Welcome back to my blog :)
Today I will introduce you to my two doggos Tom and Jojo, and how I became their dad.
Ah, their story was another drama-filled one too.
As I mentioned in my previous post about Robin (and Tiger), my farmhand had a habit of getting drunk. I turned a blind eye to it because he didn't create any trouble when he was drinking alone.
The problem arose when his wife also drank. Once the two of them were drunk, then all hell would break loose. They would always get into a fight and create a huge ruckus.
Finally, after many warnings and two final warnings, I had to let them go.
Around a month later on 2nd November 2022, our new farmhand and his wife moved in. And along with their belongings, they also brought their two new pups!
Yup, Jojo and Tom were actually theirs. Just look at how tiny and scrawny they both were!
Tom was around 5 months old so he was a bit protective and barked at me because I was a stranger. Jojo on the other hand was around a month old, and he was still too innocent and naive to know right from wrong, or, danger from safety.
Jojo could even barely stand up! He was like this small ball of innocence, inquisitiveness, and cuteness all rolled into one.
However, they both warmed up to me the moment I fed them milk.
They were like, "Who dis stranger being nice to us?" :P
Although puppies shouldn't be separated from their mother until they are 2 months old, my new farmhand had no other option but to bring Jojo along because of their new job.
Considering how scrawny he was, I didn't think he would last long, especially in my harsh farm environment. But my farmhand's wife was a dotting mother and she took good care of him.
As the days went by, it felt good because Tom and Jojo knew when to keep their distance, and my farmhand also kept them on a leash inside their quarter for most of the day since Dobby and Robin were outside.
Tom and Jojo loved those few occasions when they got to eat the leftovers of Dobby and Robin. Both Dobby and Robin allowed them to come inside my farmhouse eventually and eat their leftovers, though this didn't happen overnight of course. It took a few days for them to warm up to their presence.
Just look at how my boys accepted them wholeheartedly. :)
Good boy Robin and Dobby indeed.
Even then, Tom was still a bit cautious, so it would be just Jojo who was brave enough to approach my two boys.
Eventually, I started feeding Tom and Jojo regularly. :D
When my regular vet Dr. James visited me at my farm to make a house call, I got both Tom and Jojo vaccinated too and made them their own "vaccine passport" as well.
Though they were both tiny, they were fitting in really well with my boys.
My new farmhand and his wife weren't exactly living up to my expectations though.
Let's put it this way - Farmlife wasn't for them. In any occupation that we do, we adjust our lifestyle accordingly to that line of work. But they, unfortunately, weren't able to do that. I mean, they even bought a washing machine with their first month's salary, which I, their employer paying their salary, couldn't afford to have! :D
I mean, I am not judging them for their choices, but they were racking up bills faster than me running away from a snake. They had so many bills from the settlement below that they were starting to run into trouble.
Let me just quickly explain the "ba" practice here in Mizoram. Over here, most people buy things on credit. They go to a shop and get the things they want and the shopkeeper records how much is owed, and then they clear their credit once they get their salary. This is a common practice all across Mizoram.
Yeah so, they didn't exactly plan their expenditure well and had more debts than their income. Finally, on 7th December 2022, barely a month since they started working for me, I decided to step in and help them out, and agreed to buy Jojo from them just so that they could settle some of their bills.
And so cute little Jojo moved from their quarter into my farmhouse that night.
I emptied one of my storage containers and made Jojo sleep in it.
Dobby and Robin didn't seem to mind him being in our midst.
Awwee just look at how adorable he was. :)
Sleep well, sweet Jojo.
The next few days, Jojo slowly got used to living at my farmhouse.
When it was daytime playtime, Jojo avoided Dobby because, you know, the whole alpha bossy thingie, lolz. But Robin was there and Jojo pestered him nonstop. Robin too was accommodating as usual and didn't seem to mind his shenanigans.
My regular feeding plate turned from 2 to 3. I ordered some bowls from Amazon immediately, so in the meantime, Jojo was just happily eating from dispo containers.
Robin really became like this big brother to Jojo.
Cosy three bois.
I love just watching Jojo quietly as he tries to eat some food that I had slyly left on a box.
It was at this moment in the image below that Jojo asked the universal question Robin had asked for ages - why was only Dobby allowed on my bed and not them? lolz.
Sad to say though, my farmhand and his wife finally realised farm-life just wasn't for them. :D
We had a long talk about it, and we all came to a mutual conclusion that they would look for a different occupation somewhere else. After all, they were really nice people, and they just happened to be in the wrong place.
We set their last working day as 31st Jan, 2023. All in all, they lasted 3 months at my farm.
I helped them find their next job, and on their last day, as they were packing up their belongings, they did drop one last bomb on me - that they still had a few more debts to clear! Aaaargh.
They offered me Tom, and even though I liked Tom a lot, he wasn't exactly farm-dog material. His type of breed is meant for city households, but knowing their situation, I had no other option but to buy Tom from them. They left my farm after that.
And so, suddenly, I had Tom in my family too that night. I rolled a spare mattress and Tom spent the night at my farmhouse for the first time, sleeping next to Jojo as he was the only one he was comfortable with due to their history.
And so that is the story of how Jojo and Tom came under my care and I suddenly became a dog-dad of four. I didn't mind Jojo but Tom was totally unplanned for.
Tom soon settled into his new family.
As the days went by, the four of them created a strong bond with each other.
Soon, Jojo could no longer fit between my farmhouse gate grills! :D Just look at how fast he grew in just 3-4 months.
Whenever Dobby was outside the farmhouse, the rest of them would immediately climb on my bed, as it was the only time they could do that.
With my new farmhouse fencing completed, they would wait for me next to the gate whenever I stepped out to oversee work at the rest of my farm.
Hope you enjoyed this short story.
My life of course changed as taking care of 4 dogs was completely different from just 2. And that wasn't the end of it, a fifth dog joined me soon after! I'll post about that next, making it the last in this series of introducing my dogs to you.
Until then, take care everyone.
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