So much for the hopes of getting any sleep tonight...

About seven this evening, my dogs went nuts at the back door. I looked out and there was a little scrawny shaggy black dog sitting there looking like he was expecting to get asked in for dinner.

So after getting the little guy to be comfortable with us and introducing him to the other two dogs, he's in a crate behind me whining his damn fool head off.

We would have put him in the crate anyway but he's definitely a boy and he's "marking" the place and trying to mount the other two dogs (females and spayed).

This poor little guy has no manners and is woefully skinny, shaggy and stinky. I can only imagine that he's either been on the loose for a while or somebody has really not been taking care of him...possible that somebody just ditched him because of his bad manners. It's not unheard of for the irresponsible in these here parts to just take their dog for a drive and kick him out of the car far from home.

There's a fifty-fifty chance that he's going to stay...we have two dogs and two cats now but he is such a little **** and, for being in Chicago proper, we have a pretty big lot. I have to defer to my wife on this one. If he stays, he is fer sure going in for the testicular disconnect at the earliest possible moment. Problem is that I know that he's way underweight and the vet doesn't like to do any surgery when they're not in the best possible condition. So if he stays, I get to put up with a horny dog until he's up to weight. Thus the name suggestions have been stuff like Romeo, Randy, Cassanova and a few more that I can't list in a family forum. I'm loathe to turn him over to a shelter beause he's got so many problems and is so cute that unless he gets adopted by an experienced dog owner it's not going to be good. The cuteness works against him because it makes him a kind of "impulse item" that would get adopted by someone who would have no idea of what they were getting into.

I'm just grateful that I started reading "The Other End of the Leash" by Patricia McConnell...her advice made getting this guy to trust me and get adapted to the house dogs much easier.

We shall see...I was having dreams that we would find a black kitten sitting on the porch and now I end up with the little black dog who was sitting on the porch.

Best

AA