From commentor JSL:
This is Dobby, aka Marmadork. We got him a year ago next week. My previous dog was mine alone, I had him before I met my hubby, and it took years to get over his passing before I thought I was ready for another dog, and this one would be ours together. We picked him out of the shelter because he was the one dog there who *wasn’t* barking and whining, and they told us he’d been there for several weeks already – his ribs were showing and we thought we could do him some good (and vice versa).
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We named him Dobby (his shelter name was “Snickers”) after the elf in Harry Potter – ’cause we freed him from the shelter – and for two or three days he didn’t even make a sound. After that he started to come out of his shell and be a little more of a frisky (and destructive – oh! the destruction!) puppy, we started puppy classes, and were well on our way to normal dog ownership.
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After a while, my husband started noticing breathing problems, and I’ll just skip to the part where we ended up in the ER. Hubby has a personal and family history of heart problems, so anything like this sends up red flags. It turned out he’s allergic to the dog. We knew he was horribly allergic to cats, but he’d never had a problem with my old dog, but sure enough, years of not having a dog in close contact meant it was a problem now to have one in the house.
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We went back and forth for weeks over what to do. Because of Hubby’s heart condition, the shots people often take to deal with animal allergies were not an option. I had managed to line up possibilities for adopting him out to people we knew, but my husband literally cried that he didn’t want to give the dog up, that he’d never had one of his own, and that we had to find a way to keep Dobby.
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So after a lot of research and patience, we seem to have found a balance that works for us. We have very strong air purifiers in the house, pulled up most of the carpet, the dog doesn’t come in the bedroom or get on any furniture, and for the most part my husband can’t ride in my car, which is the ‘dog car,’ for taking him to the park, vet visits, training class, etc.
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It’s worked out okay so far, though Dobby has gotten much bigger than the previous dog, and is, personality-wise, a total brat who will behave like an angel if you’re holding a treat, then go chew on a rug. But he’s funny and still puppyish, and despite all the stress he causes, I’m hoping that all those statistics about people with pets having longer lifespans is still true!
stuckinred
What IS that second picture?????
PurpleGirl
Pretty doggie. I hope that your husband is able to continue to handle the allergy problem.
That third picture… looks like someone got into the garbage…
harlana
I knew a woman who used to have a cat, then didn’t have one for years and over that time developed an allergy to cats, weird.
jurassicpork
Man, that brings back memories of my Yellow Lab, Buddy. He’s eat and chew up everything. He was a 110 pound, 11 month-old puppy when we got him. Ah, good times.
Ayway, if you guys could help keep a roof over heads next month, we’d sure appreciate it.
BD of MN
is that garbage or a houseplant? some combination?
I’m allergic to our cats, but have been taking the generic Zirtek (dunno if it would trigger moderation properly spelled…) and that keeps it under control…
harlana
I don’t mean to be a downer, but I tried to clean out the spare room, where a lot of the cat stuff is, yesterday. I couldn’t do it. I ran out of there crying. I couldn’t look at the toys and all evidence of pets that no longer exist. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but it must be done.
PurpleGirl
@harlana: {{{{hug}}}}. In a few days, you’ll try again. And do that again in another couple of days. It may take some time, let it happen as it happens. And remember to take deep breathes while trying to do the cleaning.
JPL
Dobby looks so sweet but looks can be deceiving.
@harlana: More hugs.
JSL
@PurpleGirl: It was a combination of sandwich bags, shoes, styrofoam, and a bay laurel tree that we were rather fond of. Fortunately we salvaged the leaves are are still cooking with them!
KyCole
Wow that picture looks familiar! After going through 3 dog beds, my pup has only a towel in her kennel. She loves fabric of all sorts and can become entangled in my knitting in seconds flat.
Bruce S
In case you hadn’t heard, Richard Shelby (R. Bankistan) is a douchebag…
http://titanicsailsatdawn.blogspot.com/2011/03/unbearable-hypocrisy-of-being-gop.html
geg6
Dobby is adorable. Here’s hoping your hubby stays healthy and Dobby doesn’t destroy your whole house.
Gina
Dobby’s handsome! That last pic should be on Shit My Pets Ruined.
Hillary Rettig
he’s gorgeous, but would it help with your husband’s allergies if you shaved him? (Dobby I mean.) I think you and esp. hubby are wonderful for sticking with him.
rdldot
@Hillary Rettig: That dog has virtually no hair as it is. Probably would be more successful shaving the hubby.
The Moar You Know
Cute dog. What’s with the picture of the room that’s had a grenade tossed into it?
asiangrrlMN
Awwww, he’s a good Dobby, he is. What a sweet-looking boy. JSL, I hope your hubby is doing all right and that Dobby has calmed down a bit.
@harlana: Hugs to you, girl. It’s gotta be so hard.
maya
Dobby looks very much like our pibble mix, Buddy. We picked him out of the shelter for the same reason – he just sat and watched while others dogs were barking their heads off. He also couldn’t be trusted around bedding. Liked to chew it to pieces if not stopped. He has gotten much better about that.
One trick we learned from experience with another chewer was to leave the radio on when not at home. It this case, a Rushbo or Medved can be very useful. The dog will think there is someone around which is soothing. I guess. We had no surprises upon arriving home after that.
Jane2
Suggestion: buy a steam cleaner like the Euroflex Monster. It’s easy to use regularly and kills dander and other allergens with just steam. Since I’ve introduced one, I use no other chemicals, and people who are allergic to my three cats can visit for the evening with absolutely no ill effects.
moe99
I’m allergic to dogs and cats but have 3 dogs. Go figure. I understand poodles are pretty good for those with dog allergies.
sukabi
@maya: One trick we learned from experience with another chewer was to leave the radio on when not at home. It this case, a Rushbo or Medved can be very useful.
poor puppy, with all the yelling, screeching and ranting going on he probably spent his days under the bed in fear of being beaten… you left him home with crazy people… shame on you for scaring your dog into submission.
;-)
Ivan Ivanovich Renko
jumping in only to calibrate my mobile browser. scuse me.
sheiler
Hi, I’m someone who’s terribly allergic to nearly all furry animals. Me around the rodeo/horses = me in hospital. Same thing for the circus. Same thing for nearly all cats. A few dogs. I’ve found that BioAllers tablets helps tremendously for allergic symptoms. It’s homeopathic too. Might offer an occasional respite for your hubby.
Also maybe the next dog you get is a Malamute. My chiropractor had one in her office when I went for an appointment. After having had no allergenic response to the dog, I went out and got one. Sheds like crazy twice a year but it’s apparently the hair kind of fur and not the fur-fur. No sneezing, no wheezing on my part, and it’s been 8 years that we’ve had him.
whenpiggsfly
I’m sending a hug to your husband. He’s definitely one in a million!
JSL
Y’all won’t believe this, so I posted it on my own (very nascent) blog as proof — Dobby got the cops called on him this afternoon. So far as I can tell, it was for the crime of being a big dog in the presence of my neighbor, who is not a dog person.
Just when he’d been getting better — he doesn’t have to be crated during the day any more, the puppy-proofing doesn’t have to be quite so severe, he graduated from his intermediate obedience class… and now he’s getting busted by the fuzz.