I fell in love with Rottweilers longer ago than I want to think about, but only started caring for one, 6 years ago. Our Artemis is a wonderful companion – loyal and stubborn and smart and gives not one care that she’s too big to be a lapdog. Once she got passed her land-shark stage, we started keeping an eye out for the right companion for her. She loves the cats, but they don’t like her, especially when she’s glomping up to them to try and play. There’s about a hundred pound difference and they don’t like being squashed (wonder why).
So last week, I found out through a friend that our vet had a rottweiler. I inquired. I visited, and the search for another was done. The rottweiler turned out to be an approximately 8 week old female rottweiler cross that had been left at their gates with a not-fresh open laceration across her throat. I chose to not ask too many questions. The rage peaked instantly and I couldn’t do anything with it, so I funneled it into caring for our newest family member, who we named Callisto. In mythology, Callisto is said to be a hunting companion to Artemis and Calli is a super adorable nickname that suits her perfect.
This puppy has been such a treat. An exhausting treat, but a treat. Despite what she’s been through, she’s playful and curious and smart. She startles easily so we’re careful to make sure she hears and sees us before petting her. The part I worried about most – how would Artemis react – has turned out better than I could have hoped for.
Artemis has taken to big-sisterhood like a fish to water. Her mothering instincts (she never been pregnant but I waited to spay her until she had 2 heats, and one of them involved an exasperating false pregnancy) came out strong and she has turned out to be an intuitive, great teacher. She is firm about correcting impolite puppy behaviour (like being bitey) but gentle about it. Calli knows she’s being told to behave and she does, while keeping the boundless energy and wonderful puppy curiosity.
For now, Calli gets daily baths as she came to us smelling of many unpleasant things including skunk and her coat and skin weren’t in the best shape. The first 2 days took care of the worst of it, now it’s mostly getting her to smelling like a dog and keeping her wound clean, which I’m able to care for with just iodine and polysporin, and this sweetheart just lets me. The only indication that it hurts at all, though, is when she’s laying down, she shifts her head a lot to get more comfortable.
I love our furry family members (and I fall in love with new ones very, very quickly – cats and dogs are so easy to love), I can’t help gushing over them.
Between Calli, my high schoolers having online school this week, the plants, and all the rest of life, it’s been pretty busy! Just typing this is taking a couple hours, I have to keep getting up every few words. It’s a good problem to have. I’m glad to be able to give Calli the care and good life she deserves, and give Artemis a companion that will keep her young as she ages.
The plants! I meant to post this days ago! Last weekend, Dollarama had 1 gallon planters and tomato cages in stock, and I got 40 and 25, respectively. 6 of the planters will be for the houseplants, though their growth has slowed a titch, thanks to the tomatoes and cabbages on their quest for world domination. There is just no room on the shelves.
Most of the rest will be for the tomatoes. I’m hoping the cabbages will keep going in their Solo cups until the end of May (June 1 is our “last frost date” but that’s more of a loose suggestion than a hard rule), but I might end up putting them in the ground with a make shift row cover to hopefully protect them until the last frost.
I am going to start hardening them off over the next couple weeks, that tends to slow them down a bit as they adjust. The herbs are doing lovely, and the parsley finally sprouted. The dill is getting their true leaves, and dill has such pretty, lacy leaves! I turned the planters around in this photo (compared to a previous one on Instagram), because with the central light they were leaning pretty far!
How are your furr babies and plants doing?
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