He's a Happy Puppy Dog

Meet Simba

He's our Siberian Husky that we adopted through BASH. Huskies are an amusing breed sometimes.

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For instance... They're pack animals, so they're happiest when with others (especially other dogs.) Hence, there is much unhappiness when we have to go somewhere without him, and he is left outside. If he knows we're gone, and he has no escape route (which was his Plan A when we first rescued him), he's cool. He hangs, he chills...he's QUIET. However, if he knows that there is a living being in the house, and he's had his fill of being outside, there will be a smack to the screen door, possibly a howl, and if not responded to, a very pitiful cry. Normally we respond to the screen door, but last Christmas we went to a party and left Simba outside, while my parents' dog was inside. It turns out that this was not an acceptable situation to Simba. We know this, because about 15 minutes after we returned home that evening, a police officer knocked on our door. It turns out that our neighbors behind us heard Simba crying so pitifully that they thought we must be home but in some kind of trouble. They weren't even annoyed! They just thought we could be hurt and he couldn't get to us. Lesson learned!

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Living in California as we do, we're used to warmer weather, so we tend to get a little whiny when the temp drops into the 30's and 40's. Does this weather bother Simba? Oh no! He's built for it, and sometimes seems to prefer it. It amazed us, this last winter, how many times he absolutely refused to come inside for the night. He's learned to tell us "no" by laying down and putting his head on the ground. Granted, in the morning he crawls out of his cozy dog house, and runs into the house straight for a warm couch! But that doesn't stop him from making the same choice now and again.

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The most amazing and wonderful thing about our Simba, is how well he handles these two:

They lay on him. They hug him until he probably can't breathe. They push his ears down flat and kiss him all over his face. Sometimes they probably hurt him. And what does he do? He takes it! Often he'll give a yip to let us know he's being manhandled, and he's even learned to use it just to get the kids in trouble. But he also plays with them and seems to enjoy them. If they could love him to death, they probably would, and he'd likely let them. This is the most patient dog I've ever known, and I couldn't be happier that we found each other.

And now the dilemma...

The opportunity to adopt another husky has fallen in our laps unexpectedly. From the sound of it, she's everything we've wanted in a second Sibe. Female, close in age to Simba, raised around kids, good temperament. But do we take this jump into being a two dog family? What if she's not as patient with these kids and we end up with a bite? (I already know two children who have had minor to severe dog bites, so I have a healthy fear.) What if Simba, who would LOVE having another dog around, takes to her so much that we become less his family? That would break my leetle heart. Not to mention twice the dog food, shots, boarding when on vacation, etc.


We've decided we're just going to have a look tonight. We'll meet Aurora (aka Rory) and just see what we think. We all (including Simba) have to meet her and make that decision together. But I think I know who's going to like her the best!