Our Boys

Since I mentioned the pups in my last post, I figured it was time to officially introduce them.  

JD adopted Harrier, our 5 year old Lab-Chow mix, when he was just a puppy.  Harrier is extremely intuitive, intelligent, and very protective of us, which I love.  He’s moody and isn’t afraid to let us know when he’s pissed (he pouts for an entire day whenever we get back from the vet).  He rounded out our pairing and made us a family instead of just a couple.

Shortly after we bought our house, we decided it was time to find a playmate for Harrier.  JD had been searching on the SPCA’s site and found a pit mix named Boyd.  It was love at first sight.  “Look babe!  He looks just like me!  He has a big head, broad shoulders, and a dumb look on his face.”

Hey- he said it, not me.

We went to the SPCA to meet him, and soon discovered that the similarities did not end there.   We would toss toys for him to chase, but he was easily sidetracked by a barking dog or someone walking by.  Boyd, like JD, had serious ADD.  It was definitely meant to be.

The shelter staff lovingly called him Big Baby Boyd.  Despite his intimidating looks and the stigma that comes with the Pitbull breed, Boyd doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, and will roll onto his back for anyone willing to give him a belly rub.

Once home, he became attached to us very quickly, following his big brother Harrier wherever he went and jumping up (uninvited) on the bed every chance he got, because he knows one pouty look from that huge head of his, and we can’t bear to make him get down.

I’ve decided that Boyd’s motto is, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I sure am excited about it.”  He’s not the brightest crayon in the box, but what he lacks in smarts he makes up with enthusiasm.  Sometimes, Harrier will start barking at something, and Boyd will start barking too, but we know he doesn’t really know why he’s barking, because Harrier is looking in a complete different direction.  When we take him on runs, he gets so easily sidetracked by a dog in someone’s yard, or simply the pure glee of running full throttle in any direction, that he’ll run into parked cars, bushes, or telephone poles.  He never stops or shows any sign of injury- just keeps running.

And when he sees or hears another dog- well, that’s almost indescribable.  He makes a very loud, very weird wailing noise that kind of sounds like he’s dying.  He is so overwhelmed by the prospect of meeting or playing with someone new that he just can’t contain it.  Between his size, breed, and weird noises, we usually get a judgmental you take that dog out in public?! look from the other dog owner, while he or she is desperately pulling their dog in the other direction, terrified.  We’ve tried explaining, “No, he’s not trying to kill your dog, he just wants to play,” but people generally don’t believe us.

The good news is that Boyd will always have Harrier.  They’re the best of friends and wrestle and chase each other non-stop (and when I say non-stop, I mean every second of every day- it’s exhausting).  Life wouldn’t be the same without them.  They complete our family.