She's coming...

Well of course I knew I wouldn't be able to say no once I got down to the breeder's and met the babies. And being perfectly satisfied with not just one, but both parents who were on site - and the breeder herself... it's FULL STEAM AHEAD for Operation Puppy Purchase!

Isn't she beautiful??


This is all happening SO FAST. And just when I was getting so utterly frustrated at how long it was looking to take (previously seemed like it'd be October) before we could bring a puppy home, this beautiful little critter popped up on my radar.

As I mentioned earlier - my brother, Mark and I headed 350 miles south to meet 2 little girl puppies, drop off a deposit for one of them, meet her mommy and daddy - both of whom are (fantastically) on site, and meet the breeder. All went GREAT aside from the gawd awful "700 miles in one day" thing.

We met both babies. Played with them. Deemed them both friendly sweethearts. Labeled one as definitely more spastic. And chose the other to be my new puppy-child. We return this weekend to bring her home!

Oh and if you've visited this blog before - you'll recall the not-1-but-2 different polls I had asking you to help us pick a puppy name. We FINALLY picked one. And I do appreciate your help and suggestions! My God - how does any couple select a child's name when we almost killed each other naming our DOG? I suppose parents of humans have a bit more time to sort through the "no I hate that" and "that reminds me of my 4th grade teacher" and "that's the most common name in [doggie] daycare" and "that rhymes with &*@#$". We're using the name at home right now while we try to get used to it. If it sticks - we'll let you all know when she gets home this Sunday.


*stepping on soap-box*

If you are a truly responsible dog owner - you know the importance of puppy socialization from 8 weeks to 16 weeks ESPECIALLY if you want your dog to be safe with kids some day. You will also know the importance of crate training in order to very quickly get your dog house-trained. And you will be familiar with Kong-stuffing and not feeding out of bowls when they're young, in order to keep your dog from chewing furniture and other "non-dog" items.

But more than anything - if you are a responsible dog owner you will have thoroughly investigated that which you feed your dog. Come on people - these are your babies! You love them! You wouldn't give you baby just some random crap you see on sale on a grocery-store shelf. You have no idea what's in that food or if it contains all sorts of horrible chemicals or road-kill or what! We lost our beloved Calli to liver failure. My dad always wondered if it had something to do with the food we gave her, since back then (to our knowledge at least) there was not as much attention given to that which goes into the food we feed our pets. So DO YOUR RESEARCH if you love your dog. Know what your breed of dog thrives on. Try different things: raw meat & bones, grain-free kibble, canned food made of human-grade quality meats and vegetables, kibble also made of human-grade quality meats and vegetables.

I spent almost an hour and a half at the local independent pet store talking to a highly informed store manager about the pros and cons of almost every item she carried on her shelves. I felt like a parent! But I'm so happy to know that my little baby will be starting off as healthy as she possibly could be.

*stepping off soap-box*


So we've got food, treats, crate, baby gate, books, collar, leash, water bowl, Kongs, bed, teething toys, Juicy Couture sweat-suit. JUST KIDDING - making sure you're paying attention!! Like I'd put a SWEAT-SUIT on my dog. We're sleeping with a stuffed toy (yes, awkward) at night to make it smell like us - we'll give it to her for her first night at home alone in her crate. First vet appointment is on the calendar as is her first puppy training class and Puppy Social. We're getting ready!! She's coming!!