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.
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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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