Pet Option
With the move to a new apartment comes the prospects of a pet and my partner and I just rescued a 3 year old Alaskan Malamute named Rook. 🙂 I will post pictures later once I get my camera unpacked as cell phone cameras really are terrible.
Patrick used to breed and show Alaskan Malamutes and St. Bernards. Both large dogs, most apartment buildings do not allow them. The last place I was in that allowed pets had a 35 pound restriction. If I recall you could have 2 pets, but the combined weight had to be less than 35 pounds. Fine if you want a small yippy dog or evil cat.
After contacting both rescues in the DC area, we identified both a Malamute and St. Bernard we would be interested in. After further consideration, our apartment would more easily support a 75 pound Malamute than a 150 pound St. Bernard. Having a St. Bernard in the past, I was also considering the size of the fecal matter 🙂 Not to go into too much detail, but you get the picture I am sure.
Life in the Big City
After the 3 hour trip back from rural Virginia where the Malamute Rescue is, we showed Rook a metropolis. Our observations so far..
His likes
- Chasing Rats
- Chasing Cats
- Marking everything!
- Patrick’s $1200 Chaise and a Half has become his “bed.”
- Human food? See below, perhaps he just likes the smell of steak or gets jealous when people eat and he is not getting fed.
Dislikes
- People…not that he does not like them, but he would rather explore than let people pet him.
- Big Trucks / Busses – Strange loud noises
- Loud Noises – They startle him, but he should get used to it
- Bananas – While not spoiling him, fruits and veggies would be good for him. He basically pretends he did not see it!
- Bread – Granted it was the “heal” of the loaf, we know people can be picky about crusts, but he just watches it fall to the ground when tossed near him. No attempt to catch. When through right into his mouth. He catches it and then puts in on the floor!
Our Likes
- He walks on a lease very well. Does not pull hard.
- He only barks when he is excited.
- Ignores other dogs
- Seems to like all people
- Seems to ignore bicycles.
My Dislikes (Cannot speak for Patrick)
- Does not want to be very social with others.
- Does not want to sleep in the bedroom or on the bed.
- Loves to chase every animal he smells…rats, squirrels, cats (Tough when you don’t see it and you are attached by the leash 🙂
- Need to pee on everything…more than once on occasion. Perhaps he did not mark it enough ):
Cute wakeup call….
This morning Rook came in the bedroom, sniffing on the edge of the bed and eventually nudged my hand. “I need to go to the bathroom he said.” 🙂
More to come 🙂