My house guest (can't post this on FB)

[connie]

Oh boy.
Back in the spring, a young woman in my neighborhood applied to Alex's breeder to get an adult Lapphund, and she wound up with an incredible boy, Xuki, who finished his show career in April and turned 6 in May. He's a Danish import and has had an outstanding conformation career and sired a whole bunch of incredible puppies. In addition, he has THE sweetest temperament I have ever met in a dog.

Fast forward to last week, when the adopter abruptly decides that the breeder has to take the dog back. I know, I know, thank goodness she contacted the breeder -- I agree. But the breeder is traveling right now, out of the country. And the adopter isn't about to do the right thing and drive the dog back to the breeder's residence, where Mr. Breeder is looking after a litter of puppies and all the other Lappies and can't take time away from them to come get the dog.

Guess where the dog is now? Oh, how did you know?! Yes, Xuki is staying with me for 2 weeks until he can be restored to his Sugarok family in TN. I got him last night. I have to say, I was horrified when I saw him: in April, this dog weighed 40 pounds. Today he weighs 55.5 (I put him on the scales at my vet today). OMG, look at him, he looks like he's been inflated with a bicycle pump! I don't think he got ANY exercise from April to now, and whatever kibble she sent with him in that bin, it's in the garbage now. He will get 2 cups of Fromm grain-free per day, with occasional veggies and non-fat kefir.

I walked 5 dogs on leashes today. Twice. Pretty sure I have lost my mind. But you know what's really making it all worthwhile? He is SO HAPPY to be here, and my dogs absolutely love him. He made friends with Rowley immediately, which is the smartest move he could have made. Alex is miffed, but not terribly so, and I am doing nosework practice with him every day to remind him he's my awesome sniffer dog.

Can I call the Guinness Book of World Records now? This HAS to be the most dogs ever in a 928-square-foot house!

[maxs_mommy]

Man, what a stunning boy! Glad he's getting on with your crew famously, too bad he'll be too far away for playdates.

[Sabine]

What a handsome boy!

[JudyL]

Gorgeous dog! So, are you considering keeping him yet? Yes, I know I'm the ultimate enabler.

[connie]

LOL Judy! No, I'm not even tempted. He's not my dog, and right now I have such a wonderful, well-balanced group that there is literally no room for another dog to even poke its nose into the picture.

Ann Landers, the advice columnist, once defined maturity as 'the ability to carry money and not spend it.' I define maturity as 'the ability to meet an awesome dog and not want to own it'. And amazingly, at age 61, I think I have a measure of maturity!

Xuki is being a truly excellent houseguest, but even better, my dogs are all being very good hosts/hostesses. No squabbles at all (knock wood!), Alex's disgruntlement is kept to a minimum, and Xuki changes our routines but without inconvenience. The house is pretty small now, though, and I look forward to having our normal order restored on the 18th.

I told L that she has to find him a home as good as my house, he is having such fun here and he's too smart a dog to have nothing to do.

[connie]

And just as an aside, here is Xuki's pedigree. IMO, if you are going to breed dogs, this is how you do it. (But I would like working titles as well ...)

[emmas_mom]

Well, I'd say Xuki is one lucky dog to have a little vacation at your place - or would that be foster care - before going back to his breeder. But what a weight gain - would I be right in thinking the woman went by "OMG that is such a beautiful dog, I want one!" and viewed him just as home decor instead of seeing him as a real, live, sentient being that needs nutrition and exercise and mental stimulation?
How frustrating!

[connie]

The backstory is a little more complicated and lot more sad than that, Jean.
Xuki was adopted by a young woman who works in a local bookstore, where she had met my Alex and fallen in love with him. She contacted Alex's breeder and expressed interest in an adult Lappy; she was in school, living at home with her parents, and working at the bookstore when she applied (about a year ago). Her parents have an easy-going Golden who would be company for Xuki.
Kind of to my surprise, Xuki was placed with her. It could have been a good placement, but it wasn't: the young woman has a lot of emotional and mental health issues, including an eating disorder that has hospitalized her a couple of times and some depression that has manifested in the past. The extent of her problems wasn't disclosed, and who thinks to ask that? How do you even? "Okay, you are bulimic; have you ever attempted suicide?" No, you just don't.
So things took a turn for the stressful this year for the young woman, and ten days ago she abruptly texted the breeder that Xuki has to go back to Linda. The text reached Linda in Europe, and she immediately contacted me, and told Xuki's adopter that I would collect Xuki ASAP, so I did. Once someone says 'the dog needs to go', you get the dog out of there first and ask questions later, if at all.
I wish the young woman all the best. She has texted me a couple of times to ask how Xuki is doing, and I reply truthfully that he is very engaged with my dogs and probably misses her less than he would if they weren't part of his world right now. What I don't say is that Xuki's situation is the easiest part of this problem to solve.
I wouldn't be 22 again for anything. It looks really rough nowadays.

[SherriA]

i'm so far behind here and just saw this. He's gorgeous! I"m so glad you were there to scoop him up and give him the care he deserves while Linda is away. He's a lucky guy!

[connie]

Xuki will almost certainly go home tomorrow, Linda is driving up from TN to collect him. I will miss him, but he has a home waiting for him after he's spent some R&R time at Linda's: a nurse that L worked with at St Jude's Children's Research Hospital is adopting him. SHE will exercise him and get him back to his healthy weight! She is getting an awesome dog, he has been a lovely guest. Such a good boy.

[connie]

An update: Xuki is very happy with his new family and they are madly in love with him. They take him everywhere, post photos on FB, and the other night in a big storm with power outages, Xuki woke his owners to let them know the back door had blown open. Such a good boy! So glad he is NOW in his forever home.

[Amanda]

So happy for him!

[SherriA]

This is such great news! All your Lappy posts make me want one.

[emmas_mom]

I love happy endings - so glad this all worked out for Xuki.