Pearl the Puppy joins the Family

First Day Home

Chris and I have talked about getting a puppy sister for Kita for years, but the timing never seemed right. Siberian Huskies are very social dogs and Kita seemed lonely lately, so we decided that this summer would be a good time to bring in a new family member. Kita is the coolest adult dog in the world, but Siberian Huskies puppies are very tough to raise and I thought one Husky at a time was enough for now. I also felt it was important to adopt a mixed breed as they are less likely to find homes. 

First Week Home

Pearl the puppy has webbed feet so we are almost positive that she is part Labrador Retriever, but we are unsure about her other breed(s). Her legs are very long and her tail is long and thin, but overall she is a much smaller dog than Kita was at her age. We aren't sure of her exact age, because we are her 4th home, but when we got her at the end of July, we were told that she was 2-3 months old, so right now, she's likely about 5 months old.

Pearl has separation anxiety to the point that she cannot be left alone for a second. This is probably due to her being taken from her mother at a very young age. Luckily, she's usually alright if Kita or one of our cats are in her line of vision, but whenever Kita goes outside without her, she throws a temper tantrum, howling and crying until he comes back. To make it easier on her, Kita now does his business very quickly and runs back in the house to see her. In the mornings, when I am making coffee in the kitchen, our cat Seph will sit near her cage until I come back into the living room.

If I am out of her line of vision at night, because our bed is too high for her to see the top, I have to remind her that I'm still in the room or she will begin to whimper. My cat, Zoey has actually figured this out, so he lays at the end of the bed where Pearl can see him. This is likely due to him being annoyed by the howling, but I do appreciate his help. 

 If she is particularly lonely, she works herself into such a frenzy that she exhausts herself and falls asleep. Kita usually tries to make sure this doesn't happen by laying next to her crate or bringing her a toy. He has very much become a father figure to her and is very attentive to her needs. Her behavior is getting a little better over time as she seems to be realizing that we always come back.

This is definitely a new chapter in our lives, but we are facing it patiently and we look forward to watching her grow up. It is very cool that our other pets are helping us keep her calm, and I am so proud of them as I know this is a major disruption in their lives that they didn't expect.