The Little Tramp

Picture the scene: Los Angeles in the year 2008. It's the height of the Great Recession. A gentleman of fine grooming and good character enjoys a late afternoon constitutional with his beloved canine companion.

Out from beneath a hedge waddle a pair of adorable mutts, covered in soot and grime. Their breed is indeterminable. They trot behind, as filthy and happy as clams, and follow our protagonist to his home. Wacky hijinks ensue, culminating in a heart-warming denouement in which the dogs are adopted into loving homes and everyone learns the true value of pack leadership. If this all sounds like the plot of an old, silent comedy, then you'll certainly agree that the younger of this scrappy pair, with his turned-out feet, shaggy black and white coat, and happy-go-lucky energy, earned his new name: Chaplin.

Chaplin and his sister Izzy are something of a mystery. They came to their foster parents asstrays with collars and no ID tags. They appeared to be a strange mix of Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen, some form of Terrier, and Wire-Haired Dachshund. And at not even a year old in November of 2008, they were already well-trained. After a month spent canvassing the neighborhood where they were first seen - putting up flyers and knocking on doors - no word came back of anyone looking for two lost dogs. So the decision to foster this motley pair gradually became a decision to adopt. And when it became apparent that big sister Izzy was clearly the dominant of the two and the higher-energy dog, it was decided that it would be best for Chaplin's development to allow them to grow up in separate households.

Since they've been apart, Chaplin has come on in leaps and bounds, though there is still some work yet to be done...

"Izzy is still definitely his pack leader," says Chaplin's adopted mother, Meret, "When they are together, he falls right into the follower position. But he follows me over her, so he is at least becoming aware of the hierarchy."

Now they just have to work on Chaplin's one other slight problem: separation anxiety. When Meret brings Chaplin into the offices of Cesar Millan, Inc., he follows her everywhere she goes and pines when she's away. And when she leaves him home alone, he chews... anything and everything. The problem has been so bad in the past that now he must be crated when he is home alone for any length of time. But with consistent, firm corrections and balanced leadership, he is already showing signs of improvement.

In the talent competition, his repertoire of party tricks already includes "play dead," "sit pretty," and "patty-cake." He also gets along famously with his much larger foster sister, Lucca who, forgetting her great size, often mistakes him for a cushion and sits on him. With his laid-back, eager-to-please energy, and penchant for being the good-natured butt (pun intended) of slapstick comedy, it's not hard to fall instantly in love with Chaplin just as an entire generation fell in love with his namesake.