Pets of the Week: Albus and Waffles

Nick and Ming Doray of Greenacres have a blended family of dogs so to speak. The first they got as a puppy and the second is a rescue dog they took in when he was three years old.

Their first dog, is a large brown and white Wirehaired Pointing Griffon named Albus, because even as a puppy, he had these deep sad eyes and looked like a wise old wizard (not because they're big Harry Potter fans). Nick comes from a family that only rescued senior dogs, so he's the first dog Nick has had from the puppy stage. Albus is a warning story that you get the dog you get, and not the dog you want.

Nick was familiar with the breed from a friend's dog back in college, and they're supposed to be real people dogs - great with children, goofy, and happy go lucky. Instead Nick got Albus, a serious, focused, job-driven dog who only loves his immediate family and a very, very select few people. Until he turned nine during the pandemic, he always sat just out of reach and tolerated snuggles for no more than 30 seconds at a time. Now at the grand old age of 12, he warms Nick's feet and demands hip massages before bedtime. That said, he and Nick understand each other and Albus is Nick's steadfast companion and best friend.

To keep Albus's energy up in his old age, and because the kids really wanted another dog, the Dorays decided to rescue their second dog in 2021, a 3-year old cream lab mix they named Waffles. They renamed him from Waldo, as they felt that keeping the name he came with was just asking for trouble from a rescued runaway pup. The Danbury Animal Welfare Society had brought him up from a kill-shelter in Kentucky. Waffles was scrawny and missing half his fur from skin disease, but his spirit and energy were intact. In the months after joining their household, Waffles fully recovered from the sorry state he was in and became the happy go-lucky, playful, snuggly dog that the Dorays had hoped for. He plays fetch for hours and loves making new friends, especially of the four-legged variety, with whom he desperately tries to rope into a wrestling match or a game of chase. Albus just barely tolerates his existence!

Aside from being a world class snuggler and a 90 pound lap dog, Waffles is also an accomplished thief. On several occasions the Dorays have walked into the kitchen to find that he has managed to lighten their pantry or countertop of some delicious, forbidden item. Memorable heists include $200 worth of prime rib that was left unguarded for all of 5 minutes, and an entire cake, which he first carefully unboxed and then unwrapped from its cling wrap before devouring in his lair.