House guest

We have had a house guest for the past couple of days. He'll stay with us until Friday, while his family, our friends, enjoy the sunshine in Thailand. Good for them. Since we decided not to join the masses who escape the city (Chinese) or the country (mainly expats) for the Chinese New Year (actually I did my very best that we would join the escaping masses) I welcomed the opportunity to have a dog for a short while. Since we miss our Ida-dog a lot.

Here is our guest. His name is Aatu. I also call him Aapo, Aadolf, Arppa, Asko, and hyttynen. With love.

But he is not quite the kind of dog I'm used to. Firstly, he has no fur. Except in the head and some in the end of his tail. But basically he is bald, so he needs clothes. For the past few days the weather was quite cold (about -3 - -5) and the wind was freezing, so it was an effort to get him to go around the building three times a day. When I took his sweater and prepared to get him dressed for a "walk", he run to the couch and hid behind J.

Where as our dog rarely, if ever, takes more than 5 seconds to get to the door if someone even implys she could be going out. No matter what is the time or what she was doing. Well, except if she's eating. And she does not were clothes, except occasionally to protect her from dirt and mud if it rains. And that's not because she wants to, but because I don't want to wash her three or four times a day. And "going out" means going out: you know, half an hour minimum, up to several hours. Not 5 minutes.

I have not got used the tiny teeny bones our guest has. They are like thin sticks. And there are no muscles! To speak of, anyway.

Did I mention he needs body lotion?

Aadolf also does not obey. I don't think he knows many commands, or then it just that we are not his people. But he knows, is when he's called for a meal. I like a dog with a healthy appetite.

He is the same breed as "the ugliest dog in the world", but still quite cute.

What he does best, is sleeping. When ever possible, he comes to your lap, or on to your chest, or burrows into your armpit. And he sleeps. Preferably under a blanket. Definately not alone. As long as there is someone to crawl close to, that's what he does. I am not sure he should be classified as dog. He definately does not comply with my definition of "dog". But that's ok, there are as many tastes as there are... breeds, I guess.

Did I mention that first three times we came back from outside he bumped into a glass door.

Our babe. We miss her.