Benjamin Barker has a sister!

[mauriposa]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 12:54pm

I know my Benjamin Barker is not as famous as Miss Holly or Kringas or Snafu's dogs, but I wanted to share some news about our family anyway. We have a new addition! Bella came to live with us two days ago, and we could not be happier. It's hard being a big brother, but Benny is getting the hang of it. Bella is a Lhasa Apso/Shih Tzu. We adopted her from a family who could not keep her anymore. She's been pretty shy so far, but she's getting more confident by the minute.

Does anyone have any advice on how to make this transition easier? It's my first time being the mommy to more than one dog. It's definitely a challenge, but I think it's going to be worth it.



Bella is on the left, Benny is on the right.

[clever name]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 1:08pm

CUTE! Is Bella the name she came with? I like it.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 1:18pm

Give Benny extra attention. It is hard going from only dog to big brother. There might be some jealousy just under the surface. Be prepared for an occasional flare up between the two, it will be them establishing the proper pecking order.
Bella will take a few weeks/months before she is totally herself. Dogs do take time to acclimate themselves to their new environment. It is all very new and confusing to her.
Mindy (even though she is Dash's littermate) came to live with us when she was 3 years old. Dash is a happy gregarious little guy but there were some skirmishes. Now Mindy is like every sister... a pain in Dash's behind but he loves her none the less.
Congrats on you new family member! IMHO a home is not a home unless there is a dog or two watching you pee in the morning!

[madbrian]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 1:22pm

While Bella is a nice name, why not Mrs. Lovett?

[mauriposa]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 1:33pm

Ha ha, Madbrian. We thought about that, but we didn't want to change too much for her. Belle was the name she came with, so we just went with the subtle change to Bella.

Thanks, Snafu. I appreciate the advice. Benny loves other dogs when we meet them on the street or in obedience school, but he's is starting to get a bit jealous now that he's figured out that Bella isn't going home. Bella is a bit of a snugglebug, and Benny sometimes looks at her like "Hey. That's my mommy." I'll make sure to spend some time with just him in the next few days.

[danmag]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 1:36pm

Awwww, Mauri!! They are just adorable - I'm glad the pet adoption worked out for you!!

[Marianne2]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 3:13pm

Aww! They are so cute. Congratulations on the new addition to your family.

Besides what Snafu suggested, you also could try giving them equal attention at the same time. This was suggested to me when I took in my foster cat and my not friendly cat started picking on her. Like you could maybe brush them together or feed them. Just simple things like that.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 4:53pm

Yes, dogs are pack animals, when a new member joins the pack there is a little adjustment period that goes on until they figure out where they all fit in with you (hopefully) being the pack leader. It is all a hierarchy.

Good luck and enjoy them!

[xxnewgirlxx]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 5:56pm

They are both so beautiful! Congrats.

[Weez]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 6:35pm

Aw, I love Benjamin Barker. He just needs more exposure (read: Weezy needs to see more photos!) and he will become as wildly adored as the rest of the gorgeous pooches around here. :3 Bella looks like a sweetie too; more photos of her too!

[Kasie]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 7:32pm

She's just too cute, mauri. I think Bella is the perfect name.