Happy birthday, Zoey!

Happy first birthday, Zoey! What a big girl you're getting to be! I hope you get the present I sent you. I sent a cute little card that wished you hugs and cuddles on your special day (seemed appropriate, huh?), and I stuck a plush squeaky bone and a package of your favorite treats in with the card. I hope you know how much I love you and miss you. I think about you a lot, especially today. I hope you don't think I abandoned you, because I didn't. It was hard, but I think it was for the best. I hope it was harder for me than you. You're probably having the time of your life with your new owners and their kids and their huge yard. I know you're happier where you are, and that thought makes me more at peace with the fact that we found new owners for you. I always wanted the best for you, Zoey, and don't forget that! Maybe someday we'll be able to come see you again, but even if we are never able to do that I want you to know that I won't forget you. I am excited that you're one year old now and you're growing so big and strong! I'll always think of you as my little puppy, though. :-)

Your first "mommy",
Ashley



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This could have been Zoey

I saw these two pictures on Cute Overload today. They are of an adorable beagle puppy chomping down on a little kitty! This reminded me SO much of what Zoey would do - chomping on Lewis' head. And the cat in the pictures reminded me so much of Lewis - just sitting there taking it!

Why I love beagles

I wrote this post originally on August 13th, 2008 over at my other blog, shortly after we got Zoey. I thought it might be a good thing to repost over here.

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Shelagh asked in a comment how I chose what breed to get, so I thought I'd elaborate a little on this!

I have been quite obsessed with beagles for about a year now. I started with not really knowing much about dog breeds, and did a lot of research online to find the one that fit our lifestyle the most. I think that's the first thing: find a breed that matches your lifestyle. There are some helpful quizzes online that can help you, like this one.

The first thing I considered was size. We wanted a dog under 25 pounds because we both prefer smaller dogs, and we wanted to make sure that we wouldn't have any problems getting an apartment. (Many apartment complexes require that dogs be under 25 or 40 pounds.) However, a lot of small dogs are yappy dogs, and I knew that would drive me crazy. Another important criteria was the dog had to be good with cats. Those two things knocked out most terriers.

Other things that weren't as important, but still a consideration: the amount of grooming needed, how much energy they had, were they good with traveling and camping, were they good with children, were they friendly. We weren't necessarily looking for a guard dog: we wanted a dog that we didn't have to lock up whenever guests came over. I wanted to force myself off the couch so I looked for a breed that wasn't quite so sedentary, but yet would be okay with daily walks.

Another consideration for me was how much I liked the breed's looks. Was it cute? Was the breed healthy, or was it prone to a lot of complicated and expensive medical problems? I think I generalized here, since I know that all senior dogs will probably have a medical problem somewhere along the line. A great resource was this site, which had a lot of details about different breeds.

I actually made a large spreadsheet, starting with all dogs under 25 lbs, taking away all dogs not recommended for apartment life, and then rating the other criteria. I eventually narrowed it down to 15 different breeds, but the beagle had already won my heart at this point!

Here is what the Dog Breed Info Center site says about beagles:

The Beagle is a gentle, sweet, lively and curious dog that just loves everyone! A happy little tail-wagger!

This is SO true!! Jera's tail never stopped wagging. Even when they were taking blood right before she was spayed, her little tail was working overtime! I really liked having a dog that was so happy all the time - it put me in the right mindset, even when I was frustrated with her. A friendly dog was a big positive in my book, even though I didn't really think about it at the time. I love being able to share my pets with people who stop by to visit.

Sociable, brave and intelligent. Calm and loving. Excellent with children and generally good with other dogs, but should not be trusted with non-canine pets, unless they are socialized with cats and other household animals when they are young.

This is one reason why we looked for a puppy, though as we were looking at rescue groups the question of cats didn't seem to be an issue. I think it would be more of a concern if the beagle had been trained to hunt, rather than be a pet all its life. We wanted a dog that would be good with children, since we will most likely have children while we still have the dog. And of course, a loving dog is always a plus. :-)

Beagles have minds of their own. They are determined and watchful and require patient, firm training. This breed doesn't like being left alone. Consider buying two if you will be gone a lot.

These are downsides to a beagle. With the training, Jera did pretty good. We didn't work with her as much as we should have, but we got "sit" and "drop it" and "leave it" down pretty well. She was also learning "roll over" which was adorable to watch. House-training was another story. Jera was horrible, but Zoey is already months ahead of Jera when we first got her! I think the difference is getting a dog from a family vs. a pet store. I read once that beagles are more difficult to housetrain than other breeds because their noses are so extremely sensitive, that they can smell previous accidents even after you've cleaned them. Jera did much better after we rented a heavy-duty carpet cleaner from Home Depot and went over the carpets twice.

A Beagle has a loud baying cry that was a delight to hunting horsemen, but can be disturbing to family and neighbors. Beagles have a tendency to follow their own noses. They may take off on their own exploration if let off their leash in an unfenced area.

I would rather have a dog with an occasional bay than a yappy bark! Jera was SO quiet (except for the whining!). Sometimes her cries turned to howls, but that was mostly when we first got her and trying to crate-train her. So far, Zoey has been pretty quiet, but she still has a puppy voice. I really hope she's not a barker! Beagles are also runners. Jera would bolt anytime she could (hence... why we don't have her anymore). Zoey so far has not been like that at all. I am enjoying having a dog who follows me around! I'm not sure if this is just a puppy thing, or if Zoey will follow us, so we'll see. I'm okay with keeping the dog on a leash. It's a bit annoying when we're camping, but most campsites require you leave your dog on a leash at all times so it's okay.

So pretty much, I love beagles. They aren't perfect, but they are perfect for us. I can't wait to get a house with a yard so she can run to her heart's content, but right now I think we have a pretty good system worked out with our daily walks and visiting the dog park 4 times a week. I really love going to the dog park, and I can't wait until Zoey is big enough to take her too!!

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Crate training your puppy

Crate-training is a great thing to do when you get a new dog. Crates provide a "home" for your dog, mimicking the dens that they desire in their instincts. If you have a puppy, it helps with potty training. The theory behind this is that puppies won't eliminate where they are sleeping, and so it forces them to "hold" it until you come back and are able to take them outside. Crates are also a great way to keep them out of trouble when you aren't home or if there are non-dog-friendly guests visiting. Just be careful not to keep your dog in the crate TOO long!

I only have experience crate-training puppies, so I'll focus on them for now. If you have anything to add about crate-training grown dogs, I'd love to hear it!

Buying a crate
You want your crate to be big enough for the dog to comfortably turn around and lie down, but no bigger (especially if you are still potty-training). If your puppy is still going to be growing, I'd recommend getting a crate with a divider. If the crate is too big, then the puppy can eliminate in one side of the crate and sleep on the other. This sounds weird, but Jera did that when the first crate we had was too big! Borrowing a smaller crate is another way to go here, and then upgrading when the puppy outgrows.

* A note about pet store puppies: Because they are usually kept in cages, they are taught to eliminate in the same place they sleep. Therefore, you may find that at first they will use their crates. This isn't natural, and if you are patient with them the first few weeks, they will learn that they don't HAVE to sleep in their own filth, and they will wait for you to come and let them out of the crate. I know this sounds disgusting, but that's what happened with Jera - we found that time was the key to stopping her from going in her crate.

Setting up your crate
We chose to put our crate in the living room, where Jera and Zoey could still feel part of the family and not "shut off". Make sure to find a place that isn't too drafty or too hot. If your dog is potty-trained, you can put a soft blanket and maybe a toy in the crate for comfort. I wouldn't recommend this if your dog isn't potty-trained though! Also, don't put any puppy pads in your dog's crate. Puppy pads have a special scent that attracts puppies, and you don't want to encourage any accidents inside the crate!

Creating positive associations
NEVER use the crate for discipline!! It might be VERY tempting, but you want to be very careful to always create positive associations with the crate. When you first get your puppy and/or the crate, start by throwing some treats inside. When the puppy goes in, praise him/her extensively. Stop praising when the puppy leaves the crate. If you continue to do this, then the puppy will learn that you like the crate. Never force your puppy into the crate. If you are having trouble getting him inside, then use treats.

This crate is your puppy's private place, so teach your children not to play inside it. Try to make it as nice and comfortable a place as you can! You don't have to add an adjustable beds, but a blanket or even an old t-shirt that smells like you can help a lot (if possible - remember, non-housebroken puppies like to use soft things). Your puppy probably won't like the crate at first. Try doing short sessions in it, to get him used to the idea of the crate and also to let him know that you will let him out again. We always gave our puppies a treat every time we put them in the crate.

Let them "cry it out"
It's heartbreaking to put your puppy in the crate and walk away, only to hear them cry after you. You just have to learn to turn a deaf ear towards it. If you come when they start crying, then they will never learn that it's okay in the crate. This killed me the first week we had Jera. My husband would leave for work about two hours before I woke up, and she would cry and howl the whole two hours. I would lay in bed, my heart twisting, but eventually she settled down and before too long she would be silent until I came to let her out.

* Note: Make sure before you ignore your puppy that she's not crying because she needs to go or because something is wrong.

Dinner time in the crate
One thing that really helped our dogs not mind their crate is to feed them their meals in it. Since beagles LOVE food, associating their crate with mealtime was a very good thing! We always did this with Jera, but when we got Zoey we started out by feeding her in the kitchen. She seemed to have some issues with her crate, and when we switched we noticed a huge difference.

Be careful not to keep your dog in the crate too long. Our dog trainer actually recommended keeping a puppy in a small dog-proofed room during the day, instead of the crate. We were never able to do that, due to not having a small room we could block off (a laundry room may be a great option, if you have one). I worked nearby, so I always came home and let the dog run around for an hour in the middle of the day. Remember: your puppy generally can "hold it" for as many hours plus one as she is months old. (So, if your dog is 3 months old, then she should be fine for 4 hours.) Don't put your dog in a position where he or she is forced to eliminate in their crate. Just keep reinforcing positive associations, and both you and your dog will do great!

For further reference:
Crate Training - HSUS

Surprise sighting

Yesterday I ran up to Publix (grocery store) on my lunch break. This Publix is also next to a veterinarian. As I was driving through the parking lot, I stopped to let another car in front of me. As I follow the car over the speed bumps, I see a little nose poke out of the passenger side window. Then a whole head followed - with brown floppy ears and an excited grin! It was a beagle! I can only imagine that his tail was wagging happily. It totally made my day to see him loving life.

(When we took Jera to be spayed, the vet reported that Jera's tail wagged the entire time - even as they were doing the bloodwork!)

I miss my beagles!

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Snoopy as a beagle

When we had our beagle, we would walk through the park and people would always comment to us, "Hey it's Snoopy!" I've never thought Snoopy looked very much like a beagle, and Jera didn't look very much like Snoopy, because she was mostly brown. Zoey had a lot more white and black on her (only brown on her face), so I could see the resemblance more.

The other day, Paul mentioned to me how the Peanuts comic stripped changed style a lot from the beginning (as is true with most comic strips). We are used to seeing Snoopy as this:


However, in older comic strips he is drawn with a closer resemblance to a beagle:


His more pointed nose in the early strips look more like a typical beagle.

You can see from the picture that it Zoey had a "black patch" on her back that was similar to Snoopy's, though much bigger. However, I think that Snoopy having an all-white face and only dark ears is more atypical, though certainly not impossible! The white face probably translated to black-and-white drawings better than if he had given Snoopy a multi-colored coat.

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Traveling with dogs

A while ago, I came across this link about traveling with dogs. (This probably would have been a better thing to post during December, when more people were traveling. :-)) There were some great ideas in the article, and some great links to other helpful sites. I encourage you to check it out if you plan on traveling with your dog!

We were very lucky to have two dogs who traveled very well. Both of them would fall asleep almost immediately at the beginning of the trip. And somehow they knew the difference when we were just going to the dog park, and when we were on our way to Florida...

Actually a funny thing happened the first time we took Zoey. She was about 3 months old, and we went up to Asheville for Labor Day weekend. Every time we stopped the car, we would get out and walk her around and stretch. Then we'd get back in the car and as soon as we got up to speed she would let out a loud "BARK!" She'd be standing with her front paws on the console between us, her eyes as large as golf balls, looking back and forth to each of us as if she expected something. It always shocked/surprised/scared us! That trip was the only time she did that, though. (Thank goodness!)

Zoey update

I got a card in the mail from Zoey's new owners. We had gotten a plush squeaky toy for Zoey and mailed it to them a week or so ago. Accompanying the card was this picture (I cropped it to protect the family she belongs to now):



Isn't she cute?? I am loving the little pink bow in her ear. I wonder how she liked that!

The card read:

Zoey is doing GREAT!! She is such a precious dog. We are so blessed to have her in our family. She loves running around all over the yard; she has so much fun playing with the kids. Thank you so much for the toy (Zoey loves it). We are going to stock her up with more toys; she has chewed up all of her other ones. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

Joanna asked me if this was my "happy ending". I suppose so; while I would love to still be a part of Zoey's life and see her as she grows up and gets older, I need to be okay with the family not reaching out to me. And really, I am so happy to hear that she's doing well, though I didn't have any doubts! So yes, a "happy ending" in our chapter on Zoey.

Looks like she's doing just fine

Ah, Zoey. With a stick of course. :-) I can just picture her, running around with that in her mouth!

Email

I got an email today from Zoey's new owner.

Hey Ashley,

Zoey is doing great. She fits right in to our family. She is a very happy pup. I will send you some pictures in a couple of weeks. She loves the kids. Hope you guy's are doing OK. Thanks again for giving us Zoey.

Fred

I am glad she's fitting in so well! But I miss her. :-(

Zoey in Orlando

Zoey in Orlando
Originally uploaded by twentysixcats

For more Zoey pictures, check out my photo album here.

So I decided

The decision is made. Please don't hate me. :-(

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/pet/470004905.html

UPDATE: I took down the Craigslist post because I think we found a good home for Zoey!! It was up for 14 hours and already I got 3 responses. I contacted one and this morning talked to him on the phone for almost half an hour. When I was done, I felt very confident that this would be a really good home for her. We are meeting them on Saturday. So, you can pray that God continues to direct us and that He will somehow stop us if this isn't a good home for Zoey! I will have more details later, after Saturday.

the tough decisions

I’ve always been a staunch believer of the motto: “When you adopt an animal, you adopt for a lifetime.” I always felt that it’s not fair to the animal to be passed on from home to home, as they make emotional attachments which are broken. Animals need stability as much as humans, and when we taken them into our homes, it’s our obligation to provide love, protection, and stability for them.

That being said, I have recently considered finding a new home for my dog. I feel guilty to even be seriously thinking about it! What happened to looking out for my dog’s best interest? Am I being selfish? And on the flip side, should I keep a dog that I don’t want anymore in the hopes that one day she may grow on me?

One thing I’ve realized recently is that I’m a cat person. I know it doesn’t shock y’all, but I thought I could be a cat person and a dog person. But no, having a dog just makes me miss my cats. It’s like an introvert forced to be around people all the time. You can take it for a while, but eventually you just feel worn down. I’ve also done a lot of comparing of dogs to children: if I am going to give up with a dog, shouldn’t that make me a bad mother? I’ve decided that with children, the love factor plays a much bigger role (at least I hope it will!). I would never consider giving up my cats; I love and care about them too much. The work I have to do for them is considered joy for me because they are special to me. I definitely don’t feel that with Zoey; the work I have to do for her feels like a burden or an obligation.

All that being said, below I’ve listed some reasons for both sides. Paul and I feel that there is no easy answer. Neither of us knows what to do. We definitely won’t make a hasty decision. I’m hoping that by posting this here, we’ll get some feedback that will help us make our decision. Please be nice! I am trying to ignore selfish reasons like “It’s cold outside and I don’t want to walk her.” However, those selfish reasons all add up to my general feelings of discontent and of not wanting a dog. She doesn’t fit with our lives like I thought she was going to, and I don’t know what needs to change: us or the situation.

The reasons why it’s in her best interest to stay with us:

1. She loves us and feels safe with us.
2. In this household, she will never be abused or abandoned.

The reasons why it’s in her best interest to go:

1. She isn’t loved by us. We don’t really want a dog around, especially for Paul.
2. We are easily frustrated and impatient with her. We yell at her a lot.
3. We resent her, especially when she demands our attention. We aren’t prepared for the amount of work required by a dog.
4. We don’t have the energy to keep up with her. We are distracted by our own lives.
5. We feel overwhelmed right now. We plan to have kids someday, and we wonder if that HUGE change is going to be in her best interest. We aren’t sure if we will be able to give all our animals the attention they desire and deserve once a new baby enters the household. We wonder if it would be in Zoey’s best interest to find another home NOW while she’s still a puppy.
6. We live in an apartment with no yard. We wonder if it would be better for her to have a house where she can run and play.
7. She likes being around people. We are gone a lot, and when we are home we are trying to work. She doesn’t like being ignored.

The reasons why it’s in the cats’ best interests for Zoey to go:

1. She chases them whenever she sees them.
2. Zoey takes up my time, so I am unable to pay much attention to them.
3. Things like their litter box and their food bowls have to be in inconvenient places for the cats because of Zoey.

And, this is huge, but we have to consider the financial implications:

1. Having a dog affects our future goals and desires (work hard now to pay off debt).
2. Dogs are EXPENSIVE. The vet bills seem to be in 3 figures every time I go. Also, there is monthly heartworm and flea treatments, which aren’t TOO expensive, but they do add up.
3. Additional costs: food, treats, doggy poop bags, misc things like new collars and leashes when she tears up the other ones.
4. The costs of replacing things she’s destroyed: library books, DVDs, pillows, floor mats, Ingersoll Rand air tools, etc. Also, since we live in an apartment, we have to pay for destroyed property.
5. My desire to is to leave the work force when we have children. However, as of now, that’s not possible. Having a dog is only delaying it, and to me it isn’t worth it. It’s like an unwanted debt that you can’t get rid of.
6. In our attempt to simplify our lives and reduce our expenses, having a dog simply doesn’t add into the equation.

No more puppies

One of the things we were looking forward to about getting a new apartment is starting over with clean carpets. Last night was our first night staying here with Zoey.

Around 5:15 she woke up crying. I took her outside. A dog barked, and she ran inside in terror. She refused to go.

She cried when I put her back in her cage, and then was quiet. Then she started fussing again. Paul got up and took her out. He said that her cage was completely soaked in pee and consequently so was she. He opened the door of her cage, and she made a beeline down the hall to our bedroom. Paul tackled her at the door, and took her outside where she went both ways. Then he put her in the kitchen while he cleaned out her cage in the shower. Then he had to take a shower himself and change into clean clothes. He also tried to wipe up some of the spots in the carpet, but he said we needed to give Zoey a bath today. Sigh. Less than 24 hours, and our dog has already had accidents on the carpet. The frustrating thing is once they've gone somewhere once then they are likely to return to that spot.

Paul told me he is never getting a puppy again.

So, any advice for puppy training? Should I try to bribe her? Steak? A new chew toy? A model rocket?

Pretty new collar

Last weekend, we discovered that Zoey's collar is no longer able to hold her.

She was so tiny when we got her, so we bought a collar that works for chihuahuas and other small dogs. However, I think she's exceeded the weight those collars were designed for and with one tug she's able to pull the buckle loose and run away. We discovered this, unfortunately, while we were hiking through some woods. Fortunately we were able to catch her really quickly. :-)

So, earlier this week I went to Petsmart and got her a new collar. I found a pretty pink one with little flowers, kinda like dog "jewelry". Heheh I'm sure she doesn't care, but I think she looks so pretty.

I also got her a harness, like this one. This particular harness had been recommended to me by several different people as being especially good for small and energetic dogs. I put it on her today, but we haven't gone for a walk yet. We'll see how she does. :-)

As well, I picked up an engraved tag for Zoey's new collar. I am kind of glad I procrastinated about this, because I was able to put our new address on it! Now when I unpack after we move I will pull out the rabies tag and put that on her collar too. She's good to go! :-)

Meet-and-Greet-Monday

Originally published at twentysixcats.com

The Natural Mommy is hosting a meet & greet today, so I thought I’d play along. I’d like to introduce to you my three children.

This is Lewis, the sole male. He’s a cutie, and a little pudgie. He’s also REALLY loves to eat, and reminds us of upcoming mealtimes constantly.

This is Ebony, Lewis’ twin sister. She is beautiful and sleek. It takes a long time before she warms up to strange people, but she can be very cuddly with us.

And the newest member is Zoey, who is 4 months old. This picture was taken almost 2 months ago, so she has grown considerably since then! I need to get some more pictures of her. She weighs 15 lbs now, as of last Saturday!

Oh! And we also have a betta fish who was originally named Rusty, but I think we’ve changed his name to Zeke III. (I kept calling him Zeke, and finally I decided to just give in to pressure. ;-))

Huh?

Today I have to hide in this post the phrase "pulse oximeter". I suppose if I sat down and thought for a long time, I could come up with a great pet-related post that used that term not out-of-place. But, I am tired. Life catches up to you and I have no energy to figure it out.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch. Zoey turns 4 months old on Saturday. She has gotten into this new habit that cracks me up. When her water bowl is empty, she picks it up and carries it to me. It reminds me of Snoopy. I think it's really cute. I'll have to get a picture of her next time she does that!

(Of course, I have to say that after she carries it to me, she begins to chew on it. Not so cute!)

Also, Lewis and Zoey have started playing together. It's cute too. More pictures, note to self.

Zoey goes to the vet

Yesterday was Zoey's first vet visit!

The diagnosis: she is a healthy, happy puppy with a few minor things that need to be taken care of. They found a few parasites (apparently very common in puppies) and a slight infection in her left eye. I was given medication, and a follow-up appointment will be in 3 weeks.

Also, we started her on heartworm prevention and flea medication. This is something I never did with Jera; always meant to, but kept forgetting to call the vet. Then, on that last camping trip, I was chatting with a vet whole gently chastised me for not taking care of both of those things. I felt like a horrible pet owner, and made a mental note to call the vet as soon as we got back to Atlanta. Unfortunately, Jera ran away a few days later so we never did take care of that. It goes through my mind now that she is suffering out there with heartworms because I didn't have her on preventative medication. :-(

So, we started on heartworm treatment today. Anyone have recommendations as far as brands? The vet gave me Iverhart to try, and said I should let her know at the next appointment in 3 weeks if I want to stay with that brand or switch. The vet also gave me Frontline for the flea & tick control.

The last thing Zoey got yesterday was a microchip implant! That was a big needle, the poor little girl. Even the yummy treats the vet's assistant tried to distract her with wasn't enough. I am glad to have that taken care of, though. Even though having a microchip doesn't guarantee your pet's going to get home (Jera is a case in point), you can't imagine the peace of mind it gives you. We are also thinking of subscribing to a service that helps you when your pet goes missing by contacting vets in the area. That would have been so nice to have for Jera. It's only $15 a year, so I think it would be worth it, but I still need to talk to Paul.

So after all that, the vet bill was a little high yesterday! It didn't surprise me, but I wish that it wasn't so expensive to keep your pet healthy. Paul and I are trying to make a realistic budget that includes the cost of a dog. We had figured the cost to be about $500/year, but it's definitely more for the first year of a puppy's life (what with spaying/neutering, puppy shots, microchips, and start-up supplies needed). We'll see. :-) It all gets confusing - we may need financial consolidation software to keep all this as well as our loans straight!

meet Zoey!

So, I realized I never posted about Zoey on this blog! I want to introduce the newest Puppy to fit the title "Two Kitties and a Puppy". :-) Below is the post I put on my other blog from August 11.

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Today, Paul and I drove out to Douglasville to pick up a little addition to our family. I was struggling with a beagle-shaped hole in my heart, and I knew I needed to fill it. :-) May I present: Zoey!

Zoey is a 10 week old tri-color beagle puppy. She’s simply adorable! :-)


She immediately took to her crate and to the pillow we had for her. Right now, she is curled up in her crate sound asleep. I’m so glad! (She also looks adorable. I want to get a picture, but the camera is in the other room and you know she’s going to move as soon as I get up.)




You can get an idea of her size here - she’s so tiny! Well, compared to Jera she is tiny. :-) She is smaller than the cats, and I’m hoping that plays to our advantage.



We picked the name Zoey after my favorite character on one of our favorite TV shows. Also, two of the members of the family where we got her from were named Kaila and Kylie, which put together make Kaylee. (I know, I make the most random connections!) This does NOT mean we’re going to name our daughter River.

I hope Zoey makes a good transition to our house, and the same for the cats getting used to her. I am so excited to take her on walks and go to the dog park, and play with her. I’ve missed having a dog! I think she’ll be a good playmate if Jera comes home, don’t you think?

More to come later.

a full house

This past week, my parents were visiting from Orlando. They brought their dog with them for the first time. It was quite a full house! 4 people, 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a fish... I felt quite overwhelmed but now that everyone's gone it seems so quiet.

My parents' dog is a spaniel mix named Spunky. We got her when she was 5 weeks old way back in February of 1998 - so she is almost 10 years old now. We got her so young because the people who owned her mother told us if we didn't take her then, they would give her away to someone else. Since free puppies are hard to come by in Peru, we took Spunky in. She was so cute and tiny, but she also suffered separation anxiety a lot. She cried and cried, especially when we weren't home, and drove our neighbors batty.

Spunky moved with us when we relocated permanently to the States in 2001. She changed a lot after being here. In Peru, she barked a lot and was antsy. We lived on a somewhat busy road with lots of cars and foot traffic, and we had a very tiny front yard. In the States, she had a yard to play in for the first time - how she loved getting her energy out! Also, since my parents' house is somewhat set back from the road, she isn't as distracted by people walking. She's much calmer and quieter. She loves to go sit in the driveway in the sun and watch the world go by.

My parents are traveling a lot this fall, so Spunky is going to be staying with us for a few months. It will be interesting! She loves the cats and the cats love her, especially Lewis. Zoey really wants to play, but Spunky isn't so sure (old woman!). I am excited to take Spunky to the off-leash dog park and see how she does!

So, it will be quite a full house this fall! I feel like I have 4 children. :-) I love taking care of animals, but I'm praying this doesn't sap all the energy out of me!