A Big, Black Dog Named Marshmallow!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I have been in Indiana this week two timing Fudge and Vern with a dog named Marshmallow.  I was staying at my sister’s house and she was watching her daughter’s dog.  Marshmallow has grown into a wonderful and mellow dog and I know that for a fact because I have known him since he was young.  Mar, because really, who can keep saying Marshmallow everyday, was a pound dog that started out life with my nephew, his wife, and their three young children.  In the beginning, when you would stop at their house, he was rambunctious and liked to grab your attention and especially liked when you would play with him.  He also was a bit of a licker.  Mar lived with them for about five years and then the wife said she and a daughter were allergic to him and needed to find him a home.  Even though I lived two states away and Mar and I were barely on a first name basis, this news bothered me and made me hurt for what was about to happen to Mar.  I tried to imagine if I could handle three big dogs, because really a dog with the name of Marshmallow would be perfect with two dogs named Fudge and Vernors, but in my heart, I did not think I could. I even called our very own Karen and Jackdoodle for suggestions and help and she was informative and wonderful.  By the time I got some information to the wife, she had changed her mind and was going to try and keep Mar.

 

Time passed and my nephew and wife filed for divorce and as often happens, Mar became a casualty of divorce.  Thankfully, my niece (sister to said nephew} and husband stepped in and wanted him.  I was so relieved and worried all at the same time.  My niece is my sister’s daughter and the only dog she had growing up was an outside dog and I didn’t want Mar to go from being an indoor dog to an outside dog.  My niece was not really a dog person either, and it was her husband who really wanted a dog.  Of course, I had to stick my big nose into it and offer as much unwanted and unasked for advice I could and they were extremely gracious about humoring me and not telling me to shut up and mind my own business.  It is hard when you know everything to deal with people that don’t know that you know everything.  Just ask my kids. Anyways, Mar moved to his new home and I worried about his transition, his heartbreak, and the confusion he must have felt. 

 

But, here is where my story turns happy and eventually has a very happy ending. As dogs often do, Mar worked his magic on my niece and she fell in love with a big, black dog.  I kid her and tell her she is now a dog person and she will answer back that she is a Mar person.  Her husband was great with Mar from day one. They walk and run together and Mar follows him around and it is evident that Mar has found two new people to love and is loved back in return.  He has full run of the house and is an inside dog. The husband posts cute pictures of him on Facebook and they got him into doggie daycare one day a week because they worried about him being home alone when they worked.  They said Mar knows when it is Wednesday (daycare day) and even reminded them one day when they forgot.   They know his rubber ducky is his outside toy, and his stuffed blue bone toy is the one toy that he wants to carry around inside and so far has survived a de-stuffing.  Mar is also funny about flooring and will back out of certain areas and tiptoe around others.   He has a favorite bed that they brought to my sister’s house and a harness for walking that my sister continually put on wrong.  Mar tried to help her by lifting his legs when she should have been putting the straps under them and even bit at the harness when it was completely topsy turvy, but she still managed to walk him one day with the thing on upside down.  I sure he was thinking, “When are my smart people coming to get me?” but he was gracious and humored her and just walked along. 

 

I was excited to play with him one day and thought I could finally get some pictures of a black dog.  Mar let me know rather quickly that wasn’t going to happen.  I threw rubber ducky exactly two times, not even long enough to get my camera settings down and the shot metered correctly, and Mar was done.

No amount of cajoling could get him to try again for me. I chalked it up to lack of energy since my sister keeps her house at about 98 degrees.  I had a permanent hot flash while home and finally turned on the ceiling fan in the living room when she was out walking.  I guess the complaining worked because she did turn the A/C down a bit from her Death Valley setting and then we had to listen that she was freezing in her own house while she walked around bundled up in a bathrobe.  Even Hayley didn’t bother to get under the covers at night and slept right on top of the bedspread, so it wasn’t only me who thought it was hot in that house.  Coincidentally, Mar perked right up the cooler it got and became more active as the temperature dropped.  I told my sister that he had put himself into a self induced coma to get through the week and it was the fan and the movement of air that revived him.

 

John told me Fudge and Vern were out of sorts all week and I think between the needy cat and those two dogs, John needs his own vacation. He said Fudge just stared down our driveway looking for my car and did not want to come into the house and Vern was up half the night.  Mar was very well behaved, but it was obvious he missed his people, too.  Every now and then he would make a crying noise and none of us knew what he wanted.  I bet my niece and her husband would have known.  Fudge and Vern went right to bed when I got home last night around 8 pm and were still sleeping twelve hours later. Mar got to go back home yesterday, too.  Back to where he belongs and feels safe again and loved and isn’t that what every dog deserves?  I am so glad Marshmallow got his happy ending.

[Sheila & Finnley]

P.S. Loved the blog Laurie.... but I'm sure you already knew that ! :)

[Sheila & Finnley]

I guess I am behind, and just getting to this blog. I am so happy for Marshmallow. By the time I got to the picture I really was expecting to see a big white dog. He got very lucky and I'm sure he thanks the big "DOG" upstairs everyday !

My daughter rescued Bob, the Rat Terrier a couple of months ago. He was on the verge of being brought to the pound, and most likely euthanized at 7 years old. The people that had him, kept him in a create most of his 7 years because they didn't have time for him. Then they made the big decision to be even bigger douche bags and bring him to the pound. That is when my daughter heard about him from some friends. Lauren took him, and he is now living the life he deserves. He is an awesome little fellow, and I'd take him in a heartbeat. Finnley loves him too.  

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Glad Mar has found his heart home  

 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, Karen.

Nancy, He is a wonderful dog!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

It warms my heart to read about happy endings.  Love Marshmallow's name!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I do remember and I'm glad things worked out the way they did for him. :) 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, Karen. They let the kids name him. One of the puppies in Vern's litter was named Watermelon....same reason...parents let the kids name him :) Do you remember me calling you about him?

Gail, He was both....mellow and content. Usually Hayley is freezing in our house, but even she was hot. I almost did turn the thermostat down, but settled for the ceiling fan. I would love to visit. You never know :)

Joanne, Thank you!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, Joanna and Becka!

Thanks, Adrianne!

Bonnie, LOL...poor John...the abuse he takes. He said Fudge wanted to sit on his lap and Vern was up and the cat was crying for someone to pay attention to her. Hayley said he didn't miss the two of us, he just wanted someone else to take care of the pets. He says that is not true, but who do I believe??

Pat, Mar is big, but since I live with Vern, he didn't seem as big as him. I guess I didn't do rubby duckie the way I was supposed to do it for Mar : ) I can't wait to meet Trav!

F, Vern did get up after I got home, but not four times like he did for John :) Plus, I was so tired, I slept right through it according to John :) Thank you!

Cathy, Yes, definitely Lab in there...maybe some German Shepherd, too. Thank you! I love those Labs, too!

Thanks, Lonnie, for your always wonderful comments! Yes, it was a furnace :) My sister is mean to me! LOL

Thanks, Janie and Carol!

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

I love this happy ending!!!!  thanks Laurie =D

[Becka]

Marshmallow sounds like a great dog--and he has a wonderful advocate in you, Laurie!