Four new paws have been padding around our house recently. Biko, an almost 6-month-old German shepherd/Siberian husky mix, made the Malgesini pack whole again this past weekend.

For the better part of nearly three decades, John and I have had a two-dog household. After we lost Lucifer, my husband’s German shepherd, early last month, it wasn’t a matter of if we would get another dog, but when.

While John and I were immediately taken in by the little guy’s piercing eyes and happy yelps, the General, my 8-year-old German shepherd, seemed annoyed by what he viewed as an interloper. Biko, who immediately wanted to meet his brother, has been mostly oblivious to the General’s boorish behavior.

Although he appeared to miss Lucifer, the General was basking in the perks of being an only dog. While we tried to warn him that this was merely a temporary situation, the General only seemed to understand that he was getting undivided attention and going for a lot more rides.

Whenever John or I left the house, the General happily jumped in the rig and immediately stuck his head out the window. In fact, he hadn’t even been left alone at home since we lost Lucifer — until this past Saturday when we went to the adoption event.

Initially, John wasn’t sure what breed of dog he wanted. Over the years, we bought three canine kids from Geyer German Shepherds. However, since Becky Geyer retired several years after we got the General, I contacted another breeder.

After being provided some initial information and encouraged to reach out with any additional questions, I was ghosted. I feel it was reasonable to inquire about the waitlist, especially since the deposit was nonrefundable.

John then happened upon Petfinder, which included dogs from Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue. We discussed the pros and cons of adopting a dog that had a history. Gastineau, our second German shepherd, was a rescue — and while he became a part of our pack, he came with some baggage.

I filled out the Mikey’s Chance application — providing everything from a history of our past pooches and breed preference to philosophies about training and commitment to dog ownership, as well as references and photos of our house and yard. While it was a time-consuming process, I appreciated its thoroughness. I also felt confident that the agency would agree that we were the best match.

We got to the meet and greet event at Paw’s Natural Pet Emporium in Kennewick before our new canine kid had arrived. When he got there, it became obvious that he was a little social butterfly — wagging his tail and nuzzling up to both humans and other dogs.

During the backyard introduction at home, the General wasn’t too keen on Biko’s exuberance in meeting him. Once we moved the getting acquainted efforts inside the house, the General would vacillate between barking at Biko or physically turning his head away in dismissal — as if to think, “If I can’t see him, then he’s not there.”

By day three with guided socialization, positive reinforcement and playing the Pupcorn game (an exercise that includes catching a favored treat) together, the General’s barking is being replaced by sniffing. And if things get a little too intense for Biko, he looks to his Papa for protection. All is well with the Malgesini pack again.

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Tammy Malgesini, the former Hermiston Herald community editor, enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs, as well as entertaining herself with random musings.