New Puppy, Meet Oberon!

So in keeping with our frozen theme, today reached a high of seventy five and I thought I was going to have heatstroke. In far more interesting news….

Last weekend I adopted a new companion to keep me company up here from the SPCA. His name is Oberon, nickname “Obe.” He’s 10 months old and 92 lbs and expected to put on a good 10-15 more. I’ve been telling everyone who asks that he’s a “curbstone setter” and getting a number of funny looks or people telling me they’ve never heard of the breed, so I’ll go ahead and say that he’s a mutt.

According to the SPCA he’s got German shepherd in him. According to the vet, he’s got Rhodesian ridgeback (sometimes called African lion hound) in him. According to a random but very sweet lady at the park, he’s got some Afghan hound in him. No idea about the last one, although he does have a long, lean body and silky fur, but the other two are perfectly visible in him. Black German shepherd in his coloring and haunches and ridgeback in his chest, head and the classic “ridge” of fur going in reverse up his spine (no good pictures of it though, I'll see if I can't get another one for the next post that includes him). 

Obe's decided my book bag is his favorite pillow, and curled up with his rawhide bone he's in puppy heaven...and are those my socks? Think he's gonna blast me with those laser eyes if I don't watch myself with his bone. 

He’s smart, sweet, and definitely an alpha dog. Learns things after only a single demonstration and likes to think he’s in charge. My folk’s dogs have spent some time with him and he’s buddied up with their lab, but their cantankerous old terrier-mix, Maggie, tried to push him around, so he laid down on her. We went back into town this weekend and she spent the entire time sulking. Last I heard, she’s still refusing to “speak” to anyone.

Poor baby picked up a bug though, and his nose has been a mucus fountain for the past several days. The vet gave me some antibiotics and I’ve been sneaking them to him in treats. He’s showing good amounts of energy, but he flat lines after he’s had enough, half because of his bug, half because he’s 10 months old and has spent too much time in kennels. He’s loving having so much room to play and explore now though, and I'm glad for the company.