Beginnings, pt II

We picked Charlie up from Pennsylvania the week of my wife's finals.

Now we know it should have been a warning sign, but at the time we thought it was convenient that the breeder offered to bring Charlie to us at the hotel we were staying at. When getting a dog it's always important to ask to see the conditions in which the dog was raised. A reputable breeder should be more than happy to show you the conditions as well as the dame to whom your new puppy was born. Refusal on either point should immediately raise red flags.

We'd decked out my Monte Carlo in everything we thought we'd need for the ride home. We had Charlie's crate set up in the back seat along with a blanket and some towels for him to lay on. We also had a few toys in case he got bored. The "breeder" (broker) didn't give us anything of his mom's for our trip home, another bad sign. Separating a puppy from its mother can be a traumatic experience. Having something with their mother's scent on it can help make the transition easier.

We didn't care, though. From the moment we first held Charlie he set up a permanent residence in our hearts. A few weeks after we'd had Charlie back home we started calling him "Rock Star" but it was fitting nickname as early as the ride home.

At our first stop on the way home we took the little mite out of the car and tried him out with a collar and leash. He wasn't really moving about so we took off the leash figuring we could catch him if he toddled off too far. At this point we also pulled out the camcorder we bought for the occasion (yes, we're those type of parents) and got some great footage of me and Charlie playing in the green space at the rest stop.

As the day went on Charlie continued to work his rocker mojo. When we stopped for lunch at a Wendy's Charlie and I waited outside while Hol went to get food. He was a good boy and stayed pretty close to me, but when another person came out of the Wendy's he started walking after the man towards his car. While at another rest stop Hol and I were sat on a hill with the little guy and watched as he slowly lost his balance and went lazily rolling down the hill. All of this was done with his typical Charlie charm.

Once home Charlie adapted to apartment life very quickly. He knew that whenever we put the leash on him it was time to go outside and say hello to people. We tried crate training him for a while, but eventually relented and allowed him to sleep on the bed with us. I say "we" relented, but my wife is always quick to remind me that I relented. I'm a soft touch. Sue me.

The summer passed in a blur of photos and outings. We brought Charlie with us wherever we could, even taking him on a whale watching trip out of Gloucester when my parents came to visit. In mid-July Charlie was chosen as The Daily Puppy's puppy of the day.

We'd always known we wanted to be a two dog family. My wife and I are both out of the apartment for varying spans of time during the day and we figured it would be best for Charlie to have a brother (or sister) to entertain him. We'd thought January would be an optimal time to get our second dog since it would coincide with my wife's winter break.

Fate, however, had other plans for us.