Happy Adoption Day to Patch!

I haven't written any posts yet since starting this blog, but I thought today would be a good day. Patch (Apalachicolapatch) celebrated his one year anniversary with us. A year ago today I adopted him from BARC Houston on a special adoption day sponsored by Friends of BARC. Since he was about a year old when we got him, we're also celebrating his second birthday today.

Patch's first day home

So why the funny name, you may ask? It started when a co-worker was looking for a dog to adopt almost a year before I adopted Patch. She came across a dog named Apalachicolapatch on a pet adoption website.  The name stuck in my head and when I adopted Patch I knew the name fit him right away. He goes by Patch for short, since the rest is a mouthful.

Patch and Me

The day I adopted Patch, I arrived at BARC early. I had a few dogs in mind that I had seen listed on Petfinder and PetHarbor. I planned to take my time to find the right match. When I first met Patch he was not too interested in me, but something about him kept leading me back to his kennel. The more I stopped by, the more interested he became. Finally, one of the volunteers asked if I wanted to take him for a walk, and that sealed the deal. He really came out of his shell more when I took him for a walk. 30 minutes later, after filling out paperwork and paying fees, Patch and I walked out the door on our way home.

Patch was scared of men at first and is still a little nervous and shy around people he doesn't know, until he gets to know them. He was found as a stray so very little is known about his history. The shelter thought he was a cattle dog mix, I don't know what he is, but he is super smart. Patch has come a long way since I brought him home. He is eager to please, but has a mischievous side that does get him into trouble sometimes. A big cuddle bug, it wasn't long before he figured out how to sweet talk his way onto the couch and the bed.  He is very athletic and I have done some obedience and agility work with him. He learns behaviors very quickly. He doesn't like to play fetch but he is learning some moves from big sis Angel. Mostly he likes to steal the ball from her and run around while she chases him and gets it back.

Angel & Patch

Patch had some big shoes to fill. I lost my last beloved Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Gabby, before Thanksgiving '09. That's another post, for another day. Wonderful dogs, I hope to have another one someday. 

Gabby

I was concerned I would not bond with Patch as I had my previous dogs that I had raised from puppies, but I could not have been more wrong. Patch is just as bonded to me as they were. 

Patch's philosophy is to live life to the fullest with leaps and bounds. He loves to jump in the air. Along with some basic obedience commands he has also learned some cute tricks. He also likes to join us when we go riding. 

Patch spent his first Christmas with us this year. I had him pose with the tree. Not sure he was too happy about the reindeer horns though. ;-)

Patch gets along well with Sinbad the cat. He likes to play with him until Sinbad has enough and puts him in his place. I often find them cuddled together.

Happy Adoption Day Patch! I think we are the lucky ones! :-)