Joey and Jimmy get a Dog Manner Training Class!

May 1st, 2026 marked the day that our recently adopted 4 year-3 month our Dachshund/Chihuahua mixed brothers Joey and Jimmy went to school for the first time ever (we know this because they knew nothing when we adopted them). They (and we) needed schooling to keep them from being aggressive against bigger dogs and there is a potty problem with one of them. They are the joy of our lives and we want them to be happy and loved. Today's blog explains. 

(Photo: Joey in the process of sitting down while looking up at Tom during class) 

OUR OBSERVATIONS -These 2 brothers lived their lives together since puppies, as they were with the same family for 4 of their 4 years 3 months. We quickly realized the family never taught them any commands, so I've worked hard with them for our first month together and they now know, "stop," "walk," "sit," "stay," and "come."  We also realized the family likely abused them because Jimmy, the more Chihuahua looking and smaller one cowers when you ask him to do something. Also, Joey would not look us in the eye until today when we took him to school with Jimmy. 

IT'S A COMMITMENT - If you want to adopt a dog, TRAIN THEM. To not train them is detrimental to them and to you. They are children who need instructions. People who don't train them are lazy and selfish. Dogs are living, breathing, loving things, they are not "cute objects" and they are our 100% responsibility. 

(Photo: Jimmy was very well behaved. He only acts up when his brother Joey does.) 

BEHAVIOR #1 NEEDING CORRECTION - We adopted Joey and Jimmy on March 28, 2026. They came from the Lovable Paws Rescue in South Carolina, which is a fantastic rescue. When we adopted them we quickly learned they were okay with small dogs, as our friend Jeff's Beagle/Chihuahua mix, Myrtle was visiting the weekend we adopted the boys. They had no issues with her. But when our neighbor brough their calm, well-behaved 60 pound dog over, Joey went ballistic trying to bite her. **That told us he was previously attacked by a larger dog in his past. Little Jimmy followed Joey's behavior and did the same.** So, thanks to our friends Naomi and Wayne, we found the best place. 

BEHAVIOR #2 NEEDING CORRECTION  - Oddly, only Joey likes to poop in the house whenever we go out of the house. Jimmy does all his business outside. Joey is also consistent in his "poop spot." THE FIX: We were instructed to put a pee pad in that location. After some time (days/weeks) we move it to the door to the outside so he can start going there. Then we move it into the garage or outside so Joey learns the proper place.  Since we have about 30 washable pee pads (from Dash's senior years) we were well-equipped.

HOW THE FIRST CLASS WENT - Tom worked with Jimmy and I (Rob) worked with Joey. They were leashed of course and we were armed with treats. Both boys are great with people and okay with small dogs. So the instructor brought in her calm, well-behaved Border Collie (about 70 pounds) who sat next to the instructor (Merrillynn). Her dog, Dani, did not react as Joey squeaked and squealed and lunged. **We were instructed to pick up Joey (and Jimmy if he squeaked) , turn him away from the dog, hold the scruff of their neck (like a mother dog does) and give them a shake and say out loud "Uh-uh!"  After about 5 or 6 times of putting Joey down, it worked better each time. '  

    By the end of the hour, we were able to put Joey and Jimmy on the floor and they ignored the Border Collie. WOW. We need to continue this training daily. 

     Also, it's important to maintain a 6 foot distance between Joey & Jimmy with other local dogs. 

SOME AGILITY WHILE THERE - Fortunately, the school had orange cones set up in a line, so we took advantage of that to get Joey and Jimmy to do some basic agility of weaving through the cones, and they did a fantastic job!

BOTTOM LINE- Dogs do better in life with instruction, just as people do. Take and make the time to train them for their benefit and for your benefit. 

WHERE WE WENT - ​Piscataqua Obedience Club (POC) is a non-profit dog training club dedicated to fostering and deepening the relationship between dogs and their owners. Based in Berwick, Maine we offer Manners and competition level classes. We welcome purebreds, mixed breeds, rescue dogs, puppies, seniors, and everyone in between to our classes. Our certified instructors use motivational training techniques that emphasize kind, positive treatment.     

Welcome Jimmy and Joey to our family!!

After the devastating losses of all three of our canine kids, we connected with a rescue to adopt a bonded pair of Dachshund/Chihuahua mixes. On Saturday, March 28th, it was the "Gotcha Day" of little Jimmy and Joey.  **They have a back story, which I will share in another blog, but this blog shares the amazing story of how there is no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to someone on the other side (like Cody, Dash and Tyler) orchestrating it. 

(Joey is the darker colored one that looks more like a Dachshund, and Jimmy is the lighter colored one who looks more like a Chihuahua. These brothers love to nap together in the same rounded bed. Credit R.G.) 

ABOUT JIMMY AND JOEY - They were born on January 1, 2022 and they are actual brothers from the same litter. They're mix of Dachshund and Chihuahua. Joey is the darker colored one that looks more like a Dachshund, and Jimmy is the lighter colored one who looks more like a Chihuahua.  Joey is 7 pounds, and Jimmy is only 5 pounds. 

HOW WE KNEW IT WAS MEANT TO BE  

As a pet medium, I always say there’s no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to spirit, and in this chapter you’ll read about how spirits helped lead us to a rescue with so many crazy connections that it became apparent we were being guided.

After picking up Cody’s ashes and spending two days in the house without a living dog, we knew we needed to adopt and save a dog or two from a rescue.

(Joey (Left) and Jimmy (right) comfy on Daddy Tom's lap)

Looking at Rescues - Both Tom and I decided we would look at dog rescues to see if there were any bonded pairs we could adopt. But before we did, I checked my paranormal Facebook page messages.

Message from a Stranger -  There was a message from a woman named Susan who had read on my social media pages that Tyler, Dash and Cody have all passed. She wondered if we were looking to adopt, and she sent me a link to a dachshund mix named Slim from “Lovable Paws Rescue” in South Carolina. She even offered to get him from the rescue and work to obtain transportation. What an amazing person.

I wrote her back and told her I sent a note to the rescue and that we found two bonded dogs that we would like to adopt once we know a little more about them. Bonded pairs are harder to adopt because usually people only want to adopt one dog at a time. Hours later we met our friend for lunch. That's when it really got weird! 

After we looked through the Lovable Paws website and found the two Dachshund/Chihuahua mixes that we were interested in, we had a pre-arranged lunch with Jeff.

Meeting Our Friend Jeff - Jeff has been one of our best friends for over a quarter century (and best man at our wedding) and an uncle to all of our dogs. Jeff has always watched our dogs in Maryland for 20 plus years and now in Maine (he also moved here for family reasons) whenever we’re away and as uncles to his dog Myrtle, a Dachshund/Chihuahua mix, she stayed with us many times.

(Photo: Jimmy (left) and Joey (right) go into the same bed by themselves and curl up against each other)

Things Line Up -During lunch, we told Jeff about the two dogs and that the rescue is located in South Carolina. When we showed him the rescue website, he said “That’s my old high school friend, Steve’s rescue!”

In fact, he said just before he arrived at the restaurant, Steve had texted Jeff to say hello (as they have remained in contact, although 1,000 miles away). 

 At lunch, Jeff texted Steve and told him who we are, and her reminded us that we actually met him briefly 18 or so years before when we visited Savannah, Georgia, although none of us remembered what the other looks like. It was before he started the rescue.

Steve called and Jeff, Tom and I sat and talked about the two dogs, our three dogs who passed within 7 months, our volunteering as dog rescuers over the previous 20 years, and more.

Steve said he would send videos of the two dogs, and within an hour he did. His rescue had 156 dogs at the time we connected with him!

(Photos: Joey and Jimmy as they appeared on the Lovable Paws rescue website on March 8, 2026. Credit: Lovable Paws Rescue)

An Amazing Transport Connection - If we got approved to adopt both 4-year-old Dachshund/Chihuahua mixes, we were ready to fly down to South Carolina, rent a car and drive the dogs back to New England. Something else worked out in our favor, so we took this as a sign.

Steve informed us that having grown up in Maine, he opened a second rescue in Waterville, Maine and contracts with someone weekly to transport dogs between the South Carolina and Maine rescues. What are the chances of that? 1 in a trillion. 

Within the course of a week, our adoption application had been approved and we awaited the next step. On Saturday, March 28th at 4:15 p.m. we met the van transporting them (and quite a few other dogs) and we drove them home.

First Two Days - We don't know if they're totally house trained yet, but there have been no accidents and we take them out every couple of hours. They curl up in a bed together often.  They wag their tails a lot, and love backyard forest walks. In fact, just taking them out back on a leash they pull to walk the forest trails that we made. **They get along with other dogs, as our friend Jeff's dog, Myrtle has been visiting while Jeff is away. Neighbors visited with their 2 year old girl and the kissed the girl and were so well behaved. So, we know that Tyler, Dash and Cody led us to them.