Meet Odin - the Newest Member of our Family!

We've been talking about getting a 2nd dog for a year now.  Clydas is a Boxer and the average boxer lifespan is considered about 9 1/2 years. While Clydas is still VERY spry at his ripe old age of 8, we wanted to get a 2nd dog in time for Clydas to enjoy the company, and for him to help "train" his younger brother. 

Sean wanted a "big fuzzy dog". I wanted a large breed. We bounced around a bit and considered several breeds. Top on the list were Malamutes and NAID (Native American Indian Dogs). But when Odin turned up at a local shelter, we decided to take a look at the Great Pyrenese. While originally bred to guard livestock, we dug a little deeper and found that they are actually more like bigger, hairer Golden Retrievers. At least our Odin is! He loves everyone that is invited in and the only thing daunting about him MIGHT be his size. (He 75lbs already - but only expected to fill out from this point on.)

We felt even better about adopting through the Humane Society. To get our paws hands on an NAID, we'd have to order a puppy online through a breeder in California. They are pretty rare dogs still and neither of us (or our wallets) felt good about that situation. We're very much of the opinion that there is a heart connect that doesn't occur with all relationships and the waters should be tested whenever possible.

And that's pretty much how Odin came into our lives. After hearing about him online, we decided to go visit him. He was actually out at a local PetSmart at an adoption booth the Humane Society was putting on. So after visiting the Humane Society itself and not seeing him, we made a swing by the PetsMart. We actually caught up with him just as he was about to leave and go back to the Humane Society. We met him - and within 10 minutes he was leaning on Sean, tail wagging, and already looking quite at home. We started the adoption paperwork and asked them to hold him for a day.

The next day, we visited him and brought Clydas along. If the boys hit it off, it was kismet! They walked side by side for a few minutes and, when given leave, immediately did play bows and started to box and play with each other.

Bingo!

So now that Odin's been with us for a week, he completely feels like part of the family. He's already fixed, has obedience pretty much down pat, is well socialized, currently on antibiotics (a touch of sinusitis), and we're learning all about the joys of housekeeping with a big hairy dog around! (Let's just say, the 6+ year old Orek is really proving it's worth and is getting a GREAT work out every other day!) When we got him, we were warned about his resource guarding (meaning he'd guard food, water, and toys if allowed to). We nipped that in the bud and he's actually doing great, able to share a water ball with Clydas during the days as well without incident!

Odin is made for cold weather, so he's loving the cooler fall days, and will probably have great fun when it starts to snow this winter.  Clydas has regained lots of his puppy energy - in fact, he usually STILL outlasts the pup!

Clydas and Odin

So here are our good boys, showing off their awesome sit behavior.