Charlie enjoyed a life of being the center of attention in our house for 8 years until Hannah showed up. at first he was quite annoyed with the puppy who had sharp teeth and tons of energy.
I tried to tell him that in a few months she wouldn't be so annoying.
He was not convinced. The new Home Invader was not allowed in his space on the love seat.
I thought Hannah would help with his anxiety by having a pal to be with.
Well....
If Charlie can't see me, he howls. This started after Rich died. If I leave a room and he is asleep he will wake up and start howling. It basically sounds like he is being murdered. I'm used to it now so I realize he is not being murder-fied.
If Charlie is by my side, he is calm. Though while hiking, he is much more independent. Go figure!
Hannah? She doesn't mind being by herself and has a completely different mindset.
Charlie is half Dachshund and Half Pekinese. He is a high anxiety dog though one wouldn't see it in his normal day to day life. He seems very stoic and calm.
If I leave the house, he howls. When driving in the car before Hannah, he'd cry the whole car trip [very annoying].
Now with Hannah in the car with him, he rarely whines or cries in the car [thank you Hannah!].
Hannah is super chill in her attitude. She still is a puppy with puppy energy and the high energy of being half Rat Terrier. But we think she is part Dachshund and maybe part Labrador. [who knows?]
She doesn't get excited unless Charlie barks at something he finds alarming. Then she participates. When he howls and cries, she just looks at him and tries to comfort him.
Below is a photo of them at my son's house when we visited. Obviously they don't mind sharing a space anymore. And how she has grown!
The cool part of having a dog [or other pets] is the bonding.
I personally like it. I thrive on it because their love is unconditional.
The dogs never repeat my secrets, never judge me, and always are happy to see me. The same with my mules.
I think the pony would blackmail me though, he has no attachment to anyone.