Oh No, Not Another Dog

At the end of June our elderly neighbors moved out of the house next door that they had been renting for 10+ years. We knew it was coming but didn't want to think about it, because it'd give us something to worry about. You just never know who your next neighbor is going to be and what they'll bring with them. Like I said, the previous renters were older and didn't cause any problems. In addition, they were very pleasant anytime we would see them. We were sad to see them go. The "For Rent" sign went up right after they moved and almost immediately came down. Within the past week we've noticed someone's been coming and going and looks like they're living there. There's a wall unit A/C and I could hear the tv while mowing the weeds. We were thinking, "Whew, no animals and no kids...looks like a good neighbor." Then this morning came.

Before going any further let me explain.....I know you're all going to think that we're selfish, and I guess when it comes to this, we are. But for good reason and past experiences. For instance, when we lived in Michigan the house next door was always up for sale, then all the sudden a family moved in to rent the place. They were very pleasant and the kids were great....all 4 of them. Then they also had a dog. As a puppy she was also nice. But as time went on she became quite annoying. Anytime you'd come and go, here she'd come barking and running out the back door and not leave you be until you were inside. It got to the point where she was becoming aggressive. I never understood how she got outside. I know there was no doggie door. They must have left the back door open constantly. So basically what it came down to was us unable to use our backyard. Straight up our dogs don't do well with dogs on the other side of the fence and Viking doesn't do well with kids. Kids want to run, Viking wants to run after them, kid screams, Viking barks....you get the picture. He's not mean it's just not a fun situation to be around. So us having the ability to have a backyard that we can use has been great and has meant the world of difference to our dogs. You wouldn't be able tell that Viking had never had an area to run for the first 3 years of his life. Trust me, if you meet him, you'll understand why a yard is needed. And remember with Lily, after moving we still believe the ability for her to get outside was the changing point in her inflammatory bowel disease.

Back to my story. I go running this morning and there's an SUV and a moving van next door. Guess the rest of the family has now arrived. Not thinking much of it I go on my way and when I've finished my route I come home and let the dogs out to play in the backyard. It's all part of our routine. Well, we're doing our usual thing then all of a sudden (better mom?) Lily starts woofing and doing her little chihuahua hop. I thought she had saw a rabbit, since she's been able to spot them next door for the past week or so. Then I take a closer look and see, no, there's now a dog in the backyard....doghouse and all. Oh boy. The dog seems pretty nice and quiet (for now). It only let out one woof as Lily was doing her little dance. Viking continued to play and didn't take much notice. I think as long as someone's throwing the ball for him he's happy at this point in his life. So we'll just have to see how it all goes. I'm trying to think positive but you know the vet tech side of me comes out....is the dog up to date on vaccines...how about heartworm and flea preventative? I guess that's why I definitely keep my kids up to date on things...at least I can protect them on our end. As I said I also hope that things remain quiet...he could've just been quiet considering it's a new area for him or that it was too early for him to want to bark. And seeing the doghouse and him tied up it's just a guess, but it looks as though he'll probably spending most of his time, if not all his time, outside. Cross your fingers that everything goes well.