Larry & Marley (adventures in dogsitting)

We are dogsitting this week. This is the first time we’ve had a third dog in our house since we brought Larry home. It’s actually a great learning experience for us to learn what we will want when it comes to doing dog foster care or providing a final refuge home.

We are lucky in that Marley, the dog we’re watching, already knows us. He has been to our house before, though when Smokey was still alive. He is also the perfect test case for Larry.

Marley is an Affenpinscher, maybe all of 10lbs. He is older than both of my dogs, but still full of feistiness. He is used to spending most of his time with his mom, who works from home, so he is much more interested in me than he is C.

The problem with this is that Larry is also a bit more interested in me than he is C. Apparently, everybody is just fine when I am not home. However, the second I arrive, Marley wants my attention, as do my two. Junebug is good with sharing, but Larry decides he needs to resource guard me. And with only two hands, it’s difficult to make them all happy.

And even once we get things settled down, Marley sometimes likes to start things with Larry. He’ll lunge or snap, and Larry will react. Nobody’s been hurt, nor are they in danger of hurting each other. It just makes for a lot of barking and unsettled dogs.

Having Marley in the house also reminds me why some people think my 25lb & 33lb dogs are “medium” sized. But I don’t think I could every have a dog smaller than Larry. (Except for maybe a Caern,Norwichor Norfolk terrier- I love those little dogs.)

No, what we’ll be looking for in a foster dog is probably going to be on the larger size, with a hopefully a slightly calmer personality. A Lab mix or other easygoing type would probably be ideal.

June and Larry’s relationship proves that he is capable of being a pretty calm dog when the dogs around him are calm. However, a little shaking bundle of neediness is not that.

I don’t blame Marley for any of this. Staying with us when his family is away is the only dog socialization he gets. He is wonderful with their toddler, but he just isn’t certain around other dogs, though he very much prefers to be with them.

We thought we might put him in with JZ (our new roomie) for nights so that he wouldn’t have to put up with Larry, but Marley definitely prefers to be where the other dogs are, even if he’s causing trouble.

And it teaches us that yes, Larry can adapt to a third dog in the house, even a small yappy one who randomly lunges at him. That lets us know that fostering really is an option.