Welcome To The Family, Archie!!

I am happy to introduce a new member of our family. Please meet Archie! Our little fellow comes from Metropolitan Maltese Rescue, the same wonderful non-profit organization where we adopted our beloved Kirby more than five years ago. Our vet had suggested that as 15+-year-old Kirbisha has slowed down dramatically, some youthful energy in the household might inject some new-found vigor into her.

Ayhan and I met Archie Saturday at Central Park with her foster mama Christina and Maltese mentor Beth, and were apprised of his history. At 6 years old, his original family had a kid and decided to give up their pet (on that subject, I am, for once, holding my tongue). He reached a shelter, which contacted Metromalts and within a week he had a foster, had been thoroughly checked by a vet and was ready for adoption.Fortunately, because Ayhan and I are both home during the day—he in the recording studio and I sitting here wrangling with words—we were blessed to reach the top of the stack of credible "adopters." Our boy came home with us last night... He has some dominance issues and growls from time to time, has shown some aggression toward other dogs (while at other times he's their instant ally), so there is work ahead of us, but the most important thing: He has not shown any ill will toward Kirby and seems to understand that she is the grand dame of the household (well, let's be honest, alongside me). She, on the other hand, thus far, seems wholly bewildered that some kid is suddenly sharing her space. As someone mentioned to me today, "Time takes time." Amen.Our new critter came to us with a bizarre three-syllable name, Indian in origin, which he does not answer to (can't blame him). So that has given us the opportunity to find a more suitable calling card. Last night, I was convinced that Max was ideal... until I went online and discovered that is the No. 1 most popular male dog name. Uh, next... I pondered "Hampton" (Ayhan hated it), then Riley (again, it came up in the top 20 most popular (who knew?) and one that friend Andre suggested, that I love cause of its alliance to Celine Dion... Ziggy... but I was stuck last night on... Archie.As a kid, I was obsessed with Archie comic books. It's an amiable name that you don't hear so often, it's two syllables, it doesn't resemble any particular command like "No," "Shhh," "Sit," etc. However, when I ran it past Christina, she groused that it was "too pedestrian" for a purebred gentleman... ahem!

Early this morning (7:45 a.m., and cool cats, that is early in my world... so much for my selfish existence), as we went for a long walk throughout the Heights—a stunningly beautiful, sunny, cool day where I was joined by many, many other humans being walked by their dogs—I met a wonderful local and told her everything above. Her response, "Well, I know most of the dogs in the neighborhood, and as far as I know, we don't have an Archie." That pretty much sealed the deal for me—and in honor of Christina's "pedestrian" concerns, his formal name will be Archibald.

We certainly have a ways to go. After a day spent bonding, I just now reached down to give him a little loving... and he bit my thumb. Sigh. Okay, we've known each other for 24 hours. God knows what it must be like for him after six years with a family who haplessly, selfishly abandoned him (oops, was that my tongue?). Hopefully, we'll get there. I'm determined to show this little guy a mighty fine life.