Pets (30 Before 30 #16)

The Langwith family does not have a good track record with pets.  We had two birds (Bert & Ernie) but I was allergic and we had to get rid of them.  We've had multiple goldfish...DEAD.  A hamster named Turd...Got lost in Ben's car and was ultimately found dead.  And two dogs Lexus & Baxter.

Lexus was a dalmatian and had ADHD.  You couldn't even take her on a walk.  We tried taking her to obedience school but we got kicked out after the first lesson.  We had trainers come to our house, but ultimately we had to give her to my Uncle to live on the farm.  And no, my parents didn't secretly put her down and tell us they sent her to a farm, she really went to one in Illinois (although she did die there chasing after a big tractor but that's besides the point.

Baxter was a good dog, well Baxter was an ok dog, what I mean to say is that Baxter was a dog that was scared of most people and bit them.  He liked my mom, me, and ultimately Tom but only because Tom always had food in his hand.  It's unfortunate we can't count on our two hands how many people Baxter bit.  We'd need about 50 hands for that.  Really we should have put him down, but man to make that decision...are you kidding me?!?  No matter how bad a dog is I don't think I could ever be the one to make that kind of decision.  It's different if they are sick and dying anyway, but just because they are bad?  I don't know.  Good thing I was the kid and not the adult in those situations.

Baxter and me in one of my Senior High School pictures

Now Tom & I have two dogs, Rocky & Addie, and they are great dogs.  We adopted them from the Humane Society and I would never do it any other way.  It's like they know how lucky they are.  Rocky can be a little shit sometimes and Addie is the sweetest girl you'll ever meet.  I would say their worst quality is they are super excitable.  And really if that's the worst I can handle it.

The story behind getting Rocky is one I hold over Tom's head for sure.  See, I had just moved to Virginia and boughten (I don't think that's a word but oh well) a house.  Tom wasn't living there so he said I had two choices, "A dog or a security system."  I was in the process of starting a new job across town, going to school at night, and planning our wedding so I figured it wasn't the right time to get a dog and I would work on getting a security system.  I went home to Des Moines for 1 week to plan our wedding and when I returned to Virginia Tom picked me up from the airport with a dog in the backseat.  Initially I thought it was our friend Jenny's dog, Brady.  I asked Tom, "Whose dog is this?"  And he said, "Yours".  Literally my face turned red and my jaw dropped.  This was not any sort of dog I was expecting in my wildest dreams.  I was thinking cute little yorkie and got bit ole mutt! 

What I thought I would get                                                                                What I got

Needless to say I was a bit pissed at Tom, but literally by the time we got home I had a named picked out for him and was in love.  Rocky is my boy.  He is by my side constantly, sleeps by me at night (or with me when we're in the guest room), and lays on the bath mat when I am in the shower.  He is the most loyal dog and I am so glad Tom pulled the trigger and got him without my consent.  I can't imagine him not being a part of our lives.

Addie (technically Adrian) was adopted because Rocky was being naughty.  You might think to yourself, "why would you get another dog if the one you have is naughty?"  And I would answer, "Good question!"  But we felt bad because Rocky was alone most of the day and thought if we got a friend for him to play with he would be better.  Really what happened was he dug holes for both of them to escape out of.

When we decided to get another dog we went to multiple adoption fairs (with Rocky) to see if any dogs would fit with our family.  We liked a couple but when we brought Rocky out to play with them they didn't mesh well.  We were feeling defeated when we got a call about a dog that just showed up to another adoption fair we had previously been at.  We quickly drove over there to see "Foxy Lady" (as Addie was named from the humane society).  She was so cute and little.  We brought Rocky out to play and they got along perfectly.  I was scared to make the final decision and made Tom do it and we took Foxy Lady home.  While we were in the car on the way home (Tom driving, me in the backseat with both dogs in case any fights broke out) I noticed Addie had some black spots in her fur.  As I inspected closer I realized they were fleas!!!  Now, Addie had just been spayed/neutered the day before and we were given specific instructions not to bathe her for 7 days.  Tom and I both looked at each other as if to say, "What the hell are we supposed to do?"  Tom basically said F it and gave her a bath in the rain, along with Rocky (just in case).  Now remember we hadn't even had this dog for an hour and we are already trying to give her a bath.  When she started licking Tom's face we knew she was a keeper.  Even after waking up to the smell of diarrhea, going to Wal-Mart at 2 in the morning to buy a kennel and waking up in the morning to a kitchen full of explosive diarrhea we knew she was a keeper.  We love our Addie girl.  And wouldn't trade her for the world.

XO XO