Puppy Fever!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Suzann's recent discussion asking for puppy pictures, is giving us all puppy fever. I think it we don't show the other side of the coin, we are soon going to have Carol, Banjo and Cello....Anna, Achilles and Aphrodite....Ricki, Tara, and Laurie....Donna, Quincy and Limerick...Jane, Rooney, and Gable...and the list could go on and on. I am trying to stay strong, so I don't end up with Fudge, Vern, and Frito. March is the month I brought both my puppies home and I found both my pups over the internet and fell in love with their pictures. One picture was all it took and now I have two dogs.LOL

When I first brought Fudge home, it had been 15 years since we had a puppy and I forgot all the work involved. I guess with the first one, I was busy raising my family and one more little puppy didn't seem like such a big deal when I was raising two girls. This time around, I had declared that there would be no more dogs in our future, and then I found Fudge's picture on the internet and fell in love. We were practically empty nesters and could have any life we wanted, and one picture convinced me I needed a dog :) 

I just found a copy of my Christmas letter the year we got Fudge and had to laugh when I read what I had written:

 

The last time we had a puppy was over fifteen years ago and it is amazing how one little puppy can be so tiring.  Fudge slept in a crate next to my side of the bed and I heard every noise she made throughout the night.  When she wasn’t making noise, I would worry something was wrong.  Since she is so dark, I could not see her in the crate and took to sleeping with a flashlight, so I could check on her periodically.  The only problem with that plan was I would doze off and lose the flashlight in the bed and have to either turn on the light or search frantically in the dark.  I was waking everyone up with all the activity and scaring John with all the groping under the covers.  Several times he yelled, “that’s not the flashlight” and even in my dazed stupor I figured that out right away.  The lack of sleep was also starting to affect my appearance and my cheerful disposition. 

 

In the mornings, I took to walking Fudge in the nearby cornfield in my robe and rubber boots and usually forgot to comb my hair on the way out the door.    John viewed this as an opportunity to hone his comedic skills… “Hallmark called and Maxine wants her clothes back…..did you run into Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Lion on your walk?...if the look you are going for is disheveled, scary woman, you nailed it yet again.”  Finally, I just said, “I didn’t know Soupy Sales had a brother Stupy” and he quit for awhile.  I think he was almost afraid to come home from work each day and open the door.  I know what everyone is thinking, but this was different.  One night, when he got home from work, I told him I was so tired I could not remember if I showered that day.  He said he had a hint for me, if I had; I had not done a very good job. Another day, he kept looking at my chest and finally said, “What is happening here?”  When I explained that Fudge had chewed my good, very expensive, bra and I tried to fix it, so I would not have to throw it away, he said if the bra was supposed to lift and separate, I was O for 2.  Several times, I caught John and Hayley plugging their noses when I walked by, and when I asked them why they kept doing that, John said, “we had one more option, but Hayley didn’t think she could hold you, while I wiped you down with tomato juice.”  It did take awhile, but I started to adjust to the new routine and turned to John one evening and said, “Guess what?  I took a long shower tonight.  I think you know what that means.”  It was hard to hear what he was saying, because he was way over on his side of the bed and had the sheets pulled up over his nose.   I think he said he hoped it meant the health department had finally acted on an “anonymous” tip and stopped by the house.

 

I brought Fudgie home in March of 2009, and you know what happened? Somewhere between the puppy biting stage, the sleepness nights, the worries about her not eating....I fell in love. It had probably already started with that one picture. I wrote this letter in November of 2009 and by January, 2010, was looking for another PUPPY. Like childbirth, which I swore not to do again, I forgot and did it again :) Just like Fudge, I fell in love with Vern 's picture and the anticipation of holding him and loving him and that is exactly what happened. So, I might have to stop looking at those puppies for a couple of days because I am getting PUPPY FEVER. How about you??

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin is a very mellow dog so it works out very well. Every day we take him out for a few minutes to run off-leash and we do doggie daycare on the days he needs to burn some extra energy. That is totally enough exercise for him, and he doesn't enjoy life if we try to exercise him more than that. Lazy pup. :-)

Most of his days are spent napping, and he's such a quiet calm boy indoors. It's completely another story with another dog in the house though. That wouldn't work at all! 

[Connie & Bocelli]

That's good to know.  I've told my breeder I want a really mellow puppy too so he/she will be okay with more limited space.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

What an exciting time for you....enjoy every minute!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

You just think we will have a puppy shower for you and send you loads of gifts after the week you have had :)

[Camilla and Darwin]

Yep. I am hoping to receive the equivalent of a small pet store in shower gifts. So everyone prepare yourselves. LOL

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

OMD Camilla... I have a feeling you would get it too:)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Caitlin, There is a lot to be said for one dog. Albus is a lucky fellow. Maybe someone should invent rent-a-puppy by the hour or day.

[Camilla and Darwin]

YES!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

You two start it up and get rich..........

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Laurie, you really need to start your own nationwide humor blog...we Doodle Kissers shouldn't be selfish and keep your marvelous talents all to ourselves!

 

I will admit it...I have puppy fever, for the first time in 20 years. I think it's a combination of the litter of 8 week old pups who just came into rescue, and the realization that, at 6+ years, JD is halfway through his life.

I keep daydreaming about a blue female standard poodle puppy. Her name would be Aja, maybe.

But that's all it is, a daydream. All I have to do is look at the mudpit that used to be my backyard to come back to reality. Or I can look at the $520 worth of vet bills I've paid since Monday. (Teeth-cleaning and antigen re-order).

And if that fails, there's always JD himself, who has made it clear numerous times that my heart belongs to him, and him alone!

I guess I'll just have to live vicariously through everyone else's puppies.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Karen, I hear you on the mud pit. We just priced landscaping and more fencing and that is enough to realize two is enough. Pretty soon my DH is going to have to get a second job to support these guys :) Maybe you can get your hands on one of those 8 week old pups, just to get your fix in. Thank you for the nice words.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You mean backyards have grass and plants and not weeds and dirt????