So, as of tomorrow, Noyzi will have been in our lives for three weeks. I thought I’d offer an update for those who are interested. First of all, the name… I had been planning to change his name, but none of the names I was thinking of seemed suitable. It also occurred to me that he’s been through so many changes in the past month that it seemed cruel to force him to get used to a new name, too. So we decided to just call him Noyzi. We changed the spelling because “Noizy” was offending my grammar/spelling snob complex. Also, that’s how it was spelled by the vet in Kosovo (I’m assuming) who made their version of the pet passport.

This week, we took Noizy out for his very first walk outside of the backyard. The first walk was just halfway down the block. He submissively peed a couple of times before we got him out the front door. But once we got him on the leash, he did quite well and seemed to enjoy himself. Then, when we brought him back inside and Bill took Arran (our senior dog) for a longer walk, Noyzi finally ventured upstairs for the very first time. He was fascinated by the balconies!

Noyzi still pretty much stays in his little area of our living room, although he has been ranging more bravely into the foyer and dining room. He’s also taken to hanging out by the couch instead of the back door.

Bill is still a scary boogeyman to Noyzi. I get the sense maybe someone hit him with a belt or a leash, because until the past few days, he was petrified of the leash. And he peed on himself when Bill took off his belt. He also doesn’t like the broom, although I am hoping that after seeing what it’s used for and never using it to hit him, he’ll see that he doesn’t need to be so scared. This dog doesn’t like men very much. He’s not very trusting of anyone, but he definitely seems to prefer women. Hopefully, he’ll get used to Bill after a few more feedings which include homemade goodies– chicken, sweet potato, and green beans on top of kibble! He’s learning to appreciate treats, too. He takes them gently from me, the way Zane used to. But it wasn’t until he saw Arran eating them that he realized that’s what he’s supposed to do, too.

I’ve seen some evidence that Noyzi likes to play and would enjoy a play session, once he gets more confident. A few days ago, he even play bowed to me, although he’s so big that it’s not the best idea to play inside. Maybe at some point, we can take him to the dog park on post. He needs to learn to come to me more reliably, first. He also likes toys, but this week, he doesn’t seem to need to sleep with one in his bed. That is such a cute habit! It’s like he needs a teddy bear!

We did a couple of walks around the block this week, and this morning, Bill, Arran, and I took Noyzi on his very first trip around the full walking route of our neighborhood. He did extremely well. Yesterday, he got a little panicky when a German man who was carrying things got too close to him, but today, he was much better. In fact, he was calmer today on his walk than I’ve ever seen him. I was very proud of the way he was carrying himself, his powerful stride matching mine. He reminded me of a supermodel!

When we brought him back in the house this morning, he followed me upstairs, took a look around, then went back downstairs. I think I heard Arran bitching at him. It probably won’t be long before he starts hanging out with me in my office. In fact, as I write this, he’s hanging out in the upstairs hall.

Speaking of Arran, he’s handling this a lot better than I thought he would. He seems to understand that he hasn’t been replaced and, in fact, is now promoted to “big daddy dog”… or maybe “gramps”. He leaves Noyzi alone, except for when Noyzi encroaches too much. I expect there will eventually be a fight, and then it’ll be okay. Noyzi is super gentle and not at all alpha, anyway… or at least he doesn’t seem to be.

I noticed in videos I have of him as a puppy, he once seemed very confident and self-assured. I don’t think he’s naturally timid. I think maybe he’s experienced a lot of trauma, but he’s a quick learner and so sweet. He just wants to be loved and a member of the family.

A few of our neighbors met Noyzi today. One asked us about Zane. Bill explained that we lost Zane to cancer last year. I’m sure they were curious about where he was. I wonder where he is, too. :'( I still miss him, although Noyzi is turning out to be a very rewarding project. Best of all, he seems to have come to us mostly housetrained somehow. He prefers to do his business outside and seems to only need to go once or twice a day. He doesn’t mark or cock his leg, either. He’s a squatter!

Anyway… since COVID-19 is flaring up, I’m not so sure how much traveling and dining out we’ll be doing. But I think Noyzi will keep me plenty busy. It’s a good thing we went to get him this month. With the virus flareups going on, I don’t think we would have managed as easily if we had waited. Now we need to get him to the vet and checked in on post. Hopefully, he’ll have a chance to try out the Hunde Pension soon, so we can travel again… when the virus isn’t running amok, that is.

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As I close this post, Bill and Arran are trying to negotiate around Noyzi, who has taken up residence on the steps. As Bill and Arran tried to pass him, he pooped a little. He seems to do that when he’s scared. At least he doesn’t do it in the bed, like Arran does sometimes. I have every confidence that he’ll be one of the gang very soon!