“She’s A HE?!” and Other Misadventures in the World of Girl and Dog (Tomorrow Is Another Day...)

Well folks, life just never ceases to surprise. Just when you get past one curveball, another one gets thrown your way. I’d finally come to terms with the fact that I was going to be a mother, albeit to a very furry baby, when I find out that “Ellie” is in fact a “Jack”. Hooooooooly crap.

Like, as in little puppy wieners and peeing in all of the corners of my apartment? The terrible mother that I am my heart fell a little when I found out that my little adult princess was actually a wee little 6 month old boy, but then the vet brought him out and I fell in love all over again. Those same sad eyes and the trembling… just broke my heart and I felt terrible for wanting him to have been a girl. (That being said, I’ve decided that someday when I become pregnant I don’t think I want to know the gender beforehand because DAMN I’d be mad if for 9 months I thought I was going to have a little girl and then out comes this twee kid with extra bits, or vice versa… I’d much rather just be surprised!)

With the great lack of confidence I have in the organizational skills of the shelter (ie bringing out the white and tan dog, having the cards mixed up, etc) it’s not exactly shocking that they sent over the wrong puppy. That being said, I’m so incredibly happy with him. He had a bit of an identity crisis as I’d gotten “her” a little pink collar to tide “her” over until the pretty one comes in the mail, with a precious little red heart with “Ellie” engraved on it, and I think he was a bit mortified to be seen in public wearing pink, but we remedied the situation quickly with a stop by Petco for a nice manly blue bone engraved with “Jack” and a lovely red collar.

Interaction was a bit rocky at first, but now he trails me around the house, already understands that he needs to go outside to do his business, and now we just need to work on the whole “playing” and “eating” thing. Colby and I have both tried showing him his toys and how they work, but he mostly just looks at us like we’re a little nutty. He’s into the little edible chew bones, but the ropes and squeaky toys are still a bit perplexing to him. It’s so bizarre going from my family dog, Belle, who practically mauls you if you so much as mention the word “cookie” to Jack who sort of looks at it and licks it a little then drops in on the floor and comes back every now and then to lick on it some more.

He is a great deal like having a baby though, Colby and I took turns last night waking up and bringing him out to go to the bathroom, he cries about things and I have NO IDEA WHAT TO DO, he cries his head off when we leave—the only discernible difference I can find is that I don’t have drawers full of tiny clothes that he’ll wear for a week before he grows out of them. Anyway, I bring him in to have him fixed in three weeks—right now he has hookworm and a kennel cough, both of which he’s medicated for, and the vet didn’t want to do anything while he was sick. So, his manhood will be stolen away, and then I can begin dressing him in the fluffy pink tutus and sparkling, feathery tiaras—Just kidding!! Or am I….. stay tuned for future episodes and probably an obscene number of photo entries dedicated solely to the furry one of the household.

Comments

Ah, he sounds cute.. and i'd say it won't take him long to get used to your routine and settle into your home life. Sometimes it takes 4 or 5 days, at least thats what I noticed from the little one we adopted over the holidays! Enjoy!!

Posted by: anne | September 07, 2005 at 10:31 PM