Munchkin Land

While I was at Cousins Day, Walt attended a meeting of SPCA foster families, where Ashley passed out handbooks and pizza. While he was there, Megan asked if we could take a 6 week old chihuahua puppy that had been found wandering around the streets of Oakland and, somehow, was transferred up here. She kept him the first night, but couldn't keep him. She said he needed a lot of hands-on attention, which she couldn't give him because she was at school all day. (In a little bit I think you'll understand why she couldn't keep him in her apartment!)

When I got home, there was an e-mail from Megan about the puppy and of course I said yes. She said she would take Scrappy and find him another home, but I told her that Scrappy and Russell were such good friends and that a tiny puppy wasn't usually that much trouble, and that we would just keep all three puppies and if it proved too much she could then find a home for Scrappy.

And so, the new puppy arrived and I named him Munchkin

This one, at least, doesn't think Walt is the Devil incarnate, so Walt finally has a puppy to cuddle who won't bark if he tries to pet him.

All four other dogs overwhelmed Munchkin, so I held him until they all calmed down and then I sat in the recliner and was immediately buried under three puppies, Russell and Scrappy on my lap and Munchkin safely asleep on my collar bone.

I have become nothing more than a dog bed.

Megan warned that Munchkin was a fussy eater, when I asked what she had fed him. I didn't think that the big kibble would be easy for him to eat. She brought me some canned food so when it came time for dinner, I fed all the older dogs kibble, in four corners of the house (our mealtime routine around here is so bizarre. All four follow me around as I put down all four bowls in four areas, far removed from each other and then they all have to wander around checking all the bowls. I used to try to make sure they all got enough to eat and not too much to eat (i.e., that the puppies got a full meal and Sheila didn't eat double amounts!), but I gave that up as impossible. Somehow the food all gets eaten and nobody looks like he or she is starving, so I guess that they are eating all right).

When the big dogs had been fed, I dished up some of the canned stuff and locked Munchkin safely in a cage with the tasty food. Well. Let me tell you. Nobody puts Munchkin in a corner. He had NO interest in the food and all he wanted was to GET OUT. Listen for yourself:

Click To Play

Obviously that wasn't going to work. (And that is obviously why leaving Munchkin all alone in an apartment all day didn't work for Megan!)

I took him out, took out the food, and moved to a table in the back yard where I could stand over him and make sure he didn't fall off. He ate a bit, but ate more if I hand fed him. All the dogs, especially Scrappy, were very intrigued.

He wandered around a bit with the other dogs while I got people food ready for dinner and he lasted for a good while, but by the time I was finishing my dinner, he was begging to be picked up.

So I am writing this journal entry with Munchkin sleeping in a bed I made in my desk drawer. I have a feeling that he may require more attention than I figured, but I'm sure that as he settles in he'll get used to the other dogs and they will get used to him. The first day is always one for adjustments.