"There's No Place Like Home," and Sampson Arrives and Settles In...

Sampson has found a home. A permanent home. And today, just a day and a half after his arrival, he looks like he's been here forever...

What I find most baffling is that this 7 year old boy, after his owner died, was passed all over tarnation, adopted out and returned, and was really in need of a home. I mean really, this is a wee little person to fall in love with on sight and want to keep forever! This little fella is so incredibly sweet, such a love, gets along perfectly with all of the other animals here, is such a snuggler and a cuddler, sleeps with me whether nap or night, in the crook of my knees or somehow or another on my head, tucked in my neck with his head on mine (It's just precious!), and just follows me about with the most earnest little look on his face, not bothering me at all, just kind of making sure I'm still there (I'd gone the vast distance of 15 paces down the hall to the bathroom...), well, I am head over heels in love. I can just imagine him clicking his little paws and thinking, "There's no place like home," as Dorothy did in the Wizard of Oz.

The thing is, you can tell the look of a boy who is relaxed. He was nervous and looked sad for the first little bit after his foster mom left him, but then we walked and we snuggled and we had treats, and tons of cuddles and kisses and then it was time for my afternoon nap and he curled up with me and we snuggled and slept and he woke up as if to say, "Well gosh darnit, I think I get to stay here!"

Last night I looked around this little room. Moe, my big lab-doby mix was asleep, paws up, on the couch. Babs was asleep on her pink movie star bed. And then I turned around and laughed. Sampson had found his spot. He loves my big oversized chair with the huge ottomon, and there are six fluffy orange and pink pillows in the chair and he had mushed the pillows around and was asleep in a nest in the chair. I said to my dear friend Joseph, "Well, Moe has the couch, Sampson has my comfy chair, and the only other place to sit is in this computer chair or the floor. At least the dogs look happy!

At some point during the afternoon he settled on his bed with his toy that came with him. I had asked if they had something they could send with him, a familiar so to speak, and I was delighted when he came with a bed and a toy. I wanted him to be able to make the transition as easily as possible. When he settled on his bed with his bear in the first few hours, I could tell he was starting to relax and he looked adorable. His bear was well loved in the way that The Velveteen Rabbit was.

Finally when I was ready to move to my chair and do my fiber work he agreed that it might not be so bad moving a tad if he could lay on the ottoman, kind of glued to my leg. I said that would be fine, but I held my breath a minute because that has been Moe's spot in the evening and Moe and Bab's lived happily without incident until just last week when Babs was on the ottoman with me and Moe came over and jumped up on the ottoman and growled. He didn't look like he wanted to do anything but he was making it clear that she was on his turf. Babs is so laid back she just kind of shrugged her tiny shoulders and went over on her movie star bed. But Sampson needs to be by me during this settling in period and yet I don't want Moe to feel displaced. Oddly, Sampson slept by me for a good three hours and Moe looked but didn't seem affected at all. He rolled back over on the couch and went back to sleep. I've no idea why he got his knickers in a twist the other day.

The first walk with the three dogs was a hoot. Here is this not dainty lady in a flowing caftan and the big green shoes clopping down the road with a dog the size of a young deer and two peanut sized pugs. We must have looked quite a sight, but they all three walked so well on the leashes, as they have all day today, I swear, it's just miraculous. It's as though these three dogs have been together in many lifetimes. They have settled in so quickly with one another, and now Sampson has found a favorite spot during the day, the big ottoman on the vintage quilt. Today his teddy bear is up there with him...

The biggest problem with Sampson is that he's so squishy and kissy. He's been half kissed to death here, but I think we'll both settle down after a bit. Or at least HE will. I'm known far and wide as a shameless nose kisser, and just look, I mean really, how could you not kiss that nose? And I've ordered him a great big purple heart tag with his name and my phone number. All three dogs have them though they never run loose. I just like to protect my babies every way I can.

I have written elsewhere that I didn't need an alarm clock because tall Moe would come to my side of the bed and gently put his nose on me. Well sir, Sampson sleeps with me, on top of me, half way across me, and trust me, when he is ready to get up he just climbs straight up my sleeping form and starts nuzzling me and making puggy noises. This morning I clearly heard him say, "Ahem, I know it's 4 a.m. but I really have to go!" He was polite, but insistent, and of course when one of them move all three of them think it's a grand time to go. I didn't so much think it was the greatest thing, but our boy is just settling in. When Babs came she got me up every morning at 6, the time she used to get up at her foster parents because they had to get to work. She quickly adjusted to our schedule and now it's usually been between 7 and 8 when Babs and Moe wanted to go out. Wee Sampson is still getting the lay of the land, but he already knows where the food and water bowls are and when they get their special treats, which is after the first good morning walk, and trust me, 4 a.m. doesn't count.

What is truly amazing to me -- and everyone who knows me knows that I am an animal lover and rescuer from way back and have many animals here with me, they are my family, my loves, my companions, all of them -- but there is just something special about the dogs. I look around at these three little beings and it's as if they are angels come into my life at probably the worst time in my life as my mother is in endstage cancer and it's bad. But at the worst time here came Babs and a month later Sampson. Moe has been my great love and always will be, but I'm madly in love with all of them. I am simply in a more joyful state than I have been for some long time.

So now my little family is complete, and some day when I move into a bigger place with a fenced yard I will be a foster mom for Pug Rescue and I will spend the rest of my life with pugs. There is simply no way to look into a pug face and not feel overflowing love and joy. I thank the heavens for all of the wonderful people at Mid-Atlantic Pug Rescue . They have my heart forever....

Now it's time to go snuggle some pugs and one big sweet black dog...

Maitri