365 Dog Days

It was a year ago today that my wife and I walked into a canine rescue shelter called “A Different Breed.”  And boy is that ever what we brought home.

For the past twelve months Augie has been 10 pounds of frustration, disasters, anger, destruction… and hair.  Oh so much hair.

Some Augie facts by the numbers:

2 – times he’s had “kennel cough”
11 – internet articles I’ve read on the topic of “separation anxiety”
4 - times he managed to escape from a locked crate
3 – rooms in the house in which he has defecated
21 – average number of jumps per hour
4 – sets of full-length wooden blinds pulled off the wall and destroyed
1– hole in the door I’ve punched in with my fist
2 – tables we’ve found him standing on and licking
7 – boards on my fence that have been replaced
3 - times early on that there were SERIOUS discussions of taking him back
6 – chew toys shredded beyond recognition
2 – times that chew toy shreds have been knowingly ingested
8 – pounds of lotion he’s licked off of my wife’s arms and legs
237 – conniption fits thrown when encountering other dogs on a walk
0 – times he has avoided being directly under foot
9 – average number of minutes it takes for him to pee if I’d REALLY rather be inside

He has destroyed a shoe, peed ON a fireman, escaped down the block (TWICE), protest peed out the side of a cage, clawed through a door, and spread feces all over his crate and himself... he's had a busy year.

Every piece of clothing I own has at least one of his hairs on it.

But here’s the thing: Augie has become the sweetest little guy ever.  There were some growing pains in the early going for sure, but now - he makes us laugh all day every day.  We have little private songs about him (which he dances to) and we could write a dictionary of new terms and phrases we have coined.  His "running & wrestling" matches have become a thing of legend and when he lies down and rests his chin on you, good luck not melting.  He’s a best friend when one of us is alone in the house and the happiest little greeter when we come home from work.

So as it turns out he’s also 10 pounds of love, friendship, dedication, comedy… and hair.  Still a lot of hair.  Happy “birthday” Augie.