Otis came first. When I first moved back from Arizona, Joe recommended we get a puppy so I would have company. He worked and went to school full time, while I did both only part time-so, I was home a great deal more often then he was. Narrowing down the breeds to Pug took a fraction of a second- I knew that would be the dog for me.
Otis on his first day home:
There was only one ad in the paper that we called and still had a puppy pug available. Joe told me it wouldn't even matter what he looked like, I was bound to like him no matter what. And he was right. We pulled into the apartment complex the owner lived at, and tiny Otis came running out. He jumped on me the minute I knelt down. He could have been all sorts of ugly and I would have wanted him, but he was miniature, adorable and wrinkled!
In going through my pictures from Otis' puppy months, he spent a lot of time on our laps while we were doing homework and/or on the computer. Since we were both still in school we were using our computer's a lot so it became Otis' nap time.
My sister was living with me when we first got Otis. I actually abandoned him the first night we got him and ran off to Joe's house. He cried and howled and screamed non stop when he was put in the kennel and my instinct reaction was to flee. So Auntie Julian was left to deal with Otis on his first night. Luckily, I've grown up and Otis has forgiven me. My first instinct now would be to stay and comfort. I'm significantly more patient.
Puppies are deceitful. They appear to only want to sleep and play--- until they discovering peeing, pooping and chewing. For the longest time we had a running joke that Otis only looked things that started with the letter "P." He loved to play, to poop, to be with other puppies and most of all people.
Otis is the most people oriented of all our dogs. Probably because he did not have a playmate until he was over a year old, he was always around friends and family. He is my perfect companion. He is not all that active, I didn't even know he was capable of playing as much as he does until we got Brady. He also knows that I don't like kisses from the dogs. Instead, Otis will just put his chin up to my chin and sniff. That is our way of kissing. Mostly, Otis just wants to be with a person. When we have guests, his only concern is making sure he does not leave their side (which is why he gets the most attention) and is the first dog begging to come back inside after his "duties" in the backyard.
One of Otis' favorite thing is to sleep with us at night. Unfortunately for him, this was routine until we got Brady and we started kenneling Otis at night again so Brady would not be alone. Now with four dogs, we are definitely not inviting all of them to bed, so every now and then we will allow the pugs to sleep with us. Otis has the same routine, he will immediately make his way under the covers and sleep at my feet. I guess my calf makes a good pillow. He does not appear to do this when Joe goes to bed first- so I think he must like being between the both of us.
Otis is a happy pug. He is also the alpha-male of this family. He breaks up fights, he comforts Brady and spends as much of his time as possible with Joe and I. I can't ever imagine not having him in our lives. He is the original and the best possible pug a pug owner could ask for.
P.S. We have people here cleaning our air ducts--- the noise is bothering Otis so he is camped out underneath my legs as I'm sitting at the dining table writing this. Scared or not, this would be Otis' position of choice :)
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