Domino

We adopted Domino, our six-year old male Dalmatian, on Saturday, July 13, 2002. We had planned to see Domino, and a few other Dals at one of two adoption events scheduled in the Dallas area on that day, but Anne Rutledge arranged to meet us before the events began, and we were able to have a private introduction to Domino and several other dogs. Dalmatians are such an affectionate and loveable breed that we would have taken home half a dozen if we could, but Domino was just the right dog for us. We obtained Domino directly from his previous owner, Debbie, a Dallas-area resident who was unable to keep him because of a new job requiring frequent travel. It was obvious that Domino had been well-loved and cared for. Debbie very generously sent Domino's crate, food, veterinarian records and other personal items along with us to help with the transition from her home to ours.Domino was well behaved and calm on the drive home, and he has proven to be a remarkably well-mannered dog. He sleeps in a doggie bed beside our bed, and usually doesn't rouse until we do.

Once he's up, however, he's ready to go for a walk and cannot seem to understand why it takes people so long to dress and get ready to go. His leash hangs on a coat rack near our back door, and he noses at the leash every time we walk past, thinking surely it's time to go out again. He's so eager to go out that, once you put the leash on his collar, he'll grab the other end of the leash in his teeth and race to the door.

Domino is trying very hard, actually a little too hard, to make friends with Little Bear, our very old and rather grumpy cat. Bear isn't fond of fast movements or rough play, and Domino is just too rambunctious for Bear's taste. They're starting to warm up to each other, but it'll take some time. We both work, so we knew we had to figure out a suitable plan for Domino during the day. Debbie told us that she had been able to leave him in the house alone and that he didn't get into any trouble. We tried this rather apprehensively, but the dog has been great and doesn't even get on the furniture when we're away. He seems to sleep much of the day and provides a good welcome when we get home again. He's sporting a new bright red collar with a matching leash, so he looks very handsome when we go walking through the neighborhood. He likes riding in the car about as much as going for walks, and seems very disappointed if we go to the garage without getting in the car. We've changed his name from Domino to "Watson," and he's adapted to that change as readily as to his new home environment. Debbie had taken him to the vet just before we adopted him, so he was already current on his shots. We took him to our vet here for an Austin registration tag and a new supply of heartworm prevention pills. Our very special thanks to Debbie, to Anne Rutledge, and to all the people at Dalmatian Rescue of North Texas for helping us find Watson. We know we've found a friend for life.
Don & Kate Lindsay, Austin Texas.
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