The invasion of Slime Dog

One of my pet peeves in life is when people leave an animal out to suffer the elements alone. It is one thing for squirrels, deer, wildlife, and the such to be free to roam. However, to chain a dog outside to a post with only about 12 feet to roam and afforded no shelter from the cold, rain, snow, etc. is just cruel.

I am friends with someone whose father and step-mother were taking care of the dog of the step-mother's son. Apparently he could no longer keep the dog, so he dumped off the dog at his mother's place. I have no idea how long that poor dog was chained outside with no attention, no love, no shelter, no dog house, and no way of keeping his food dry.

The couple was away for a vacation this past week. I went to hang out with my friend who was house sitting so we could watch the large screen HDTV. I stopped to pay attention to the dog, who was all lovey dovey with me. He was literally starving for attention. It was a cold, rainy day. His coat was wet, he had no shelter, and his food was wet. I went out and bought some dog food, dog chews, and a dog house. I brought them out for the dog to help keep the dog from suffering so much.

The dog was not smart enough to use the dog house. He still stayed out in the wet cold. I spent an entire hour playing with the dog one day last week. He was very affectionate. He kept jumping on me, putting his muddy paws all over my clean pants and jacket. He got me a bit slimy, so I called him "Slime Dog".

I had no idea what the dog's name was. My friend did not either, but just that the dog was there and from whom it came. With snow in the forecast for this past weekend and temperatures in the teens, I dognapped Slime Dog and took him home.

I got Slimy a harness, leash, ball, and collar. He has been staying in my fenced in back yard a little bit when it is not too cold outside. I keep him inside mostly and take him for walks during the day. Right now his is laying at my feet, as he loves to do. Last night he laid next to my bed, which really irritated my cats.

The cats have been in hiding, not even coming out to eat their food. Slimy has chased them a bit in the house. Daisy has gotten along fine with Slime Dog so far. They have sniffed over each other, but have not growled at one another. The only snapping was when I gave each a doggie treat and slimy's treat rolled on the floor in front of Daisy. Slimy snapped at Daisy to keep her away from his treat. Other than that, they have done OK. Daisy just stays away and in hiding quite a bit. Then again, she does that a lot anyway.

One good thing is that two days ago, Daisy let me pick her up and hold her. I held her, petted her, and was even able to groom her with her comb. I spent quite a while grooming her fur, which she has not let me do in almost six months. Perhaps having Slime Dog around will be a good thing for Daisy. She has looked to me from safety and encouragement. When she lets me, I try to talk to her, make sure she is fed, and give her some affection.

One thing I know for sure is that Slime Dog is showing a great deal of loyalty. He loves to play, loves to walk, and be in the middle of whatever is going on.

I did manage to find out what Slime Dog's real name is. The friend's parents came back from vacation late Saturday night. My friend asked what his name is and we were told "Blackey". Slime Dog does not respond to my calling him Blackey for some reason. I don't know if he was never called his name much. He does respond to me when I call him Dog Slime", Slime Dog, Slime, or Slimy. My friend has an amusing Southern accent and called him "Slihhm Dowwg". I know that Slime Dog is not a great name for a dog, but it has stuck so far and he responds to it.

I still have no idea how old Slime is or if he has had any shots. I am going to end up taking him to the vet for a check up and all shots soon. He is still about the size of a large puppy or perhaps a medium sized dog.

He travels well so far. He got up on the bed this morning with a little help and loved snuggling up. He loves to grab socks and underwear and run off with them. He also likes to chew on slippers, so I have to be careful about leaving them out for him to chew on.

Slimy has been safe from the cold rain and snow, temperatures in the teens, has had a warm home, a lot of love, and is fed regularly. Hopefully Daisy, Slime Dog, and the cats will all learn to get along well.