Bliss gets a brother!

A few months ago, Bliss and I met a woman at the Ventura Pier who told us about a young Blue Merle Aussie male possibly looking for a new home. I told her I have had terrific luck getting Aussies re-homed through Aussie Rescue SoCal and would be happy to meet with the owner and discuss options. It took a couple months but I finally got the call and that very same day, met the dog.

His name was Chunky because he was the chunkiest little guy in the litter. When I first met him at a little over a year old, he was sleek and thin, in perfect shape. I brought him out to the beach to introduce him to Bliss and learn his back story. Bliss seemed to like him as they romped in the waves.

His original owner's girlfriend had a litter of puppies with her adult Aussie to share "the beauty of childbirth" with her special needs daughter. So much for the lesson. The mama dog hid under their house and gave birth there.

The puppies were beautiful, a litter of eight, and easily found forever homes. The breeder's boyfriend fell in love with little Chunky and decided to keep him for himself.

Chunky had a good childhood...was not abused or neglected...but his owner worked in the entertainment industry and had to leave the little guy in his condo, alone, for hours a day. The situation just wasn't working any longer so he decided to do what a responsible pet owner should do -- find the pup a more suitable home. I discussed several options with him like doggie daycare but as the morning went on, it was clear that he had tried everything and just wanted what was best for his dog.

I had lost my boy Baldwin a couple years earlier. Bliss and I went though the grief and agony of his loss together but I was feeling like it might be time to start thinking about getting Bliss a sibling. I wanted Bliss to help me train whatever dog I brought into our pack. It had to be a special dog, one that would not challenge my girls' spot as alpha. Watching them play at the beach made me question if this was the dog and if now was the time. When Parker ran to me and sat on my foot, I knew he would be staying with me and Bliss.

I renamed him Parker after Peter Parker. He's a superhero dog, his special power: love. Here's where this story gets interesting. His original owner and I worked out an arrangement where he still gets to spend time with Parker while Bliss and I get to enjoy day-to-day life with this bundle of energy! At least once a month, Parker spends the night with his original owner. It is so heart warming to see them together. There is so much joy and love between the two of them.

For my end of the deal, his original owner is paying for everything -- from food and vet to training and treats. Plus, when I have to go out of town on business, I can leave both dogs with him and his girlfriend!

I wanted to share this adoption success story in case there's anyone out there who reluctantly needs to re-home their dog. Parker gets to go to the beach 2-3 times a day and has so many doggie friends! I am currently training him to join Bliss as a Therapy Dog and visit children in the hospital. Today, we're going out to a ranch where Parker will get to herd sheep! He has definitely made a difference for Bliss because she has to make sure he's not doing anything wrong. He takes her corrections in stride, just happy to be the lucky dog that he is...