The story of Hank

How our new rescue doodle found us, how Henry is taking the news, and how we're managing a 2-dog household

This issue is sponsored by Chipotle, who is bringing me a Whole30 Wholesome Bowl several times a week as we figure out this new two-dog schedule, bless.

I’ve been talking about getting a second dog for years. I thought Henry (our adopted poodle) needed a companion, and we liked the idea of having a second dog to love. My husband was game-ish, but realistic on the challenges. Two dogs are far more work. One person may not be able to walk both at once. When we traveled, where would we put all of our stuff with two dogs in the back? What if the new dog barked a lot, wasn’t as chill as Henry, or ate socks?

To be fair, I wasn’t 100% either. So every six months, I’d bring it up again, my husband would say, “We could, but…” to which I’d respond, “Yeah, I’m not sure we’re ready.” Occasionally I’d browse PetFinder, but only in the way you’d browse Zillow for homes you can’t afford. It was mostly a “maybe one day…” thing.

That is, until a random Thursday in December.

Doodle needs a family

One afternoon, on a whim, I decided to browse KSL (our local classifieds) for animals looking to be adopted or re-homed. Oddly, this was how we found Henry, but in all my maybe-browsing, I wasn’t on KSL. I really don’t know what possessed me to open the app for the first time in four years.

I was many pages deep and only half paying attention when a photo caught my eye. “Jay” was a poodle mix around a year old. He had been found wandering the streets in a small town in northern Utah. He was filthy, skittish, and emaciated. Animal Control caught him and brought him to their shelter.

The shelter ad said they weren’t a “no-kill” facility, due to space constraints. Without hesitating, I picked up the phone and called. Officer Davis told me as much as she knew about Jay, and that he’d been there for a month without any inquiries. She said, “If you want to see him, you should come tonight.”

We hung up and I texted my husband: “Do you want to go look at a dog?” He said, “When?” I replied, “Now,” followed by, “Also hey this is insane, I realize.” Bless his heart, he said, “We should bring Henry.” We were all in the car 20 minutes later for the 1-hour drive north.

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We met Jay in the small lobby with Henry. He was shy but sweet, clinging to the shelter worker but occasionally coming over to sniff. After a few minutes, we took him outside with Henry to introduce them properly and see how Jay behaved. He was super clingy with me and nervous around Brandon, but didn’t seem scared/reactive—just nervous. The meeting went well, and the more time we spent with Jay, the more I thought, “We’re bringing this dog home.”

We went back in and I filled out an adoption form. The shelter worker told us Jay was scheduled to be transferred to Spokane, Washington the next morning. That sealed the deal; Brandon and I loweoked at each other and I said, “We’re doing this, yeah?”

A half-hour later, we had two dogs lying down in the back of my SUV, and we were brainstorming a long list of names in between saying, “Holy shit, what did we just do.”

We chose a name for him, but after 24 hours we realized it wasn’t a fit, for more than a few reasons. We settled on Hank, which was my husband’s first choice all along.

Henry has been giving us side-eye since Hank came home

Our first few days

Here’s what we quickly learned about Hank: He was fixed, so he obviously belonged to someone at some point—but he had zero training. He didn’t know “sit.” He didn’t know how to go on a walk—the first time I put a leash on him, he glued himself to the back of my legs without sniffing a single thing, and pooped in the street. He also wasn’t fully house-trained; if we took him outside he’d pee on the lawn, but he also peed inside a few times. He walked into our sliding glass doors twice before we stuck post-it notes on them.

Also, he had no idea what to do with a ball.

In addition, he had no dog manners. It was clear he’d never been socialized, and Henry quickly began correcting him (appropriately) when he got too far up in Henry’s business or was too pushy. This happened often, but Hank proved a fast learner.

He was also super-clingy, especially with me. (He had a few scared reactions with Brandon; we wonder if he’d been abused at some point.) He went where I went, Velcroed to my legs. (I didn’t pee alone for three days, at least.) When we’d see people on walks, even across the street, he’d hide behind me. If I wanted him to go outside to pee, I had to go with him.

We took him to our vet as quickly as possible. Other than being massively underweight, an infection on his groin, too much tartar on his teeth, and some dry skin, he was in pretty good health. We got him the appropriate vaccinations, and made another appointment for boosters, a tooth cleaning, and microchipping.

Hank today

It wasn’t long before Hank became more comfortable, and his real personality started to shine through. He is so eager to please, and affection is absolutely his love language. He likes to snuggle right up next to you, then flop over backwards into your lap. He’s eating well, and is very treat-driven.

His personality is so goofy and fun. He runs like a bucking bronco, if the bronco was a My Little Pony? He can spend half an hour in the yard entertaining himself with a squeaky toy. He’s learning how to play appropriately with Henry, as Henry encourages Hank to chase him without bowling him over. (Henry is a fantastic big brother—patient, tolerant, and showing him the household ropes.)

“If I like it, I’ll just get it in another color.” (Hank, left. Henry, right.)

Hank’s personality has really started to shine through. He’s started sniffing on walks, and is learning to heel nicely. He’ll wait for his food until we say “okay,” and he’s learning to sit, kind of, reluctantly. (He often spins around to sit right between my legs; he likes that safe space.) He’s giving Henry some space when he eats, and is appropriately respectful of Henry’s toys and sticks. (They both love sticks.) Also, he picked up “fetch” real fast—and he’s better than Henry at bringing it back to us!

Our family is also adjusting to a two-dog household. We mostly still walk them separately, because Hank can be a mess on a leash. (I’m really getting my steps in.) We need to buy double the treats and double the food. We now have a crate in our living room, right next to the Christmas tree. (Yes, it’s still up—I love the lights.) We’ve already had one emergency vet visit after he ingested a giant chunk of his plastic lick mat. He still need to go out in the middle of the night a few nights a week.

But Hank found us, just like Henry did. And though it’s only been a few weeks, we can’t imagine life without him. (Knowing what a hard life he had, and that he’ll now have a safe and loving space for the rest of his life, makes me want to cry.)

I’ll update you in a few months about how having two dogs has changed our family, in case you’re thinking about getting a second. Until then, we’re here enjoying Hank and Henry, and leaning into the cuteness overload—and the chaos.

XO, MU

P.S. I’ll tell the story of Hank’s first name another day. Also, if you haven’t thought about lunch yet, order a Wholesome Bowl on the Chipotle app right now. I know it’s only January 6th, but you already deserve a break.