I have always been a cat person, but I did have a few dogs when I was a kid. I love dogs, but other people’s dogs.
My husband has always been a dog person, but we have not had one in the 10 years that we have been married. Over the years he talked about it and we weren’t sure if really fit into our lifestyle, so we stuck with our cat and eventually some chickens. But lately the urge for a dog has consumed my husband.
We have been talking for quite awhile about what kind of dog would fit with us. We wanted to get a puppy at not more than eight weeks of age. We want to train it up young to know that our cat is part of the family and to protect the chickens and not think of them as some kind of prey.
I have soft spot for pit bulls because I think they are unfairly maligned. After doing research my husband decided that an American Pit Bull Terrier could be a good fit for us. However, he has also always loved the American Bull Dog.
He was very excited when we found some six week old puppies who were a combination of the two. Dad is an American Bull Dog and mom a pit bull. A “Bullypit,” as they are often called, seemed a great compromise for us. I decided it could be his birthday present.
I don’t have the level of excitement as my husband does because I am used to the laid back, low maintenance style of cats. I am not used to an animal that I need to supervise so much.
The little one is quite the handful, but my husband is so ecstatic to finally get his dog. He is in love with the adorable puppy.
We always have such a hard time naming our animals. I prefer what I consider dignified names for animals, but my husband generally likes weirder kind of names.
I had made an agreement with him that he would be able to name the dog so we have ended up with the name “Nudnik.” The word has Yiddish origins and means pest or bothersome person.
In these early puppy phases he can certainly be that. Some people think it’s an awful name for a dog, but others find the humor in it. He just really likes the way that the word sounds.
My husband is looking forward to doing all kinds of things with the dog like training it with sign language, going on hikes and doing an obstacle course in the backyard. He is thinking the dog will help him get back to being more active.
I don’t think the cat is too thrilled to be sharing the spotlight with a dog, but she has tolerated him. She has hissed at him a few times, but we have not seen her swat at him. They have both napped in the same general area on the sofa.
Our younger chickens don’t mind him, but the elder chickens are not too fond of the whole experience. Hopefully they will come around.
I don’t know if I am ready for this next new adventure, but here it is. I am looking forward to getting the puppy trained. I am sure I am much more cut out for an adult dog, but we need one we can train young to fit into our little homestead family.
Photos property of the Faithful Homesteader.
