Advice from a small town girl

I know most of you already think I’m a little over the edge.

You’d be right.

And now I’ve gone completely off the map of good decision making.

I have a puppy.

OH MY GOSH HE’S THE CUTEST THING EVER!!!!!!!!!

That’s why I have a puppy.

This was possibly one of the most impulsive things I’ve ever done.

I saw a flyer on the door of the drugstore advertising puppies for sale, and I walked into my husband’s office and picked up the phone.Well, not immediately. I did talk to the husband about it first. He even agreed to go with me.

I called the number, and reached a young woman who lives at the Schoonover Hutterian colony. We made arrangements to meet after work.

When we arrived, seven pups were playing with a young girl, but as soon as they saw us approach, one of them raced over to me and looked me right in the eye with a bright and expectant look.

How could anyone walk away from that?

OH MY GOSH I’M IN LOVE!!!

Jackson (HIS NAME IS JACKSON AND HE’S INCREDIBLY INCREDIBLY CUTE!!!!) was exhanged for a crisp 20 dollar bill (I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT SUCH A WONDERFUL PUPPY WAS ONLY $20) and got in the car with us to go home.

Of course, added to the $20 was another $50 or so for a visit to the vet and the first of puppy shots, another $100 or so for toys and chews and a bed and training pads (he likes to wrestle with them – I’m not sure he has ever actually peed on one.

He has peed on virtually everything else.

I suspect the next investment will be in a crate, since I seem to be incapable of watching the little twirp every second of every day.

I’ve never had a puppy before (well, since I was four or five, and then it was a family puppy.) I’ve been a resolute adopter of adult dogs who need new homes.

So this will be an adventure for both of us.

OH MY GOSH HE’S REALLY SMART!!

While he hasn’t yet learned that the carpet is not where we potty, he learned immediately that the ramp on the west end of the deck is a lot easier to get up than the steps on the east end. When we get to the steps, he puts his front paws up on the lowest step and tries to hoist his well-rounded rear up. Then he looks at me, and as soon as I say, “Well, come on,” he races around to the ramp and up to the door.

ISN”T THAT JUST ABOUT THE CUTEST THING YOU’VE EVER HEARD????

Jackson is reportedly a mix of Husky, Border Collie and German Shepherd. I suspect it may be a bit more complicated than that, but I don’t care. I love dogs, especially mutts.

Right now I can pick him up and cuddle him, but I suspect that someday soon he’ll be too big for that.

GOOD GRIEF! I JUST REALIZED I SOUND LIKE A PARENT!