A few nights ago I had a sweet dream of lying in bed with Blue (who has since passed away 2 months ago) and I asked if it was okay if we got another dog because Loki is so darn lonely.
He nodded, took a deep breath and put his front leg on my arm and we snuggled tight and I woke up - yep you guessed it - a sobbing mess.
I took it as a sign that things will be okay and I didn't feel so bad about adopting another dog.
I know we didn't plan on having a second dog - so I had already sold a bunch of Blue's stuff already - thinking we truly wouldn't get another.
Loki as a solo dog is fantastic! He doesn't bark, he's easy to walk, he responds well to clicker training - so why bother getting another?
Because Loki is pretty depressed. He doesn't howl or bark when he's alone - and we tried putting calming music videos for him while we were away. But still - as soon as he saw we were leaving without him - he'd sulk away. And whenever we came home - we were nearly tackled with his 35 kg body.
It was time to look for another one.
I know there are several dogs being flown into Finland from countries that cannot care for them due to overpopulation - i.e. Spain, Cyprus etc. - but they were quite expensive.
Of course it covered sterilization, vaccines and their flight ticket (almost 500€) but I couldn't justify paying that much for a dog - regardless of its breed or sad story. Trust me - I'm a sucker for sad stories!
After some time - I found Milo. A Karelian Bear Dog mix with a striking looking face and he was wearing a scarf in his photo - I mean, who can't resist a dog in accessories?! Well, my husband for one can - but anyway. Even HE was impressed by the scarf!
Anyway, after bouncing the idea around and finding out we had to wait for another family - who were ahead of us - we got confirmation last Sunday that we'd be getting him and my lovely neighbour and I zipped out there with Loki in tow.
The first meeting was a bit awkward as I didn't know he would be SO protective of his home and lunge at me.
I was trying to remain calm and not break a sweat or have him smell fear. I've never been bitten or attacked by a dog - and I certainly didn't want to experience it any time soon.
After I passed his sniff test - I was allowed in his home and we decided that since we drove 3 hours to see him - we may as well adopt him and bring him back home.
He barked the whole way home and managed to get into the front seat during the last forty-five minutes of the trip.
I know not everyone thinks it's a great idea getting another dog - it's obviously not the smartest idea I've had in the world.
Milo has issues we need to work on and we'll be working with a trainer next week to try and smooth out the few bumps he has in his behaviour. :) Like barking, being extremely protective of me during our night walks, separation anxiety and stealing food...
But as you can see in the photo - Loki is pretty darn happy and so is Milo - and that's what matters.
It's been 6 days and Milo has experienced a lot of firsts in such a short time!
Like being off leash in the woods, going to a dog park, living with another dog, travelling by bus and learning clicker training.
Something really special is that when V-Man first met Milo - he immediately went over to pet him and that was that. Milo immediately sniffed the air and around V-Man and noticed something different and doesn't mind V-Man's erratic moves - which can be quite unpredictable!
"With love and patience, nothing is impossible." - Daisaku Ikeda
BIMU
PS You can meet Milo here on YouTube!
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