In accordance with American Kennel Club breed recognitions, Buddy Franklin is officially classified as a "Fat Little Piggy Boy." In laymen's terms, he's a 55-pound pitbull/pig/raccoon hybrid. He likes food, swimming, and cuddling. Before Buddy lived with us he had a pretty rough life (he doesn't like to talk about it). Because of that, it takes Buddy a long time to warm up to new people. Following this guide will set you up for success, a.k.a. all the cuddles.
play hard-to-getWe don't care how cute he is. Your first and most important job is to totally ignore him. It's tough, but do it for Buddy.
Let Adam and Lara know when you're 5-10 minutes away so we can prepare the pig. We tether him to his bed so you can relax when you come in and he can take some time to gather himself.
Buddy knows that a knock means a stranger, or even worse, the FedEx guy. Text when you're at the door and one of us will come let you in.
When you come in, Buddy will start barking loudly. He's letting you know that strangers make him uneasy. You're going to walk into the house and totally 100% ignore him.
what dog?When you come in, Buddy will be tethered to his heirloom mid-century modern dog bed. He'll bark a lot. You'll give him the cold shoulder.
After about 5 minutes of barking he'll calm down. We'll give him a treat. You'll ignore him.
Oh, you thought there would be more to this? Not really. Once you've been around for about an hour we'll un-tether Buddy from his bed. At this point he knows you're not an axe murderer and he's going to want to check you out. He'll put on his friendly face and approach you and sniff you. He'll probably try and give you kisses and he might get a little jumpy. We'll keep his behavior in check, meanwhile you're going to stay strong and continue to ignore him. Resist all urges to squeeze and/or snuggle.
You and Buddy Franklin are going to be best friends. It's just a matter of time. The more time you spend around him, the quicker he'll get used to you. Adam and Lara will read his body language and let you know when you're free to offer head scratches and belly rubs. Buddy has an outstanding long-term memory, so once you're in, you're in for life!
the circle of trustHere's a list of the Buddy Franklin in-crowd, a.k.a. everybody who has stayed at our house in the past 4 years.
