Riley

Did you ever hear the story of how we got Riley?

When we decided to buy a house, we both really wanted to get a dog.  We thought that we'd be smart and wait until we'd been in the house for a year so we'd have a handle on our expenses, etc...

We bought our house in August.

We brought Riley home in September.

I was at work and Steven called me.  "You should see this dog" he said.  "We'll go see this dog after work" he said.

So we went to the Humane Society and I met Riley.  Who spent much of the time snuffling the space underneath the door.  Almost sucking in the fresh air that he had been denied.

Poor Riley who was 1 1/2 years old and had already had 3 owners.

Poor Riley who was scrawny and his ribs stuck out.

Poor Riley.  The only dog who sat in his "cell" and looked out with sad eyes while all the other dogs barked and jumped for attention.

It was almost closing time at the Humane Society so they wouldn't complete the paperwork.

At which point, we discovered another couple that also wanted to adopt Riley.

The Humane Society people said that whoever came first, would be allowed to adopt Riley.

Luckily Steven was on shift work and was off the next day.

He was there when they opened the door and completed the paperwork.

Riley's first night at home.

Isn't he scrawny?

How could someone abuse him?

We thought that we'd crate him and he'd sleep in his kennel in the living room. 

He cried and cried when we went to bed.

I spent the entire first night sleeping on the living room floor with my hand stuck through the kennel door so he'd know I was there.

Slowly, he inched his way through the house.

He sleeps in the bedroom now and has the run of the house.

He's smart and friendly.

How many other dogs can climb a ladder? 

He is a part of the family.

For the longest time it was me, Steven & Riley.

Steven worked alot of nights so it was me & Riley.  He's my buddy and protector.

We'd hang out at night. 

 Doesn't he look like he's laughing?

I hate you.

I hate you with all my heart.

You will pay for this.  Oh trust me, you will paayyyyyy....

Treats.

Riley can open his own presents.  He totally understands the concept.

He also completely understands the goodness of the holidays.

Oh good, take my picture on my good side.

Yes, that's right.

Relaxing in front of the fire.  Sometimes we have to physically move him.  I mean like grab his legs and drag him across the room because he's getting way too hot in front of the fireplace.  It's like he'd rather catch fire than move from the warmth.

Laying with mom & Dawna.  Good thing they're both so tiny otherwise he wouldn't fit between them.

"I hate you.  Seriously, I fucking hate you sometimes."

Poor Riley.  The stuff I make him wear.

If he was a smaller dog, he totally have sweaters....and booties.

Riley laying his head on my pregnant belly.

When I was pregnant, Riley would stand in front of me and let me use him to support myself. 

Riley would dig his feet in and I would place my hand on his head and hoist myself up from the chair.

And when my mom came to visit or watched him while we were on vacation, he totally let her use him as either a footstool or to help her out of the chair.

Riley loved my mom so much.

She used to cook him steak.  "Oh this?  It's all grisly and tough, nobody but Riley can eat this"

The first time my parents came to watch Riley when we went on vacation, my mom came up first.

Then my dad came up after we left.

We told them that my dad should give him 1/2 a hotdog when he came in the door.

We only meant that first time he came in the house.  NOT every single time he came in the house.

Which was alot back in those days, as he used to smoke.  So Riley got 1/2 a hot dog every single time my dad opened the door.

I swear to God that Riley gained 20 pounds while we were gone.

When we found out that we were pregnant, I was actually pretty worried.  He was such a "mama's dog" that I was worried that he'd be upset that his position was usurped.  We took a class from the Humane Society, I read books about familiarizing your pet to the new baby.

He felt that John was his baby.

That first couple weeks whenever John cried, Riley would get anxious if we didn't move fast enough.  He'd look up to the room and he'd come and nose you and try and trot off in the direction of the cry and then come over to you again.

John's first day home

This is one of my all time favorite pictures.

This is a picture of Riley the day after a particularly bad crying night.  He's all puffy and his eyes are tiny slits.  He used to get up with me every single time.  He'd come into the baby's room and sit by the rocker with me when I nursed John.

Poor Riley was so tired all the time.

And John wasn't the only one who got a time-out.
If Riley did something really bad, he'd also get sent to the corner.  We used to call it "Dennis the Menace".  And he'd creep slowly over to the corner and sit down and put his nose to the corner.

The things we do, eh?

I'm unsure if Riley is going deaf or not.  Or just lazy.  Well, lazier.  For example, yesterday he was eating his supper in the kitchen and someone rang the doorbell.  I answered the door, ready to stop him from charging the door.  I talked the guy at the door (some elections guy) and nothing.  I could still hear Riley eating his supper.  He didn't bark.  He didn't come to the door.  I don't even think that he realized that there was someone at the door.

But then there are other times when he'll bark his fool head off.

My boys.