When we adopted Mulder he was about 4 months old, and weighed 25 lbs

Maybe because we live in Portland where 1 out of 5 people have a dog or possibly the desire to add more excitement in our lives. Most likely because we wanted to start a family and getting a dog was a good first step. We had just moved into our house and knew at once that we wanted one. Every weekend, we would spend hours visiting the Oregon Humane Society, the Bonnie Hayes Animal Shelter, and various pet stores where local groups bring dogs for adoption.

One of those trips brought us to PETCO where the All About Dogs Animal Rescue Organization (now called All Terrier Rescue) was setting up when we got there.  First they put all the crates and accessories down. We waited in anticipation. I looked outside to get a first glimpse of the dogs. My heart pounded in excitement when I saw that they were bringing in a bunch of puppies! I thought to myself, ”surely we can take one of those puppies home”.

Learning to be a good doggie boy - 8 months old

There was a litter of yellow labs, a few other mixed puppies, but two Hound dog brothers caught our attention. At only 4 months old they were the biggest, and with those big floppy ears the most handsome. One of the brothers called Yogi was particularly full of life, and with more prominent colorings. Unfortunately he had a #2 accident before we could even say we wanted to walk him. After he was all cleaned up we took him out for a walk anyway. We walked Yogi around the block but he was so excited and kept pulling on the leash so I doubted if this was even a good idea. What’s worse was he went #2 again. As non-dog people we did not know what to do so we just left it there for the rain to wash out. When we turned the corner into the store everybody was remarking how cute he was. A couple of other families wanted to walk him. We paused for a minute outside the store to make a decision. We did not want to put him back in the crate while we thought about it. I gave Yogi a hug and it was at that moment when I knew he was the right dog for us.

Mulder loves hiking at Sauvie’s Island

According to the rescue volunteers Yogi was a hound mix transferred from an animal shelter in Bend, OR. We suspected he had some shepherd in him, maybe even great dane with his long legs but we didn’t know for sure. The vets just say Heinz 57 for unknown mix origin.  It didn’t matter because he was very handsome and had a lean build. They estimated that he will grow up to about 40-50 lbs. About right for us, we thought. We filled out the adoption paperwork, paid the fee, then went shopping for supplies to take home with us.

The first weekend we had him was filled with excitement as well as frustration. As first time dog owners, we did not have a clue on how to take care of a dog. He was having #1 and #2 accidents all over the house so we decided to leash him to the couch for a few days until he learned. He was also whining every night which we later learned was because he thought he was abandoned by the pack. It was also that same weekend that we decided to call him Mulder after the X-Files character. It was Marcel’s idea from his favorite TV series and I was not sure about it but it finally grew on me. 

By the end of the next weekend we were so frustrated we decided to return him to the shelter. I called the organization we got him from, and they said we could drop him off the next Tuesday. I was relieved but at the same time felt guilty. Mulder thought he found a new home, but if we took him back he would have to go through the entire adoption process again. When I think about leaving him while he wonders where we were, it just broke my heart but I felt that taking him back was the right decision at that time. Tuesday came and I decided to come home early so Marcel and I can get ready to take him. We analyzed the situation, looked at Mulder’s sad puppy face, then each other.  It was as if he knew what was going on. We did not have the heart to return him. After a few more discussions we made a life-changing decision. We decided we will do whatever it takes to make Mulder a part of our family - his new pack.

His curious look

That was 2 years ago in January 2008. It took a couple of months of potty training and discipline. Today Mulder is our pride and joy. At 75 lbs. he is a happy, healthy doggie, and we can’t imagine life without him.