Chosen

The big day is here! We were going to meet the Olde English Bulldogge puppies and see if one of them would be able to join our family. Off Mike and I went to the breeder called Lush Bulldogs, about a 40 minute drive from us. There was a lot of excitement and questions in the car. Would we be taking the new puppy home today? Are we really ready for this? What will Ares think? Will he settle in with us ok? How do we we even take care of a puppy again? Mike was so confident we were on the right track that like usual he kept me focused and calm. With all the excited chatting we were there before we knew it and with one last look to Mike and his reassurance and support off we went to start a new chapter of our lives.

First we met the parents of Zeus. Two beautiful dogs named Shiloh (mom) and Mavrick Duke (dad). They were so eager to greet us with little stubby tails wiggling and making the funniest snorting sounds I've ever heard. I was taken with them right away, and they were so eager and happy to meet us, two strangers, that I took it as a good sign. But dad was much bigger then I was expecting, coming in at 70 lbs. Now, I am used to walking two Danes with a combined weight of over 300 lbs. However, once they decided to pull me across a field and it was part of the reason I didn't want two Danes again and decided to get a dog that would be a bit smaller but still able to rough house with Ares. Would this amount of weight be an issue if they start pulling? I had remembered that the Bulldogge's are strong and chest heavy. Mike assured me that together we would train the new puppy to walk nicely with us just as we had with our two Danes. After all, if I could do it with them I could train this new puppy just as well because Danes are also a stubborn breed. Patience, love, and staying calm is the key. So with that in mind we went forward with meeting the pups.

Mom Shiloh

Dad Mavrick

We waited in a living room with the dog mom and dad and some human family members while the breeder went and got the puppies for us to see. They sounded like a small heard of rhinos coming into the room! All of a sudden they came around the corner and the room was filled with so much cuteness and excitement it was a little over whelming. There was four puppies all together, all playing and snorting and making the cutest little noises. The one I was interested in, however, was only interested in being rough with his siblings and dad. That made me step back as I did not want to bring home a dog who would be in Ares face all the time and start off the bonding process wrong. Mike and I took a moment and just watched them all to get a feel of the personalities a little better. I decided to sit down and see if any of the puppies would come over and visit with me. Once on the floor one of the puppies who had been staying out of all the rough housing as much as he could and being calm and giving the other dogs space came running over to see me. With a wiggly tail he made himself at home on my lap. That was it. I knew that we were chosen. He did not move from my lap the rest of the visit. He gave me all sorts of kisses under my chin and snuggles and even kissed Mike when he kneeled down next to us. Shiloh, the mom, came over at one point and sat down and gave us her blessing, I felt, when she gave us some cuddles, licked my hand, and went off on her way. I took all this as a sign. I had been picked by this little guy and who was I to say no to fate. So I looked to Mike and said "What do you think?" He gave me the nod that it was right and with that we were off to sign the forms to bring the little guy home.

Hey Lady, pick me!

So many puppy kisses

First official family photo

Mom giving us her blessing

Now the business part. We had a contract to sign with lots of conditions. Of course we were to make sure the puppy was well taken care of, he had a vet visit to guarantee his health, that he will not be misused or hurt in any way, and to sign off on if we would be fixing the puppy or not. As someone who believes in spaying and neutering we signed for that option. The contract I felt was good as it protected both breeder and new owner. We both read it through and felt confident with the contract and that we were not being taken advantage of so with all the papers in order we were given a temporary registration for Zeus to be able to get his documentation on his blood lines.

Now the exciting part! The lovely temporary mom Cathryn brought our new fur baby to us and handed him over to me, his new furever mom. I almost cried, I didn't! But I was just so happy in this moment. You see after Titan had left us I had this hole in my heart. My family just didn't feel complete, but as soon as this little guy was placed in my arms and he just snuggled right in under my chin, everything felt whole again. This was right. There were no more questions in my mind. We would do this together as a family. I passed the puppy to Mike, a very happy new dad and with that we were off to show this little guy his new home.

We said our goodbyes and thank yous to the family for trusting us with their little puppy and headed to the car. I wondered if he would be ok on this new journey of his life. He was being taken away from his family and all he's ever known so far. Zeus was very calm while Mike carried him and once I was in the truck Mike placed him ever so gently in my arms, he was very precious after all! Zeus sniffed a little but settled right into my lap. He was good all the way home, didn't cry or whine, in fact he acted like this was exactly where he was suppose to be and had lived with us for ages already. At one point in the truck he kept putting his chin up to rest on Mike's shoulder. For me this was yet another sign as my big guy Titan used to do that with us as well. Maybe dog souls really do come back to us some how.

Resting his head on dad's shoulder

Settled in for the ride

Brave boy

We got home even faster then we had gotten there. Now was the first big step for little Zeus. He had to meet his big brother for the first time. Big in every sense of the word. I decided it would be best for Mike to wait outside on the sidewalk with Zeus while I went and brought Ares out on his leash so they could meet on neutral territory. I went inside and as always Ares was there to greet his mom with a big wagging tail and big Dane kisses. I asked him "Are you ready to meet your new brother?" His ears perked forward and he looked outside as if to say "Really?!" We went outside towards the new pup and at first I think Ares was so excited to see dad he didn't notice little Zeus, but once he did he greeted him with a wagging tail. Zeus however........well he took one look at this huge beast of a dog coming at him and got scared. There was a little bit of whining and trying to hide so Mike picked him up and we walked into the house together.

What I imagined and dreamed: The dogs would meet and it would be like long lost friends reuniting, They would go off into the sunset together and be best friends for forever.

What in reality happened: The dogs were getting a feel for each other. They gave each other some space and did some sniffs here and there. Zeus was in a big new place after all and he was staying mostly by Mike and I. But there were no growls and we had some tail wags so I knew this was just the start of the process. Mike and I had been through this before when we brought Ares home for Titan. It took a good three weeks for the two to really start coming together and bonding, so I knew as long as Mike and I stayed positive this would work too.

Meeting the BIG brother

Trying to play and getting some tail wags going

Getting a feel for each other

Zeus's first night home was way better then I could have hoped for. He explored his new yard and home easily and seemed to be very content with it all. He ate his first dinner at home with us and had no problems at all, he was very eager to please already. There was lots of new toys to explore and chew on. The last hurtle of the day was night time. Mike and I decided we would be crating Zeus at the bottom of our bed so he still feels close to the family at night. For training, especially potty training, we find the crate much easier and it also gives us piece of mind when leaving the two dogs together while we aren't home. As with all things it's important to relate the crate to positive experiences, so I was prepared to slowly introduce the crate with treats. Zeus however, went in the crate on his own that first night and slept the whole night through with no crying. Such a brave boy! I was beyond pleased with this and knew it was just the start to a great new beginning.

New giant tennis ball to play with

Loving anything that makes a noise

Being a good boy in his big crate

Sleeping soundly

Crate Training Video I like (of course there are many more on YouTube to check out):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTAKn6ZmpPc