These are our pets - Buddy and Zoey. Zoey is the black cat in back (please dont mind the mess on the floor back there, this is the back door and theres often a jumble of shoes around here). Zoey came with James and I from Toronto.. and has never lived with a dog before - totally new experience for him!!
Buddy is Moms dog. He's nuts!! He was a rescue dog and had an abusive childhood (puppyhood?). Mom got him from a shelter, apparently he was returned by someone else who tried to take care of him first before mom got him. Mom has had a bit of a history with her past few dogs of rescuing dogs, usually older ones, who needed a home. Moms always had a dog as long as I've known.. and at first she usually had purebreds. She had Rembrandt, a tri-color Collie who was so beautiful and regal and well trained. I remember mom always taking her dogs to obedience classes when they were young. She had Megan a soft coated Wheaton, a nice golden Lab, Peter and of course my favorite Cindy, the dog I grew up with, an Airdale who I named (after Cinderella I think & I cant believe I'm admitting that!) ..Anyway,
Here she is now with Buddy. Anyone who would take this dog in would have to be a saint!! (thats Mom ; ) Moms has had Buddy for about 8 years now.. She had him doing really well too. Until her stroke and I think his old abandonment issues began resurfacing. I tried really hard to take as good of care of him as she does.. but according to Mom hes taken a backward step and now we are all trying to get him comfy and secure with life here again.
Buddys never lived with a cat either and it was a lot of work, and interesting, getting them used to each other. I really came to notice how opposite they are, cats and dogs give totally different signals and just don't understand each other at all.
Buddys hyperactive. He goes crazy when the mailman comes or anyone comes, for that matter, to the door.. Barking like crazy. & he likes us all to stay together, if one of us - me, mom or James, leaves the house, or the car.. he goes crazy again, like its the end of the world and nothing will ever be the same again.
He loves the car!! In fact, he often wont get out of it.. hell sit in there for hours after a car ride and no way are you going to get him out of there. Of course, were learning some tricks that help sometimes. And hes totally afraid of thunder and lightening.. I've never seen anyone so afraid. One night when Mom was in the hospital and it was thundering he curled up right next to me and I had to hug and pat him all night.. hes kind of cry and shake and curl under our legs. One day when it was thundering & I had to take mom to therapy, I got James to sit with him and take care of him until we got back.
They're slowly getting used to each other. I've notice Zoey is now sleeping on chairs closer to the ground, so hes feeling more comfortable. Sometimes they fight, Buddy will chase Zoey or Zoey will hiss and swing a claw toward Buddy but often they will come close and almost have their noses together checking each other out. These two are a big part of our family out here.
