Our New (Sort of) Puppy

We added a new pet to our home several months ago. In February, Baby Girl saw a puppy running along the fence on the main road in our neighborhood. He had no tags and we had no idea to whom he belonged. He was so cute but we already had a dog, though he was a breed we said we'd always get some day: a Shih Tzu. We were having a hard time resisting the idea to keep him, but we wanted to be responsible about our decision.

Feeling sorry for whoever lost him, the next day we went to the house near where we found him to see if they could help. Sure enough, it was their puppy. However, she had five more; she was trying to sell them. I told her I would have to discuss it with my husband even though her offer was more than reasonable ($100!!).

As I walked back to my car to retrieve the puppy, I could see Baby Girl crying and saying "No!" while clutching the puppy. It broke my heart. I took the puppy from her and turned around, startled, because the owner had followed me out. She saw my sweet girl crying and asked if she wanted to keep the puppy. Of course, she nodded her head. This sweet woman then told my daughter she could keep him and to take good care of him, then gave her a hug and kissed her on the head. She gave him to us. For FREE!!

Piper checking out this new pup, Harley.

While he is very cute, he's still not my favorite pet. Rocket holds that position in my heart. I'm more of a cat person; I love how self-sufficient they are.

My favorite pet: Rocket.

Dogs are just so much work, especially puppies. House training nearly drove me insane. This one still goes in the house though not as often as when we first got him. We've cleaned the carpet twice.

He's not like most dogs who go to the door when they need to go out. Sometimes he does that. Other times he just goes on the floor. We have to be very diligent about taking him out regularly. We wised up to him a couple months ago when we realized he only goes upstairs to potty or find a stuffed animal to chew on. We have since blocked his access to the second floor.

Here he is full grown at 7 months, according to the vet.

Piper, the dog in the first picture, went to a new home. We were considering giving her away when we found Harley. She needed more room to run and a more active family. She was so sweet but just too high energy for us and our lifestyle. We were able to adopt her out through the local humane society. She now lives with a wonderful family that has three little girls who adore her. Oh, her new name is Lady. I hope you're happy and loved, Lady.