Catching Up

Yeah, I’ve been gone for a while. Work had sucked my will to live and to sit in front of a computer for one second more than necessary, but we’ve addressed that situation. Now I have a new job that allows me to work from the patio while admiring my garden most days, so I’ll probably have more cranial impetus left for updates like this one. More verbings! Yay!

We’ve had a lot going on lately between the job change and setting up our garden for the year (which is another wondrous post in itself, so watch this space). One of the larger changes weighs about 85 pounds, has floofy ears, and is named Udo.

Brian and I had been discussing the possibility of getting a dog since I’d be home most of the time and better able to care for one. We knew we wanted to adopt an adult dog from the Humane Society because they tend to have more difficulty finding homes, but we weren’t stuck on any one particular breed or mix. Then I saw this face on the website.

I could not get him out of my head. The poor guy was given up after two years because his previous owners decided he was too much to handle. I can’t imagine that was an easy decision for them, and his world was shattered. I showed his picture to Brian, who agreed he was very cute. We looked at other dogs, but none grabbed my heart like this one. So, the next Saturday afternoon, we talked to Brian’s dad, a frequent volunteer at the shelter. I asked what this dog was like and he immediately said, “Oh, he’s a good dog. He’s a really good dog.” Nick doesn’t give such recommendations lightly, so we agreed that we should go meet this good dog.

Believe it or not, the meeting didn’t start out well. Udo trotted toward me, right past me, and straight to the guy with the treats. We put a leash on him and I took him for a short walk around the visiting yard to see how we hit it off. He proceeded to drag me around the yard like he was searching for something or someone, never looking at me. I was thinking maybe he just didn’t like me, so Brian took him for a walk while I sat on the little visiting bench to see how they did. He was so pretty I knew he’d be able to get a home, but I was bummed that he wasn’t interested in me.

Shows what I know. When they walked back around the corner, Udo beelined over and shoved his nose under my elbow for a hug. Then he sat on my feet. My heart was pretty much won at that point, but there was no question when he raised his head and looked at me. I turned into Doug from Up. “Hi, my name is Heather! I just met you and I love you!” We’ve been inseparable ever since. Udo is my constant companion, guarding me while I work and reminding me to be more active when it’s time to go for a walk or a yard rampage.

We take him everywhere, from adventures in new parks to Tractor Supply, where he has a rather large fan club and gets multiple helpings of treats. People ask us about him wherever we go, and little girls absolutely love him because he’s just that cute. My latent fear of big dogs has never even twitched with him because he’s the most gentle, loving dog I’ve ever seen. He takes care of us as much as we take care of him, and having him in our family makes my heart happy.

I’m grateful to the Stephens County Humane Society for taking in and introducing us to this amazing dog. If you live in the area and are looking for a new family companion, please check them out. They’re wonderful, compassionate people and they do good work.