When you want a dog to act as a companion for your other dog, how lucky can you get when you adopt a dog from a rescue group like ours? Read on.
Oreo, now known as Astra (Greek for starry one), has found his forever home with a Flat Coat retriever, Merlin. The two dogs appear to be the best companions for each other in many ways, doing most everything together, even using each other as pillows.
When 5 month-old Astra moved in with 14 month-old Merlin, it was hoped Astra could keep up with Merlin. After a 30-minute barking session by Merlin, Astra started to play hard with Merlin, which began the relationship that continues to deepen and is stronger than any of the family’s previous dogs’ friendships.
Her family finds Astra fearless regarding strangers, thunder and rain, and the vacuum cleaner, and she likes to be close to the family members, including doing a dog “hug” using her feet to grab, and she just generally likes to lean on her humans. When Astra’s energy level is high, her kryptonite is the tummy rub, which can relax her in minutes.
Between Merlin and Astra, there are many dog bones, and they’re Astra’s target for hiding in the dog beds. Then, she lies on top of the beds to prevent Merlin from getting them. There have been times when Astra deposited 10 bones under a bed, and still looked for another bone to steal from Merlin. She also plays a “boop” game when her owner pats her head and says “boop.” Astra then play bows and does excited puppy moves but then she freezes. She’ll put her head down but keep her eyes on her owner until Astra “boops” her owner on the head, arm, hand, or leg, which returns her puppy energy.
When going to dog parks was easier, Astra rolled in the dirt, sniffed other dogs, approached dog owners, played with balls, and chased smaller dogs. Even after two hours, Astra remained active. She knows the basic commands of sit, stay, shake hands, and lie down. Her owners, which include a 10-year old, say their dogs have a match made in heaven.
