Update on my dog Joey (now Bowie)
It's been three months since I adopted a 13-year-old Beagle/Jack Russell mix named Joey. We already had a 13-year-old Joey in the family, so the new Joey became Bowie, chosen to rhyme with Joey. It probably didn't matter all that much, as his hearing isn't the best.
Neither is his vision. When he wasn't here very long, I had to separate Scruffy, my cat, from him because he lunged aggressively at her a couple of times. I spoke with a trainer recommended by the shelter, and she said separation was best for 2-3 months until he was fully acclimated to his new home. At some point I realized that Bowie might have reacted to Scruffy because he couldn't identify her. His vision is much worse than I initially thought, and he might have seen a shadow approaching instead of a cat. I need to talk to the trainer about this and get her advice on bringing Scruffy downstairs again.
Bowie's a happy dog. He stays close to me for the most part. He's excited to go out, but eager to come back to the house. He's good in the car. My family loves him, and my 11-year-old grandson is proud to be the dogwalker-in-chief if I'm out. Bowie loves soft, plush squeaky toys. I gave him Bunny when I first met him at the shelter, and he was quite devoted--until I gave him Chewy the bear. Love at first sniff there, which lasted until this week, when I offered him Lamb Chop.
He started scratching constantly, creating "hot spots." The shelter gave me his vet records, so I knew this wasn't a new problem. He'd been given Apoquel before. I was hoping not to go that route (it's expensive, and not without potential consequences), but that's where we ended up. The drug is effective, and I'm glad he doesn't itch anymore. Constant itching is torture.
Barking at night was a problem until I took my granddaughter's advice and started playing music for him. "Alexa, play Classical for Meditation." I know music designed to calm dogs exists, but we've been doing so well with Classical for Meditation that I don't want to rock the boat.
I haven't fixed my own sleep problem yet, however. I haven't had a full night's sleep since he arrived. As a senior dog, Bowie can't "hold it" for long hours. As a senior woman, I sympathize. He can manage about 6 hours, so I get up to take him out earlier than I like. I tell myself I can go back to bed after, but I never do. I probably wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep anyway. Sometimes I get a nap during the day, but 30 minutes or so doesn't do enough. My sleep deficit is piling up, and I feel it every day.
The shelter told me Bowie liked a big bed, so I bought him a nice one. He does like it, but sometimes he squeezes himself into a cat bed.
Asleep in his big bed with his new lovey.
Thanks for reading!
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AlisandeOriginal Author