Ladies And Gentlemen: Meet Walter. Walter Whitman Taylor to be more exact. He’s the latest addition to Keith & Julia’s House Of Love – and seems to have plenty of it to readily give to both her and me – and everybody else.

Walter is a CKC registered Maltese and was born June 3rd of this year, which makes him almost three months old. We “rescued” him from a home that clearly didn’t want to give him up, but felt they had too many dogs already and couldn’t give him the attention he deserves.

They asked us to buy a bag of higher end puppy food for him and deduct its cost from the price we’d agreed on for him, which was a good sign to me that they had been feeding him good food – and wanted us to continue to do so – even if that meant a little less money in their pocket. They also pleaded with us to please call them if we ever felt we couldn’t keep him and not to take him to a shelter. They wanted him back if that were the case they said.

Then, as he rode in my lap on the way home, he was the calmest laid-back puppy I believe I’ve ever come across. He doesn’t appear to have a bit skittishness in him due to having ever being mistreated by people or dogs – he’s just super easy going – but at the same time – playful and loving. As Julia and I had dinner last night, he didn’t beg for food, and simply just laid down at our feet under the table. Then he continued to just lay at my feet as worked after Julia went to bed.

I’ve made it clear to Julia already that I don’t want him sleeping in the bed with us. We intend on crate training him, but that’s going to take some time, and we don’t want him to see it – his crate – as punishment, so, we set up a divider leading into our kitchen area to let him stay in at night while we slowly get him to feeling like his crate is his comfort zone and where he will sleep. I was shocked last night that for the first 15 minutes or so of him being in there (and me being completely out of sight) that he didn’t let out even a whimper.

Oh, and as far as his name goes. His previous owners called him Duffy. I noticed as we were bringing him home that he didn’t respond to it at all. Had he we would have left it. But, I’d thought up “Walt” – after Walt Whitman. This photo of Walt Whitman explains why. Julia liked Walter more than just Walt – so Walter Witman Taylor it is.

Then it started. Whimpering that is. And barking. I ignored him – which was hard to do – and as a result – within about 30 minutes or so he got quiet and I didn’t hear another peep from him until this morning at a little after 6:00. I can live with that!

He’s already paper trained, has two rounds of his shots in already, and Julia took him to get groomed just before I took this portrait of him earlier. He apparently took to the grooming like a champ and was just as calm as can be the whole time. He did seem bothered by a strobe firing when I took this shot of him, and he doesn’t seem freaked out or bothered at all when I practice my saxophone around him. I was worried it might get him to barking or howling. But – nope. Walter appears to be perfect for us.

So – yeah – Julia, Walter, and Me – all seem to be completely smitten with each other already. It’s a win-win for all involved.