When we adopted Riptide, we became his fourth family, and his forever family. When we picked him up from Kat, his third mom, she warned me that eventually I would meet "Riley." Riley, she explained, was Riptide’s alter ego, his evil twin if you will, the side of him that occasionally came out when he had different plans than what the humans had in mind.
Of course, I smiled and thought she was exaggerating.
She was not.
According to the popular 3 3 3 rule for rescue dogs, many adopted dogs need time to decompress, begin learning their new routine, and truly feel at home. Every dog is different, but the message is the same: give them grace, patience, and time.
We brought Riptide home on October 27, 2019, and it only took a few days before Riley made his grand entrance.
The First Riley Sighting
I came home from work, made dinner for Patrick, Riptide, and myself, and we sat down to eat. Riptide had recently earned the privilege of losing his belly band after making great progress with his marking habits. We were proud of him.
Then, while making direct eye contact with us, he lifted his leg on the room divider.
The audacity.
I was frustrated, scolded him, and took him outside. Of course, his bladder had already completed its mission indoors, so there wasn't much left to accomplish. Riley had officially arrived, and apparently he wanted to make sure we knew it.
Riley Strikes Again
A few days later, we ordered pizza for a cheat night. Glass of wine in hand, chatting in the kitchen and unwinding from the day, I looked down and there was the cutest dog ever (though I may be a little biased) making a very confident life choice.
A giant poop. Right in front of us.
At that moment, I remember thinking, "What the heck, man? I know you know better." Spoiler alert: Riley did not care about my opinion at that particular moment.
The Night Riley Crossed the Line
Bedtime had arrived, last potty break was complete, and everyone was settled in for the night. Or so we thought.
Riptide stood over Patrick’s legs, which were safely tucked under the comforter, and proceeded to pee on him.
I mean, really, Riley?
We put him on the floor, fully believing that being separated from his pack would teach him a lesson. About an hour later, I realized I hadn’t seen him in a while. Our house is not large, so his disappearance was a little suspicious.
I searched everywhere and came back into the bedroom to see the tiniest little tail sticking out from underneath the bed. I lifted him out, didn’t make eye contact, didn’t say a word, and put him back on the bed.
And I swear, he looked sorry.
The Great Off Leash Humbling
If you read my last Riptide update, you know we thought we had mastered off leash walking. Well, according to Riley, it was adorable that we thought we were in charge.
It was a beautiful day. Garage doors were open. New smells were everywhere. Clearly, he had important neighborhood business to attend to.
Getting him back? Let’s just say our confidence took a hit.
Back on the leash he went.
Riptide and Riley: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Over time, Riley became less of an evil twin and more of a reminder that every dog has layers. Riptide came to us after several homes, different rules, different expectations, and a lot of change. He was learning what forever felt like, and we were learning him.
Kat told me I would meet Riley. I didn’t believe her.
Now, I know and love them both, Riptide, the Yin, and Riley, the Yang. Because the truth is, you cannot have a life full of rainbows without a little rain.
And honestly?
I wouldn’t change a thing.
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