Oh my word, I always said I never wanted a pet . . . not even hamster. Not even a fish. Certainly not a dog. But then our friend Stephanie decided that she needed a home for this sweet 8-month-old border collie. And suddenly . . . my cold, cold heart melted for this little pup. I called Bryce to plead my case but he was not amused. For our entire married lives we'd been on the same page regarding our desire to remain pet-less, and here I was, trying to convince him to love a canine as his own.
Somehow I succeeded. (Between you and me, I can be quite persuasive). When Tyce and Mary found out they were ecstatic! In fact, I have never, ever seen them so excited about anything in their whole lives. That night both kids pounced on my bed, where I was preparing the next day's seminary lesson. "We're getting a dog!" Tyce giggled. Mary came armed with pen and paper and began to brainstorm all the things we'd need to get ready for a new addition. After half an hour of bouncing on my bed and asking a million questions (Can I pick out her collar? Can she sleep in my room?) Bryce and I shooed them off to their rooms, where I'm sure they didn't sleep a wink.
Yesterday I called Donna and my dad, to get advice on what supplies to get for our impending arrival. I spent 2 hours at PetSmart agonizing over leashes, collars, toys, and brushes. Everything was so confusing! I think I would have been less overwhelmed had I only a few hours to outfit a baby instead of a dog.
But that afternoon our new dog KATIE SPRITE SHADOW arrived, accompanied by Bella and Mary. Bella helped the collie transition from her home to ours, but when she left . . . oh, the poor furry creature was pretty confused. Not only was she unfamiliar with her new surroundings, but there were six new humans all vying for position as pack leader. The later the night got the more distressed she felt, until she unleashed a heartbreaking HOOOOOOWWWWWLLLLLLL!!!! that made us all want to cry. In fact, Bryce took her on another walk at 11:30 p.m. just to calm her down, but after she came home she ran upstairs and howled on the landing. Cameron let out a middle-of-a-dream scream, which he later told me was because he thought Katie's howl was a vampire's wail!
I took her to the dog park today and she was terrified of the other dogs. Can you blame her for being wary of anything new? A nice older George Lopez look-alike took me under his wing and introduced me to some other dog park friends--can I just say that dog people and super, super friendly. They talked to Katie and introduced her to their little dogs; even though Katie towered over the chihuahuas and yorkies she still preferred to hide behind my legs. After a while she got comfortable and we walked the perimeter of the park (on the advice of my new friend Manny, owner of Poquito). She never did run around and play--but we will try again tomorrow.
She has been here almost 24 hours and we just love her. I know things will settle down soon. I can't believe we have a dog--I guess that proves that in life, you should never say never!
 |
| Alert, hearing another dog. I love those eyes and ears. |
 |
| Our Katie and her retro-BYU-blue collar and leash (chosen by Tyce). Is she a beauty or what? |
2 comments:
So this is Tara up here is Washington and we broke down as well and got our puppy 6 months ago. A lovely Golden Lab... she is a great puppy, but has been a ton of work. The best advice I can give, just in case you are asking, watch the show The Dog Whisperer... it really does make sense when you are a dog owner, and load up on treats...mine loves string cheese and hot dogs and would do anything I ask if I tempted her with these valuable yummy treats. Anyhow, good luck and soon you will love it like your own child!
I LOOOOVVEEE HER!!! :D shes a beauty!!!
Post a Comment