Gateway Dog

Is there such a thing as a gateway dog? If so, an adorable stray named Hamoodeeka was ours. The name means cutie-pie in Hebrew; need I say more?

Growing up, my family had a dog. As an adult, I always assumed I would have a dog too.

Growing up, my husband had a dog. His reaction was closer to… never again.

One of our sons longed for a dog. One wanted nothing to do with them. Our family was split, 50:50.

The no dog status quo was fine as long as there were kids in diapers. I know my limits. But, as the children grew up, we noticed that one by one, our friends were inviting dogs to join their families.

The pull for a dog of our own was becoming harder to resist.

Enter our visit to family and the fateful meeting with Hamoodeeka, a stray adopted by our cousin. Hamoodeeka was so beloved that she became the family dog, not just our cousin’s tolerated, temporary pet.

Dog-loving son and I were smitten. Gradually, dog wary son also fell under her spell. The two could be found companionably ensconced on the front steps.

And then, finally, my husbanded succumbed too.

My dog loving friend [A New Dog], knowing my poor tolerance of sleep deprivation suggested we invite a two-year-old pup to our join our family; thereby neatly sidestepping house training. She also suggested we favor female dogs, less territorial, easier to integrate into family life.

Returning home, we put our plan in place. We visited the Washington Animal Rescue League  to meet the newest member of our family.

We thought we had found the perfect dog until, on a trial visit in the yard, she frolicked, planted both paws on a volunteer’s shoulders, looked him in the eye, and refused to budge. Maybe this was more dog than we were ready to handle.

Another volunteer asked if we wanted to meet the sweetest dog in the shelter, a 2 1/2 year old guy. In hindsight, I should’ve paid attention to that caveat in the shelter, but at the time, I was just eager to meet our own cutie-pie.

Pettigrew is not a cutie-pie. He’s his own person. But he is certainly and irrevocably one of us.

To learn more about that fateful adoption day, please read [A New Dog]