Call Me Crazy!

Right before Christmas, my daughter called and asked us to help her find a puppy for our Grandson.  He is an only child and she thought that having a puppy would give him some companionship. So the search was on!  Our middle daughter found a Miniature Schnauzer breeder online and called us. We made an appointment to go and look at the puppies. The one thing I did that was not too smart, was I went with her, as did our middle daughter!  You know how it is when you see a little puppy! Oh they're so adorable and cuddly and cute and you pick them up and hold them and that's IT!  It was love at first sight for all three of us!  We walked out of there, each with a puppy in our arms! Two little girls and my youngest daughter with the only boy left of the litter.

I had to be crazy!!  We already have a 55 lb., 3-year old Boxer!  Did I REALLY want to start house-breaking and training all over again??  I wasn't thinking clearly about that though when I was holding this cute little puppy in my arms!  My husband kept saying "Are you SURE you want to do this?  why don't we just wait a little longer until Sarge (our Boxer) is older?  Then we can think about getting a puppy!"  no..... I HAD to have this puppy!  She was just SO CUTE and SO CUDDLY!  She LOVED me!! What could I do?

We brought them all home, and I decided in the car on the way home what her name should be....  there was no other choice!  It was a few days before Christmas; her new name would be "Christmas Noel" and we'd call her "Noel" for short.  I was very pleased with this ingenious stroke of creativity in choosing a new name.

Well, we've had Noel now for almost three weeks.  When we brought her home we discovered why she was so cuddly and so calm:  she and her siblings we very, very sick.  She had a very bad upper respiratory infection and very bad congestion in her lungs. Her brother, had pneumonia!  They both had to stay overnight at the animal hospital to be treated.  Since they were so young, the Vet was concerned that the aggressive treatment might be even harder on the little boy, since he had it the worst.  Thankfully, we have a very good Vet and they both pulled through after another ten days of antibiotics and tender loving care.

Now, we have this little "demon dog" on our hands that has so much energy and orneriness that she's a handful, even for our Boxer!  I decided to pay the fee and take her to puppy training classes at PetSmart.  She can now "Sit", "Down" and "Leave It" as well as "Come" when called. We're still working on the housebreaking thing, although she's starting to get the idea.  She still has mistakes in the house.  It's more "owner training" and "owner quick reactions" than it is pet training though!  And every time she is outside, she wants to eat every rock, stick, leaf and twig she finds!  She ends up getting lots of treats for "Leave it!!"

I just have to ask myself some days though,

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING???  I'M GETTING TOO OLD FOR THIS!"

Until she sits pretty and looks up at me with those adoring eyes!

I'm a Goner then!  Call me a Soft Touch! Yep, that's what I am!

Maybe a little CRAZY too!

But then, who would blame me?

Isn't she just adorable?

Meet Christmas Noel: