Homegrown Thoughts

Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - Puppy! Puppy! Puppy! (with pic)

Posted in True-Life Tales

That should grab your attention (unless you are like my friend, Heather, who is not exactly a dog-lover).  I mean, c'mon...who doesn't like pictures of cute puppies?? As some of you may remember, we had to put our somewhat recently acquired cat to sleep awhile back.  We've been thinking about getting a dog since then.  We feel that our boys would do better with a dog.  The cat just wasn't into playing fetch and tag and all of the things our kids thought a 'pet' should do.  So we were kind of thinking about it and then a friend (who I'd link to if she'd give in and get a blog!!!) happened to send me to this dog breed site (not knowing we were thinking about getting a dog) and we started talking about it more.  Then the breeds I liked were really, really expensive so I did more research on other breeds.  One thing led to another and I wound up putting a deposit down on a future Shih-Poo puppy.  A Shih-Poo, as you can probably guess, is half Shih Tzu and half Poodle.  I didn't think I'd get in on the first puppy selection (we were on a waiting list), but I still checked the pictures of the puppies and thought about which ones I'd like if I did get a shot at them. Much to my surprise, we got a call last Wednesday saying we could pick a puppy.  My top 3 picks were already gone, so I needed to talk to my husband and kids about it again.  I was able to take that night to decide and call them back in the morning.  So when my husband came home, he of course decided that he liked a totally different puppy than the ones I had in my top choices that were still available.  The more we talked about it and looked at the puppies, the more his choice grew on me.  So...that is the one we selected.  I wanted a girl and we are getting a boy.  :-)  I had to remember this isn't *my* dog, but *our* dog and I really do like him or I wouldn't have chosen him.  Like the breeder said, even if you got it home and it was purple, you'd still love it.  Which of course is true. Now, I realize that it's not the best way to buy a puppy with just a picture on the internet. But I do believe this is a reputable breeder and I have spoken with them on the phone, etc.  We don't pay until we get the puppy and there is a 2 year guarantee on the pups for health and temperment.  We are also fortunate because they are actually driving 3 hours closer to us to take some puppies to the airport, so we will be meeting them in Minneapolis to pick up the puppy in a couple of weeks!  I believe he will be 8 weeks old then. So we'll be taking a little mini-vacation there (non-shopping adventures at the Mall of America) and then get our puppy before heading back home. I'm already immersing myself in training books and websites and re-learning how to housebreak a dog.  I've done it before, but it's been awhile!  As the time gets closer, I'm getting anxious (I get anxious easily) about the trip and wondering what I've gotten myself into, etc. - but I know once it is done, I'll be very happy we got him.  I miss having a dog. So here is the picture I promised.  I think this is at about 5 weeks.   I don't know his weight at the time, but he was almost the smallest in the litter of 6 and is expected to be 10-12 lbs. full grown, maybe a little less.  You can't tell from this picture, but his back is actually mostly black, with a white patch.  So he's very...unique. Just like us.  :-)  What he will look like as an adult is a total mystery.  I exect the hair on his face to all blend in together as the hair around his eyes grows (like a Shih Tzu).  He will have an 'in between' coat - not Shih Tzu straight and not Poodle curly, just wavy and soft.  We'll just have to keep it trimmed.  AND he is non-allergenic and should be pretty intelligent due to the Poodle in him (his mom). :-)  As you can see, he is a character, sticking his tongue out at us.  He and my youngest son will get into lots of trouble together, I'm sure. Jodi

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Comments

Thursday, August 3, 2006 - Too Darn Cute!

Posted by MaggieHogan

Oh my goodness!!! I am in love with your puppy!!!! Great choice - and will be praying for peace about your trip. Give me a heads up when you head north :-) Maggie* who totally gets it

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Thursday, August 3, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by TOSPUBLISHER

OH MY WORD. I WANT THAT PUPPY! GIVE ME THAT PUPPY! PLEASE?!

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Friday, August 4, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by HappyApple

I'm glad you got a dog, and I'm glad it's the perfect dog for your family. Hugs, Dianna

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Friday, August 4, 2006 - totally precious!!

Posted by MelismaTo4

I can't wait to hear puppy stories. I'll be praying for you as make that trip. I know how that can be. Thanks for sharing a great pic of that precious pup!! Whatcha gonna name him?

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