Owen is in Doggy Heaven.

Owen

Age 17, ~2002 - January 11, 2019

Owen was a super sweet, laid back little guy and champion cuddlebug. I loved his unique personality.

When I first saw Owen's adoption profile in 2012, the fact that he was 9 years old made me hesitate. I knew I didn't want a puppy but I also didn't want a dog who was already in his senior years. Nevertheless, I went ahead and read his entire bio which described him as a mellow couch potato who loved to play fetch and enjoyed going on walks. As I thought about it over the days, I realized that his personality suited me perfectly and his age became less and less of a factor. I decided to turn in an application to adopt him and that is how he came into my life.

From the very first day, Owen's weird little personality was evident. Unlike most dogs, he rarely barked. It was almost three weeks before I heard an actual bark from him. And almost another full week before he barked for the second time. One day, he got himself stuck behind my entertainment system and didn't even bark to let me know he was there.

He also had no interest in playing with other dogs. Our first and only trip to the dog park, he spent the entire time walking along the fence line by himself, completely ignoring the dogs around him. That is, until they tried to play, then he would run up and start barking furiously at them because apparently NO PLAYING ALLOWED AT THE DOG PARK. I actually think Owen never learned how to play with other dogs when he was little. Later on my neighbor's Jack Russell Terrier adorably tried to teach Owen how to play.

Aside from playing fetch with mini tennis balls, he also didn't seem to know how to play with toys. I would try waving a toy in front of him and, instead of trying to grab it, he would just stare blankly at me. I tried getting him interested by using toys with treats in them. He would sniff the toy and walk away, not even attempting to get at the treat!

Needless to say, his attitude towards treats was also unconventional. Unlike other dogs, he never rushed over to someone to get a treat. He would wait for the person to come to him. And sometimes, he wouldn't take the treat right away. He would sniff it and turn away as though he were negotiating for a better offer. Sometimes, instead of reaching for a treat, he would just open his mouth and wait for you to actually put the treat in his mouth. As though he were doing you a favor by eating the treat. The only treat he did get excited about was spaghetti. Whenever I had spaghetti, I made sure to leave a few noodles for him.