Soul-mates

My puppy seems to have found what I've been looking for for most of my life...her soul-mate.  Actually, he is my youngest sister puppy Mr. Fraggles.  The way these two act around each other is almost like an old married couple.  They will tease, play tug-of-war, share toys, and occasionally nip at each other.  They even miss each other when the other is not there.  He checks on her to make sure she is alright, but also alarms the family when she is not being good. To be honest, it can be sickening at times! 

Anyways, this particular evening, they had worn each other out, and decided that my lap was the best thing to relax on.  He laid his body right next to me, and she snuggled right next to him, lying her head on his.  Their love seems to have been kismet.  I hope i find the same for myself someday!

Relaxing

Many people would think that having a seven month old puppy means constant energy that never stops.  Every once in a while though, there are God's little gifts that allow you to take a deep breath and relax.  Today was one of those days.  The barking had calmed down, the jingle of her tags were quiet and the house was quiet. 

I'm not sure what she did to wear herself out so much, but she was quiet and still for the first time in a long time, and it didn't matter what noise I was making or where I was in the house, she was just lying in the sun, soaking up the rays. All I can say is that goodness for God's little gifts!

My Tough Little Guard Dog

I love the days that I am sitting on my couch, doing homework, or relaxing watching a move, and my little Liz is in her guard dog mode.  She is a whopping 7 lbs. with the mentality of a dog 5X's her size.  I believe this is referred to "little dog syndrome" which is the exact same thing as "little man syndrome"! Think Napoleon and you know what I mean.  

Anyways, this particular day, she spent most of her time pacing back and forth at my overly large front window.  The window happens to be just big enough, and the ledge just low enough, that she can stand on in.  She would run away from the window to play with her rope for a bit, but after awhile, she was right back standing on the ledge.

There are three things I know she hates. 1) Cats, 2) Garbage trucks, and 3) The mailman.  Today, she chose to stand guard against the mailman.  I fee sorry for this man having to listen to my dogs pure and utter loathing for him.  There are many days where I watch him leaving my front porch just shaking his head at how much my dog truly doesn't like him.

She knows the exact time he should be there, and every day she is standing in the window, just like the picture, watching him and warning him to get off her property.  I just wish she would realize that he is easily 200 lbs. heavier than her.  Hope there is a cure for "little dog syndrome" some day!

The Table

You know it is never a good sign when the house all of a sudden get's very quiet.  The jingle of the tags on a dog collar stop clanging and all movement seems to have ceased.  It's at that moment when a sense of panic starts to build.  I call her name, "Liz."  Nothing, not even a peep.

I slowly start to get off my couch to see where the little rascal might be.  I turn around and as I am doing so, I catch out of the corner of my eye, my dog standing up on my dinning room chairs, front paws up on the table, while she licks the table cloth like a mad woman.  See, my dog is rather smart.  She had seen me eating my dinner there earlier in the evening, and I'm sure the thought crossed her mind that there must be some kind of food left over.

So, there she was, trying her hardest to get what ever crumb she could find.  Never mind that she had been fed only an hour before.  It took me physically picking her up and placing her on the ground to get her away from the table. Nothing like having to do an unnecessary load of laundry because my puppy acts like she is wasting away to nothing.

My New Shoes

All girls know what it means to do some serious shoe shopping. It's like trying to find the right man...you try on many different styles until you put a pair on that just seems to fit perfectly.  Well, those were the shoes I found a few days ago.  They are a perfect little summer shoe and I was looking forward to finding the perfect outfit to wear with them, that is until one morning.

The day started out without a hitch, the sun was shining, the temperature was just right, I had enjoyed some awesome puppy play time, and was sitting down to start some homework.  As I was sitting there, I thought to myself that I have the best puppy in the world.  She hadn't touched one pair of my shoes, unlike many puppies will do.  I snapped back to the task at hand and began working, while Liz ran around the house playing with what I thought were her toys.

After a while, I stopped to check in on her to make sure she was fine, and as I began to get up, I just so happened to look down.  It took a second for it to register that in her mouth were my new heels.  It's not like she was just calmly licking them, she was wrenching on the heel part of the shoe tearing the fabric.  Needless to say I was not longer calm, and my perfect morning had been shattered.  I managed to get the shoe out of her mouth and assessed the damage.  It wasn't terrible, but enough to leave her mark on them permanently.  I've now learned my lesson about shoes, and they are all neatly stored in an area that she does not have access to.

The New Puppy

Have you ever had that sense of pure excitement and euphoria when you welcome a new pet into your family?  There is an air of newness and the thought that everything is perfect with the new animal in the home.  Everyone is petting it and are just in love with the cute face and fun personality traits. This is exactly how I felt when I got my puppy, Lizzie, about a month ago.  The day I brought her home she was running around and just adorable.  I thought I had just gotten the most precious dog in the world.  She would cuddle in my lap, play with me, and just loved me unconditionally.

Everyone had warned me that owning a puppy would be a lot of work, but I thought that I could handle it, and that everyone was just over dramatizing it.  After about a week my euphoria started to change into reality.  I really hadn't prepared for how this little 6 lb. ball of energy was going to change my life, both for the good and the tests of my patience that were to come my way.  I mean, look at that face...one would think that she is just a doll and how could she cause problems...That's why I'm writing this blog.  To share my journey into puppydom and the good, bad, and ugly of it all.