He Fights Dirty. I Fight Dirtier.
I am a cat person. It's not that I don't like dogs, it's that cats are easier. I'm not the one who takes care of litter boxes or food or anything around here, so cats are like fuzzy little friends who I can ignore or hang out with whenever I please. We could have ten of them and I wouldn't care because they don't effect me in any way.
Dogs, on the other hand, can't be ignored. They demand my attention, which, WTH? Do I *look* like I want to pet you right now? Unless your name is Adam Levine, I DON'T. Dogs make me let them out, they demand that I acknowledge their existence, and we have to carefully plot any attempts at going out of town because I can't just lock them in the basement with a big bowl of food and some water like I can cats.
Cats are better than dogs. It's a fact.
Which is why I was perfectly happy with the idea of staying a one-dog family after Meg passed away. Mr. Husband, however, never met a fuzzy (or scaly or slimy, for what it's worth) thing he didn't want to keep. He collects animals like other people collect Precious Moments figurines. Or at least he tries to. I am an evil wife and manage to control the pet population in our house through the effective use of nagging, whining, and pure stubbornness.
I was prepared to fight to keep the dog population at one around here. FIGHT. KICKING AND SCREAMING.
I wasn't prepared to go to battle with someone who fights dirty, though.
I don't know exactly when it started, but I do know that some of the ammunition was created by the short person herself. Alexis was ready to go get a puppy the day Meg died, so it wasn't really surprising when she started asking pretty much daily.
It was surprising when she started to get breed specific with her begging.
I smelled a rat.
The rat stopped bothering to hide his shenanigans after a few days. It seems that SOMEONE had made it a habit to run google searches for various breeds and show Alexis the puppies. SOMEONE was telling her things like, "Isn't that Old English Bulldog puppy cute?" SOMEONE was fighting dirty.
I ignored the shenanigans. I am strong. In a cage fight, those two would lose to the power that is me and my Mom Glare.
But then I realized something. As Mr. Husband continued to seek out available puppies, his choices in breeds had become more . . . not good. The dogs were bigger, shed more, were more mentally unstable, drooled more, were lazier, and were BIGGER. Did I mention that they kept getting bigger? Because they did. The word "sheepdog" was thrown around one day, even.
If there is one thing I don't need, it's a big dog. I don't do big. Big = big poops. Big = taking up my ENTIRE couch instead of just one cushion. Big = 200 pounds of dog trying to convince me that it fits in my lap. That's how it works, you know. No matter what I do, the dogs in our house end up thinking I am their lord and savior and they harass the heck out of me 24/7. BIG = BAD. FOR ME.
I had to do something.
Twenty minutes after realizing I was going to get suckered into something I didn't want, I had found just the right breeder. I emailed a link of available puppies to Mr. Husband and *BAM.* The next day he had paid a deposit and the deal was done.
Obviously, we picked Penny up over the weekend.
Penny is a Tibetan Terrier.
But you knew that, right? ;-)
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Reader Comments (10)
Penny is cute.
I love her. I am more of a big dog person myself (though I do love shih-tzus - I had one growing up), but Charley's lack of "love-pig-ness" has left me considering a smaller dog.
Pets is where I am super mean. I refuse to have more than 1 at a time (unless it was cats...I could live with 2 cats but don't tell). My kids and husband all want a cat but I've bluntly told them not until the dog dies. I've suggested feeding him hershey bars to speed along the process (but I was totally kidding...he is a good dog). He will be 8 this fall. I'm hoping he is a little past mid life now.
I never even knew that Tibeten adorableness breed existed!!
Im sorry you, in essence, lost the battle...but cheers for wuppin ass in the war :)
That is the cutest dog ever. I want one so bad. I'm trying to convince the husband that I NEED another dog if this next "treatment" doesn't work. He's not buying it. He's so mean.
Awww, hi Penny :)
She's cute! How big will she get? Does she shed? Of course, I could ask Mr. Google but I'm betting you're an expert by now! ;)
PS The name. That is my husband's ex-wife's name. I'm going to LOVE using it in relation to a female dog around here...Just sayin'.
CUTENESS! I can't wait to meet him and see him grow! I've looked at Tibetan Terriers--they are low shedding, and usually good for allergenic kids. Win win!
Low shedding doesn't mean good for kids as it is the dander which is also present in saliva and just a lick can set off the allergies big time. There are lots of wonderful dogs, adults and puppies, in shelters due to the economy or not having tags on or being microchipped when they got loose.
@Guest--Tibetans have hair instead of fur, which is why they are often recommended for people with allergies. It's not a guarantee, but it often works out. It doesn't really matter for us, though, since no one in our house is allergic to dogs.
And the shelter issue is one which I personally hate. I spent two months trolling every shelter website in Allegheny, Washington, and Beaver counties; visiting shelters; and contacting rescues in search of a dog that would be a good fit for our family. Unfortunately, not a single one came up. There are plenty of husky and pitbull mixes to be found in the Pittsburgh area, but very few smaller breeds who are consistently known to be good with kids and other pets. While I would love to rescue a dog that needs a home, the safety and well-being of the new dog and my family has to take precedence.