I am going to take a hot second today and tell you about how much I adore having a dog again. It took us awhile to be ready for a new dog after we lost Beatrix because we just loved her so darn much. Annabel, though, has been a total joy.
I guess there was that time when she was very little and Ben missed the call from the vet's office telling us she had worms and we thought she was just going to defile our deck in the most horrific way for the rest of her life (POWER WASHER FOR THE ABSOLUTE WIN), but then she took meds, and she's been really truly delightful ever since.
She IS kind of a biter (just your achilles tendon!) and a jumper and I don't usually let kids pet her at the playground (which! PARENTS! It is so nice that you have taught your kids to ask if they can pet a strange dog but also SOMETIMES THE ASNWER IS NO and stop being so JUDGY ABOUT IT) because of the jumping and the biting (it's just a nip! I swear! she thinks we're all puppies together!)
BUT. Like I was saying. UNQUALIFIED delight (ignore those qualifying paragraphs).
She loves to hold my hand (with her teeth. gently!) and walk on 2 legs like a toddler or a circus dog.
Awww. Annabel! When Barkley died I said "I will never have another dog." Less than three months later, we had Rex. He's been a real gift to me, he's pure joy. My only complaint is because he is giant, he tracks in so much dirt. We have to vacuum the floors A LOT is what I'm saying.
ReplyDeleteI feel this! We lost our first dog two years ago and right away we knew that we would get another dog...someday. "Someday" turned out to be two months later! Doggy can be sharky (or as you call it, a biter) and is leary around other people, but we adore her. I see your worms a raise you a case of giardia that took forever to clear up.
ReplyDeleteI want to echo what you said: always ask if it's OK to pet a dog, and then WAIT FOR THE ANSWER BEFORE PETTING THE DOG. Unfortunately about half the time the person doesn't listen to my answer and gets growled at.
Yes it would be bananas to have puppies, just as it would be bananas for us to get a second dog. Just because it's nuts doesn't mean that I haven't thought about it.
Yes it's bananas and I wouldn't expect anything else from you, Sarah. No matter what you decide, it will all work out great I am SURE!
ReplyDeleteAnnabel looks like the sweetest little puffball of delight. <3
Puppies would be such a big move and also so cute! She's already such a small, fluffy dog that I can't imagine how tiny and sweet puppies would be.
ReplyDeleteOmg- I can't even imagine the cuteness of Annabel puppies. Yes, do it so we can see all the photos!!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know she runs with you! For some reason I didn't imagine little dogs like that running longer distances. That is AWESOME.
You want to become a backyard breeder? When there are thousands of dogs across the state who are killed every day? Because puppies are “cute”?
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah - longtime reader here. I love your blog! I have never commented until now but since my family fosters rescue dogs, I wanted to reach out. We have fostered several mama dogs with young pups and it is amazing but also so hard (and messy). Pregnancy and then caring for their puppies is just hard on mamas (like it is on humans!) and they can become quite protective and aggressive toward people or dogs while the pups are young. Since it is not uncommon for some of the puppies to die either during childbirth or after, it is an anxious time around our house when we have young litters. There seems to always be at least one who does not gain weight, which causes a few sleepless nights. That said, we do it because without foster families like us, these puppies and mamas would be in shelters or, worse, outside. And it is incredibly rewarding to see puppies that really had no shot at life become happy little fluff balls that have big futures ahead of them. If you do decide to have your sweet Annabelle get pregnant, I highly recommend finding an experienced "whelper" to help you along the way. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI do not ever want to be in charge of puppies or own one. That is why Hannah was full grown and completely potty trained when we got her. I am not a child/baby person.
ReplyDeleteBUT! YES to the people who ask if they can pet Hannah and when I say, "I'm sorry, she's not nice," AND THEY GLARE AT ME. Look, I'm sorry she's not nice to strangers, but she's still allowed to walk around the neighborhood. She'll absolutely ignore you unless you approach her and then she's going to lose her mind. You know how some people don't like other people? Well, my dog doesn't like people. There's nothing wrong with her. I may get VERY defensive about this.