Posted on 17 Comments

Sweet little thing

New puppy

We had a surprise visit today from Neil’s brother & his wife (the ones who had the party last week). They had just been to pick up the newest member of their family and were bringing her home for the first time. Isn’t she a cutie? I’m not really a dog person, but she had me all baby-talky and gushy while she was here. And I have to admit, for much of the day I was thinking that maybe having a dog wouldn’t be that bad… Possibly even Good.

New puppy

Eamonn was completely smitten. [And yes, he is still in his handmade Halloween pajamas at noon. In December. I’ve never claimed to be mother of the year icon_wink-flickr] He hugged & kissed the puppy and whispered squeaky little sweetnesses to her, while his brother cowered several feet away. Aidan has always been afraid of dogs, and while we did get him to come outside, he preferred his introduction to be from afar. Neil and I couldn’t resist teasing him for the rest of the day with the idea that his Christmas present will be a puppy. Heh. He would hate that. [See my earlier comment regarding mother of the year… apparently Neil isn’t winning any awards either.]

I do actually think that a dog is just what my shy little 7-year-old needs. I was afraid of pups myself when I was young, but my family got one when I was his age, and my fears quickly faded. A dog is a wonderful companion when the human children are not being particularly nice to you. I learned that firsthand as a child, and I think it’s something that could easily apply to Aidan. Sadly for him, he inherited the social awkwardness of both of his parents. I suspect there will be a dog in this home someday, but before that can happen, Neil and I will have to agree on a breed (I like big, he likes small) and we’ll have to get Aidan acclimated to the idea somewhat. The poor kid would spend a week shaking and whimpering in his room if we were to spring something like that on him. Despite my lack of credentials for mother of the year, there’s certainly enough compassion in me to avoid doing such a thing to my poor, skittish firstborn.

Peaceful

I put away all of the Fall decorations this weekend, although I have yet to do it up Christmas-style around here. I lit a pine candle this evening and put on a little holiday music, though. Nice. Pleasant. Peaceful.

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Posted on 17 Comments

17 thoughts on “Sweet little thing

  1. what a gorgeous puppy…reminds me of my black lab back in scotland (I had to leave her behind..sniff 🙁

    Lisa you’ll love having a dog…they are absolutely gorgeous and love you unconditionally…and will be great for you wee man i think. My ex and i knew a kid down the road who was terrified of dogs and just very shy in general. Within a few weeks of them getting a dog he was chasing it around the garden and taking it on little walks with his dad (all the while having to stop and chat to little old ladies who just had to pet the dog) Soon he was chatting away to anyone who would listen about his new best friend. I tell you, he was like a different child. lol It just bought him out of his shell so much.

    A compromise? A medium size dog! 🙂
    debsx

    1. I do think it would be good for him. I’ve really got to make sure I’m in the right place first, though. Not ever being much of a dog person, I’d hate to jump into it only to spend the next 12 years grumbling about the “darn dog” underfoot, LOL!

  2. Nell would be over the moon if she had a dog. For the past year, she’s been keeping a notebook of dog care instructions, copied from various books, just in case.

    But I don’t much like dogs, and Jake REALLY doesn’t like dogs, and we don’t have a yard to speak of, so…. it ain’t happening. Happily, she has visitation rights with the neighbors’ backyard pugs (the neighbors work all day, so Nell’s visits provide a welcome chance to play for them). She gets some of her dog-love satisfied there.

    1. That’s really the best thing – having neighbors or friends who will let you get your fix from their pets. I’m feeling that way about babies right now. Man, I wish I knew somebody who had one, because I could use a fix! For an hour or two, just until it gets cranky, and then I’ll probably be quite happy to go back home 😉

  3. Dogs are great and I think A would come to just love it!!!! Our dog is almost 14 and we figure she won’t be here by next Christmas. She was our wedding present to ourselves and our first babe. But! The one who will miss her the most is Christopher! He is in love with her and any other dogs we come across. We dog sat over the summer for a couple of golden retrievers and christopher was in heaven. Dh and I might not be on the get another dog page, but christopher will be for sure!

    1. I’m still on the fence about it – I think I have to get over my intolerance of dog breath first, LOL! No question it would be good for Aidan, though. Your dog must be so nice and mellow at 14. I can imagine going from that to a puppy would be a major adjustment!

  4. Oh don’t get me started on 4 legged kids!!…and “puppy breath”….and the unconditional love you receive….BUT they are a commitment…it breaks my heart to see pets neglected…research breeds before you buy….better yet rescue one!…dogs are like children totally dependent on you….and if you don’t have the time to give them you shouldn’t even consider adding one to the family…you can’t just pick up and go…we use a kennel and you need to do your homework on them too….there are good and not so good ones out there….I am owned by 2 Basenji’s (they are from Africa) *you might have heard of them…they are barkless….and NOT a breed for just anyone….I wouldn’t have any other breed…you can look in their eyes straight into their souls… 🙂 I could go on and write a book, but I will spare you!!…you can go to my blog, then to my flickr and see a picture of my 2 loves….Sydney turned 5 yesterday and I posted a fun picture of them there…”Puppy Breath”…… 🙂

    See what Melanie has been blogging about: Southern Lights

    1. Hm, might you be a dog lover? LOL! You remind me of my sister – she has the pictures in her wallet arranged in such a way that the dog is first, and then her kids 😉

      I didn’t realize there was such a thing as a barkless dog. Interesting.

      You are right – dog ownership is not something to be taken lightly. And unfortunately, at this time of year, there are a lot of impulse dog buys. We’re holding off for now. Even if we did agree to get one, we’d want it to be warmer weather. No fun house training a dog in the snow, I’d imagine.

  5. I’m STILL not sure if I’m a dog person even though I’m the proud mama of two HUGE mutts (see my blog post today). I have to say though, the picture of that puppy made me say “awwwww” OUT LOUD!

    1. I saw “awwwww” out loud, too, when I saw her, and nobody was more surprised by that than me, LOL! I just wanted to snuggle that little puppy face! Of course, Neil reminded me that cute little puppies like that grow up to be big dumb clumsy dogs with bad breath. Heh. Strangely enough, I don’t find that scenario nearly as appealing as the “snuggle the cute little puppy” one.

  6. Did you know they have designer doggy breath freshner sprays now?! LOL

    My favourite for an ‘on the nose’ doggy breath is wee squirt of toothpaste in the mouth. They don’t like the taste much its down in a few seconds and after a quick cuddle all is forgiven. Ahhh minty fresh… lol

    debsx

    ps we have three dogs…a mad labrador, an aging sharpei who thinks she’s a human (she doesn’t like to get her feet wet so after it rains she would rather starve then walk across the grass to her bowl, and if she decides to brave it she practicaly walks across on tiptoes!) Quite the site but believe me, it can be done…i’ve actually seen it. LOL Oh, and on the very rarest of occasions when the grass is soaking she actually looks up with her big brown eyes and begs to be carried to her bowl. And on occasion we’ve obliged…oh the shame! LOL Our other dog is a fat old staffy cross who is the gentlest, laziest dog you’d ever meet. And the cuddliest. He’s happiest when he’s laying on your lap, on his back, and you’re holding him kind of like an 50lb baby. Hahaha… Dogs all have such characters…they really do have their own personalities like people.
    Yep, as you can tell..i’m diffinitely a dog person. LOL

    1. That’s one of the things about dogs that’s overwhelming – choosing one with the personality that fits in your family. Having kids is easier – you get what you get and you make the best of it – no choice involved, LOL!

  7. what a cute puppy!!! I am getting puppy fever just thinking about that cutie (I am a black lab fan all the way)

    1. Yeah, she certainly gave me a touch of puppy fever, too. I think I’ll just be happy for now to visit her elsewhere and keeping my house relatively sane 😉

  8. My kids were afraid of dogs for some time, too, and a little nervous around Judy when we first got her, but now they like her even more than I do (probably because they don’t have to clean up the poop. . .)

    I like dogs, but having had one for the last many years, I can tell you for certain that Judy, our first, will also be our last. Our traveling is seriously restricted, because if she’s being left behind we need to get a sitter. The cats only need someone to come in every couple of days to scoop litter and freshen water. Judy needs to be taken out for walks three times a day and played with, at $15 a pop.

    Even with three walks a day, we still end up with poop in the backyard, and since we moved I haven’t been able to train her to go in a single spot again. It’s mostly in a general area, not all over, but I still find it sometimes with my feet instead of my eyes. Plus, she sometimes “buries” it – nothing actually gets buried, but she kicks up huge holes pretending to do it.

    She doesn’t have dog breath, but she doesn’t eat canned food and does get greenies for treats. However, she’s a coprophage, and sometimes comes to give me a big kiss right after she’s partaken of the smorgasbord in the litterbox.

    I’m not trying to dissuade you, because there’s no question that we mostly enjoy having her around. It’s just that when people said to me that dogs were “a lot of work”, it wasn’t this kind of stuff I was picturing (or some of the skin care and hygiene stuff we have to do).

    If you do decide to pick out a dog, do try going to a shelter first. Mutts tend to be healthier, sometimes smarter, than purebreds, and you’d be rescuing a dog who’d otherwise have to be euthanized. Plus, you might be able to get a dog who’s already housebroken and past the chew-everything-in-sight puppy phase!

    1. It’s that high-maintenance thing that holds me back. I’ve always preferred the independence of cats, if for no other reason than they’re easier to leave behind for a couple of days if necessary. We never take long vacations these days anyway, but even a weekend would be difficult if we had a dog.

  9. […] the little bugger is cute, isn’t he?  If it wasn’t for his uncertain medical future, Aidan’s terror of dogs, and my inability to keep the house clean without the mess a puppy brings, I’d have scooped […]

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