It was a very Merry Christmas.
I’d like to introduce you to our little Christmas puppy!
This is Tenor.
He was named (as all our dogs have been) after cities or states that meant something special to us at the time.
We chose the name Tenor because of the state of Tennessee (where we lived) and the fact that Tennessee is known as Music City USA (hence the music part of his name).
Coincidentally, “tenor” also means “uninterrupted course” — which is exactly how things have gone in our dog-owning life: UNINTERRUPTED to say the least! I can’t think of a time in my life when I’ve been dogless (except for 4 years when I was in college).
Together, Jim and I have never been dogless either.
Here’s the story…
We figured our 15-year-old dog (Jersey) would’ve left this world long ago. At this point, he’s mostly blind, mostly deaf, has incontinence issues, has semi-labored breathing, and gets some kind of anxiety once it gets dark signified by his constant barking until we all go to bed.
In preparation for that dreaded day, we’ve had our eye out for little puppies that we think would make a great playmate for 2-year-old Destin. (He’s such a social dog, we are confident that he would be lonely and blue if/when Jersey ever left.)
Well, for the most part, 15-year-old Jersey still has the personality of a puppy — even in his senile state — and he appears to be quite comfortable at this point. He’s one tough cookie. And no health issues to speak of…
It just so happened that we found that playmate for Destin sooner than we thought. We just couldn’t pass this little guy up.
…Thus, the “uninterrupted” part of Tenor’s name!
What Kind Of A Dog Is He?
Tenor is part Great Pyrenees, part Black Lab — which means he’ll be very big, very energetic, and very loyal. Destin, our other dog, is part Black Lab, part Golden Retriever — and he shares those exact same characteristics.
They also share similar “markings”… both have 3 paws tipped in white fur, white patches on their necks, and small white beards under their chins. Some of Destin’s puppy photos also closely resemble Tenor’s:
Born in a litter of 10 on November 3rd, Tenor was ready for his new home just in time for Christmas. (He’s actually 8 weeks old today.)
He gets along beautifully with our two other dogs. And Jersey and Destin are enjoying the extra playmate. Jim and I are enjoying the “puppyhood” phase again, and we’re photographing every minute of it. (Over 300 digital photos saved to the computer’s hard drive so far… and that’s after just 3 days!)
We’re not getting much sleep though. We’re trying crate training (as we did for Destin — just through the housebreaking period), so he gets us up every 3 hours to go outside.
So far there have been very few “accidents” in the house, so we’re sticking with this method through the nights.
Where Did We Find Such A Cute Puppy?
Freecycle, of course!
It’s similar to Craigslist where people post things they want, and things they’re giving away… for FREE. You sign up for as many “regional” areas that you want. (I only signed up for the Franklin/Columbia, Tennessee one.) You get emails of things that people in that area are giving away or needing. It’s a great idea… you should check it out!
So, How’s It Going With 3 Dogs In One House?
Well, luckily we don’t have any children. Otherwise, there’d be no room for us and all three of our little guys. (All males no less… which is another issue altogether!)
Trust me, we never ever EVER intended on having three dogs at one time. While it’s going quite smoothly at the moment (day 3 here)… I can’t imagine how “peaceful” it’s going to be around here should we ever have three full-grown dogs under one roof. That certainly wasn’t part of the plan. But, we tend to do EVERYTHING in a big way… We also had 3 Jeeps at one point — but now we’re down to one.
Ah well… we’ll see where this road leads. Lots more fun pet adventures are in store for us I’m sure!
Tenor has 5 brothers and sisters.
Here’s our first Tenor update… see how those first few months went.
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about "outside the box" Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn't think of. I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I've always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I've been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what's 'normal' and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year! When I'm not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I've written over 500 articles for dog owners on this site!
