Doc was adopted from a local rescue group. He had belonged to a crazy man that stabbed his cat and had all his animals taken away by animal control. Doc may or may not have been abused. I don�t know. He deals with a bit of separation anxiety, but it seems to get better the older he gets.
Doc was adopted at about 3 months old by my brother, Stuart, after he�d been diagnosed with lung cancer about 6 months before. I knew Stuart would never see Doc grown and I think he knew it somewhere in the back of his mind, but I think he felt that by adopting Doc, he would somehow magically be allowed to raise him. It didn�t happen. In fact, the very rambunctious, growing puppy and the constant trips outside for housebreaking soon became too much for Stuart and his failing strength. He loved Doc and Doc loved him and he couldn�t bear the thought of giving him back to rescue and not knowing if he�d wind up in good hands, so my mother & I offered to take him, even though we already had two dogs and two parrots. Stuart died about 3 months later, but Doc was one thing he didn�t have to worry about. He knew that in my house the pets rule.
Now, as to the effect of a full-sized Lab personality in a pint-sized 20 pound body, on two old ladies with sedate older Lhasas � well that is another story! Never in the history of pet ownership has so small a dog caused so much destruction, disarray and distress!!! To date, Doc has caused the following:
1. $500 garage door destroyed as he jumped in my mother�s face while backing out. The door was only a couple months old too.
2. Hall carpet ruined when Doc decided to dig to China and didn�t let the carpet stand in his way.
3. At least ten pairs of shoes ruined. They looked like chew toys to him?!?!
4. Den carpet ruined. Huge blue spot of ballpoint ink in the middle. Doc never knew being artistic could get him into so much trouble.
5. Pounds and pounds and pounds of toilet paper, toilet paper rolls, and other miscellaneous paper chewed up all over the house on almost a daily basis.
6. At least $50 of parrot toys chewed as Doc waits patiently for the compliant parrot to drop them in his mouth.
7. Relationship between Lhasa sisters, Lilah & Chloe strained as Doc loves Chloe and Lilah hates Doc.
8. Neutering. Cost a bunch, but what a way for me to get even.
9. Two eye surgeries for cherry eye. (I thought only pure bred dogs had this problem?)
10. Divan in den and kitchen chair rungs chewed.
11. One new dog bed � eaten.
12. Several hundred dollars in anti-acids for me.
I SHOULD HAVE NAMED HIM JAWS!
In spite of all this, we love Doc to pieces! Without a doubt he is the poster dog for the term �hybrid vigor�. Out of the five dogs I�ve owned, he is undoubtedly the smartest, and that�s not saying a little as all four of the other dogs were very bright. Plus Doc has given my sweet mother something to hold onto and love after losing her only son. He is bonded to her, almost as if he sensed her loss and her need. They sleep together, they eat together, they walk together, watch TV together and sit on the patio in the evening shade together. They are soul mates.
We were devastated by Stuart�s death, but he left us with wonderful memories of his kindness, his compassion, his humor, his poetry, his love of nature, his love of his family and last but not least, a small black furry love-bomb named Doc.