Chloe

When our dog of 14 years passed away last year I honestly thought I would be ok with not having another dog. Wouldn't it be sweet or romantic to say it was because I was so in love with and enamored of that little Lhasa Apso there could never be a replacement? I suppose it might be but that wouldn't be true. That dog was a pain, we loved her mostly all the same but she could be a pain. She never fully house trained and to replace carpets was a pretty penny. She would bite you if you woke her from sleep and think nothing of it when your finger bled. She ate too many pairs of Italian shoes to count. She simply would not cuddle when you needed it most and refused settle down when guests came to the door. I can't say I wished death on her or anything like that, but I have to admit I was ok with it all after the initial blow that she was going to pass away.

So, as the Muffin Man has been ramping up on his "let's get a new dog campaign 2008"...I have been cool at best. He wanted a pure bred, I insisted on a mutt. He wanted a small dog, I wanted nothing to do with yippee little dogs with attitude. He wanted a completely indoor dog, I wanted a dog who could be independent if left outside for an afternoon. He did not mind spending money at a breeder for a dog, I thought $75 for a shelter dog was the max I could deal with. He wanted a cute dog, I wanted a dog that was eager to please...ME. Needless to say we have been at a stalemate and quite full here on the cul-de-sac with enough beings in the house. I saw no reason to tip the balance. Translate...I got enough goin' on with 2 kids a husband who travels and a wee little small business on the side.

But then last week I got it in my head that maybe it would be ok to look for a breeder of a pug or puggle and surprise him for father's day. He really wanted a dog. So, I combed the rescue web sites and contacted 2 breeders. I had never looked online before but thought, "what the heck he will wear me down eventually anyway." Of course the kids would probably like an dog too. What 6 year old and 2 year old wouldn't? I said nothing about looking online and simply thought if there is a decent dog out there she will find us in time for Father's Day.

That same night Brian took the girls on a walk in the neighborhood and met Jim. Brian stopped him to ask what kind of dog he had, he thought it was super adorable. Jim explained that the dog was a puggle, cross between a beagle and a pug. Then Jim said, "Are you looking for a dog?" Brian explained that we were considering a dog this summer, if only he could convince his wife. Jim said, " You want mine?" Apparently Jim and his wife couldn't give the dog all the exercise she needed and they had contacted 2 rescues that day. They felt that they had made a mistake in taking Chloe and felt that she needed more attention.

As you can imagine it took Brian all of about 6 seconds to get home and tell me about the dog named Chloe who was about to be given up for adoption, and she was only 11 months old, and she had been spayed, and she had all her shots, and and and.......

Now it is a week later. And yes, Jim and Linda did give us the dog. I was excited but also had a slight twinge of fear, what if she is exactly like Bailey, the carpet peeing thumb biting wonder?

It's only been a week but Chloe is definitely ours. When Livi pulls her tail she simply walks away. When Ava gives her a bear hug she licks her face. She is smart and sweet and LOVES the kids. She plays happily all day and sits down on my lap at night while I rub her ears as we watch tv together.

So, I guess this is welcome to the family Chloe.

Updated to add***Chloe came to us with her name and it rhymes with our last name. This provided immeasurable entertainment for the clerk at the Petco when I stopped by to buy her a new tag. It also appears hilarious to our dear friends who this weekend couldn't get enough of yelling "come here little Chloe ______" while tossing a ball her way.

Some things in life just might be meant to be.