhere together.  When I traveled for work, so did she. When I went to visit relatives, so did she.  She was my first baby.  She even slept on the left side of the bed with her head on the pillow so we could spoon (and still does, my husband can vouch.)  So to get the news that she had cancer was downright devastating.  It was the first time I had thought about a time without her.  I honestly never thought I would have to face it.  It was just that she has been my rock for the last 9 years, and has been with me through so many milestones that I forgot that she wasn't immortal.  She was there when my mom died, she picked my husband (literally she threw herself into his lap when she would walk away from every other loser I brought around), she was there when the babies came home, and she was there when we brought home Penny our boxer and the new crazy. The thought that she wouldn't be there for other milestones threw me into a downwards spiral.  So in my crazy moment of thinking, I decided that we needed another puppy.

To justify this decision I decided that it was for our boxer to attach to and for the kids to get use to before Lola left us.  My husband and I were really worried about our boxer, because she is completely attached to Lola.  If Lola is missing for more than five minutes Penny finds her.  So, I was able to sell my husband on the idea of number 3 based on that theory.  It's for Penny. 

So, enters Charlie Love.  (Upper left hand pic.)  Charlie is a rescue dog from the Ohio Amish mafia.  I'm not kidding.  If you seen the show Amish Mafia, there is a character Merlin who runs the Ohio Amish and is the kingpin.  Charlie was rescued from his farm.  He is a boxer/English bulldog mix and was going to be put down because he only had one testicle that dropped which deemed him unfit to breed or sell.  A young Amish girl, who had a soft spot for puppies, had an arrangement with a local lady to leave puppies to be euthanized in a box along the road every so many days.  Charlie was one of those puppies.  We saw his picture from the boxer rescue league we donate to and knew he was our guy.  The day we went to look at him, we knew that if he was good with the kids we would be taking him home.  I learned a while ago that you don't go to look at a puppy.  You go to get a puppy because there is no way of saying no once you get there.  Well, to say the least we were suckers!

When we saw Charlie, he was as adorable as his pictures.  He laid in the corner, very timid and scared.  My aspie was also very timid but very set on giving Charlie a toy he found at Walmart that morning.  He started across the living room with the toy, tripped, fell and landed right on Charlie.  Charlie laid there, didn't make a peep or move a muscle and just kissed my aspie.  That was it.  He was ours.  We picked him up, put his collar on him and away we went.  The whole way home he sat on my husbands lap where he snuggled and kissed him.  We talked about how calm he was and how cute he was.  We were excited to have a relaxed puppy and how this is so going to be the perfect addition to our home.  Oh how lucky were we to find this calm and relaxed puppy.  I bet he is going to be easy to train, I said.  That night he slept perfectly in my son's room and the next day, same calm puppy.  And then......

The crazy kicked in.  I'm not talking about the normal crazy puppy.  I'm talking the holy cow, I'm adopted by a crazy family so let the crazy out crazy.  He started pooping, peeing, chewing, puking, chasing, biting (puppy bites), boxing, pooping, running, snorting, peeing, pooping, eating everything, pooping crazy.  It was/is insane.  Now imagine this with a unstable bipolar, yeah not good.  But he did bond instantly with Penny and Lola both, but was put in his place by both when he tried to nurse them.  They loved him right away as well and Lola made it known that she was alpha and not to mess with her territory; the couch. 

On his first visit to the vet's, who just happens to be like a second dad to me, he informed us that Charlie second testicle would drop it would just take some time.  I started laughing.  Yep, the little tricky devil does fit in our family.  He stowed away the one to get out of that place.  Crazy and smart like us all!  So with a few pinches and the introduction to the thermometer, our Charlie Love was given a clean bill of health.

I introduce Charlie tonight because he has been a handful to add, but he is a reminder that change is normal and will happen whether we want it to or not.  I don't want Lola to leave me, I don't want my husband to have bipolar, and I don't want my son to be autistic and struggle in the world.  But its all reality.  And with change comes a lot of work, but a ton a great times too.  My husband and I often  get stuck on the bad stuff and get bogged down, but then we watch our three four legged kids playing, with the boys laughing at them and remember stay in the now and focus on the good.  Charlie is 8 months now and my aspie calls him "his puppy."  He was there when my husband had moments, he was there when my son was diagnosed with asperger's and he will be there when Lola will not. 


***And by the way, Lola is doing great.  Charlie Love has spunked up her play and she still reminds us when its time to eat.  She is not in pain and shows no signs slowing down!  Don't forget to like me on Facebook and/or Twitter and/or Pinterest!******