Happy Birthday, Howard

Howard is three today. It feels like he should be at least twelve--not because he acts old but because it seems like we've had him forever. Is that good or bad? Some days both.

We brought Howard home on Christmas Eve of 2009. He was just about three months old at the time and beyond adorable. I chalk it up to temporary insanity caused by holiday cheer that we A) adopted a second dog (Henry was about 8 at the time) and B) adopted a puppy. I had sworn off puppies. Why? They're bad. They go to the bathroom on the floor, they need to be let outside several times a night, they whine in their crates, they eat stuff they shouldn't, their energy levels are through the roof and their razor sharp puppy teeth should be considered a weapon. They also need tons of shots, spayed/neutered, and LOTS of patience. And probably obedience classes.

This was taken about 10 minutes after Howard came home for the first time!

I honestly think living with a newborn is easier than living with a new puppy.

But alas, hindsight is 20/20 and while there may be no more puppies crossing the threshold of my home in the future there was one on December 24, 2009. He was part of a litter of six--three females, three males, and he and his brother were the only ones left. His name for the first 12 weeks of life? O'Donnell. Kind of cute, but I get a kick out of old man names for dogs. And Howard just sounded right with Henry.

Howard is a complicated creature. He has a lot of, shall we say, quirks. For starters, he doesn't really like anyone he meets. For a lot of people, he comes around eventually but "eventually" can mean over a year. Case in point: he adores my brother and sister-in-law, but it's really been only the past year or so that he's displayed any sort of affection for them. Before that it was apathy at best and hiding at worst. His circle of "acceptable people" has grown considerably, especially recently. I label him as "slow to warm."

He also dislikes other dogs. The ones he really doesn't like get barked and snarled at; all the others he just ignores. He's also been known to charge wildly at another dog, typically one who is large enough to eat him whole, barking like a madman and generally raising hell. He stops himself just in the knick of time because at his heart he's actually terrified. All bark and no bite, that dog.

There is one exception to his disdain for everyone else in the canine category: my parents' dog Frances. He loved that dog, worshipped the ground she walked on, and (we think) whole-heartedly believed she was his mother. When Frances passed away last summer, he was despondent. Sadly, he has not found their new dog, Izzy, to be a suitable replacement.

Howard and his one true love: Frances

One loss he wasn't despondent over? Henry. Henry and Howard had a strange relationship. They didn't hate each other, but there definitely was no love lost. They would get into occasional spats (always over food), which one time resulted in a wayward paw whacking Henry in the face and busting open his eyelid, which required not one but two rounds of stitches and anesthesia. Lovely. Other than that, they generally ignored each other when awake but oftentimes wound up sleeping in a heap together. One time Howard stayed at my parents house for a few days while Henry was here (recovering from surgery) and when Howard got home Henry forgot to act disinterested and ran to the door, excited. When Henry passed away, Howard was different--but I can't really say that he missed Henry. I think what he missed most was the security of having another dog around to show him how to behave and without that he went a little nuts for awhile.

Howard & Henry

Howard & Henry

Howard has a lot of anxiety issues and is generally a rather nervous animal. His bark is so loud that I can hear him at the end of the street with the windows closed. His behavior toward strangers (human and otherwise) is embarrassing and often frustrating. Where Henry could go anywhere with us and was happy to get pets from anything or anyone, Howard is usually not suitable for public consumption.

But...he has his positives. When he does get to know and like someone, they're in for life. He will get so excited to see you that he won't be able to run in a straight line. He'll jump in your lap, kiss your face, and fall asleep at your feet. He's one of the only dogs I've ever been around who truly is a lap dog. He'll come and curl up in a ball on my lap and let me use him as a resting place for my book. He'll snuggle up between us when we're watching TV and he finds his way into our bed every night, sleeping sweetly in a ball and occasionally offering a lick just to remind us that he's there and could we please, maybe pet his ears?

He loves going on walks and car rides. He's a smart dog who picks up on things quickly. He was the easiest puppy to train--easily housebroken, barely a peep in his crate, and never destructive of things that weren't his. His intense love of playing Frisbee is fun to watch, and the joy on his face as he's playing is the best. Oh, and he's really, really adorable. If he wasn't so crazy I'd send his pictures to ad agencies so he could be in commercials.

He's handled the huge life change of a new baby in the house as well as could be expected. There have been a few hiccups and bumps along the way, but he's adapting and coping a little better every day. We take the bad with the good, and his good definitely outweighs his bad. At the end of the day, there's just something about him that I love. Some days, especially his not so good days, it's hard to remember why I love this dog but I do. He's just my Howard. My three year old Howard.

Meeting Charlotte for the first time 

We put a ThunderShirt on him for the first time and he had no idea what to do with himself. This is his attempt at sitting.

We are celebrating by letting him lick the dinner plates when we're done eating and allowing him to sleep on the couch. Oh wait...that's every day.

Have a fabulous weekend!

~Stacy