“The Great Disrupter”

~ Elizabeth

A certain amnesia creeps in around puppies, rather like the amnesia that sneaks up before the birth pains of the second labor. Oh yeah. Been here before. How could I have forgotten? Why on earth did I do this again?

So this little perhaps five pound puppy has decided that she is to be the center of our life. Our previous dogs have always been Australian Shepherds. They are raised to be basically one person dogs with an outside jobs(herding sheep)to keep them occupied. Not big on cuddling, rather aloof with new people, and pretty content to be alone for a while chewing on something(preferably something disposable!)

Zoe, on the contrary, is a very social dog. She loves everyone she meets. But she regards every person as one more opportunity to get petted, rubbed and spoken to. She loves cuddling even though her idea of cuddling includes much ear nipping. She hates being alone and runs after whoever makes the mistake of moving from one room to another. Needless to say the song “Me and My Shadow” constantly runs through our minds as she pursues us around the house.

She has gradually accepted that the crate is a safe place to spend the night and sleeps about four to five hours at a stretch. Otherwise, however, she balks at going there if it is light out. She is too little to be in the back yard by herself since we are frequented by fox, raccoons and a large hawk in a nearby tree.

Despite nicknaming her the “great disrupter,” she is a joy and I can no longer imagine life without her. But as we each get used to life with the other we are coming to know a very different kind of dog. It’s requiring some major adjustments!

45 thoughts on ““The Great Disrupter””

    1. I know no one who would have a second child if they really remembered the first labor and the infant care. You are right that we are designed to forget and we almost all do. (I did have one neighbor who said she would never go through that again, but she was an exception.)

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  3. I had intended never to have another puppy…
    But losing our last dog in lockdown limited our choices from rehoming kennels. Also, whenever we mentioned grandchildren, our interviewer would suck in their teeth.
    I have to admit though, that our rehomed dogs in the past were always (well… almost always) better behaved than the ones I brought up from puppies.
    Or maybe I’ve got a better idea what I’m doing than I did back then. As far as I’m concerned, they’re still puppies until they pass their third birthday, so the jury’s still out on this one.

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    1. You can’t have rehomed dogs with grandchildren? Here I heard from a woman who was told she was too old to adopt a rescue.(And she was in her 60’s.) Who makes up these rules anyway?

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  6. After my precious lab died at 14, I vowed never to get another pet so that I would never experience that kind of pain again. Cut to a year later, and I fell in love with a Corgi puppy. He was so super sweet and gentle, that after another year, I decided to get a second one. Now this second Corgi puppy (who I adore) is a holy terror. Where Loki is gentle and calm, Odin has one speed and it is chaos! But, once again, my heart is full even with my own little great disrupter.

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  10. The name “The Great Disrupter” reminded me of a great hit song from the doo-wop era called “The Great Pretender.” It has nothing to do with this post, but like your dog, it’s a joy to remember if you’re old enough to have been around at the time.

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  11. The great disruptor has disrupted your life in a good way. Our dog is nine and still follows my wife around.

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  13. Such a lovely addition to your family. How boring would life be without a little shakeup every now and then? I know you will all blend ever so nicely.

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  14. My goodness, this is parenthood when #2 (or 3 or 4) are far different than #1. Adjustment is not always easy, but love finds a way. Zoe sounds like a dreamboat.

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