Beauregard Longfellow--Beau is short for a very long dog--has been with us one week now.  He has fit into our pack so well and seems very content in his new life.  He hasn't missed his former one a bit. There has been no real adjustment required.  He and Peaches adore each other and engage in mock battles.  It's so fun to watch them play together.  Their antics make me laugh, and I feel happier than I've been in many months.  The pack is complete again.  I know now that I made the right decision in adopting another male dog.  It's almost like having our dear old Bubba back again.  Sometimes, when I glance at Beau just so, I'd swear it's Bubba.  I like to think he's still here with us in spirit.  

I confess I had some trepidation because one dog is definitely easier and less expensive to care for, plus I didn't know how well Peaches would adapt to sharing the limelight with another dog after being top dog these many months or if having another might negatively affect our special bond.  However, I've taken pains to give her extra attention, so the transition has been smooth. She seems to have no issues with Beau being here and enjoys having a canine companion again. It's the quickest bonding any of my adoptees have had with each other, so I'm very pleased at the outcome of the decision to take on another dog.  Two is definitely better than one.  They are such a comfort and joy to have in our home.

The only complication has been Beau's mild case of kennel cough, but he is already pretty much done with that. There was just some sneezing but no coughing.  Peaches had a much worse case when I adopted her.  It lasted three long weeks!  Evidently, his age and natural immunity in concert with the inoculation he received incoming at the shelter and the Clavimox antibiotic has done the trick.  With the exception of a little infection of his stitches and some pretty bad bruising of his scrotum from the neuter surgery, Beau's right as rain.  Neutering an older dog is more involved than neutering a young one, and the photo shown here is a solid argument, among many, for neutering your dog at an early age when there are fewer blood vessels to be severed with resulting complications.  

But you can also tell from the body language in the photo that he feels comfortable in his new environment.  In fact, he's snoring contentedly behind my office chair as I write this entry.  He seems to have bonded quite strongly with me.  A Momma's boy, for sure.  He doesn't like to let me out of his sight for very long.  Wherever I am, that's where you'll find Beau.

What a difference a week can make in the future of a homeless hound.  I only hope that the other abandoned pets at the Stockton shelter are as fortunate as Beau has been and will also get a new life with people who'll adore them as we already do him.  Sadly, it seems highly unlikely, from what I observed.