All my life, I've had pets.
When I was growing up, my dad had hunting dogs (Black Labrador Retrievers and Spaniels) and my mom had lap dogs (miniature dachshunds, mostly). I had a bunny named Thumper. I had a cat named Cuddles Cutie (that's a story for another time, but I will say that I was 6 when I named her...and she was anything but cuddly). My sister had a cat named Boots. We had fish, a pig (that we rode on in the garden), a turkey, and I'm sure there was more that I'm forgetting.
Our neighbors had livestock: horses, cows, chickens, and goats (visiting the babies was always a favorite spring pastime for me and my sisters), so we were often there with the animals too.
I've just always been around animals. And yet, up until about 5 years ago, I don't know if I could have identified myself as an "animal lover." They were just always there.
Many who know me well know that for most of my adult life, I've wanted a "pocket" dog. I met Daisy about 15 years ago (she belonged to a friend of Shannon's family), a mini Yorkshire Terrier who literally weighed 4 pounds, and I fell in love with that breed. I've pined for years over how expensive mini Yorkies are, and never could justify the cost, especially with a young family and a full-time job. And yet, that desire was still there.
When Shannon and I met, he had two cats, Isis and Osiris (affectionately known to us as "Baby Girl" and "Baby Boy"). They had moved up to Washington from California with him, and were very territorial when it came to their human. They did not like me...not then, and not by the time they both passed - although they did learn to tolerate me (and I learned to tolerate them too). They were definitely his babies, and this new woman (me) who showed up wanting his attention was NOT welcome. But we managed.
We have Tazer, whom you've met...a 13+ year old Beagle, our first dog as a family after Shannon and I bought our house (turns out, finding a rental that allows pets can be VERY challenging). He has a laundry list of health concerns, not the least of which is a thyroid disorder (hello, expensive non-generic Rx meds), but he's a good boy and loves to be loved on. His favorite thing to do is avoid the other animals at the dog park, preferring to sniff his way around the perimeter of the park and eating as much grass as his tummy can handle. He came to us as a 7-week-old puppy (who thought he was a cat for the longest time, since that's what his "siblings" were), and is just the goodest old boy. He's definitely slowing down though, is going blind and deaf, and as much as it breaks my heart, I don't know that he'll see another Christmas.
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We had discussed getting another dog after we lost the cats, but the timing never seemed to work out. I had clear ideas of what I wanted in our next pet (if I had to get one, I wanted a say in it), but so did Shannon. After the Covid shut-down in March of 2020, we started talking about it again...I was home all day every day, he was working from home, the kids were schooling from home, so the timing sort-of made sense. I just happened to be flipping through Facebook on one of our very LONG mornings of remote learning, and a friend of mine from high school had posted about a litter of puppies she had (it was actually two litters, 15 puppies total!). I reached out to her, discovered that the mixed cattle dog breeds were just what Shannon was wanting, and after a VERY brief conversation between us, I reached out to her.
That Mother's Day weekend, we drove to Eastern WA to pick up Togo, a tiny little fluffball with big brown eyes. She is an Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix, and was the perfect fit for our family. Tazer tolerated her (they actually like each other now), and the hope was that she would become a trail buddy for Shannon and Greyson when they would go mountain biking. She was the cutest little thing, and then...she grew up. She's significantly bigger as an adult than we thought she would be, about 45 pounds, and as it turns out, she's afraid of anything with wheels...not a trail dog after all (at least with bikes). She is 3 now, and so eager to please everyone. She loves to say hi (she actually stands on her back legs and waves...we call it "doing the Togo" because she does it ALL THE TIME), and is very protective of her people, her food, and her toys.
When we recently started realizing how much Tazer is slowing down, we began discussing getting ANOTHER dog...Togo will need a playmate once Tazer is gone (not that he actually plays, but he's just always there), as she is a very social dog. I have been on the fence about it, I won't lie...I'm ready to be able to go places without having to make sure dogs are covered, fed, cared for, etc.
BUT...
in Early May of this year, some friends of ours posted a video on Instagram of their foster puppy. A 7-week-old chihuahua mix rescue that had been dropped off at the Whatcom Humane Society after 3 days with his first owner. He was super cute, so I asked if I could come meet him. I did go over there to meet him, and that next day, I filled out the adoption paperwork. It was a no-brainer (although when I told Shannon I wanted him, his response was "Okay, but that's YOUR dog").
So without further ado, allow me to introduce Beans! He's currently 4 months old, 4.5 lbs., and has the absolute CUTEST overbite!! He has the sweetest temperament, loves to play with the big dogs, sleeps on my lap whenever it's available (I even take him to work with me), and has been the best thing for me! He's my "emotional support animal," and I have him registered as a Psychiatric Service Animal (hello, depression and anxiety). He's got a cute little bark, which we are working on...my acupuncturist told me about this tool called Pet Corrector, which has worked great for us (with treat reinforcement, of course). He chews all the time, and his new favorite is a Himalayan Yak Cheese stick...hard enough for a good chew session, but won't break his teeth. He loves his stuffed cat, which is bigger than he is, and his duck with the squeaker.
He and I have a very co-dependent relationship, which is beautiful and tedious. He sleeps in my bed (I swore that would never happen with any dog EVER), down by my feet, and cuddles with both Shannon and me through the night. He has to be able to see me if someone else is holding him. When we're on our walks, he looks up at me every 4 feet or so just to make sure I'm still there (and probably to receive praise for how great he's doing). When I leave him at home or with Brandi (and her new little pup, Pip), he whines for about 30 minutes after I leave before settling into a routine. When I get home after being gone all day (or when I get out of the bathroom, if he hasn't followed me in, or when I run downstairs for 30 seconds), he gets so excited to see me that he goes into full "Piranha mode" on my face and piddles all over my shirt! My laundry pile is much bigger these days! 😂
He's the chillest Chihuahua puppy I've ever been around, and Togo plays so well with him! She's incredibly gentle (most of the time), and they love to play tug-o-war with the rope toys. Togo will literally drag Beans around the house on the end of the rope because he's so small!
So I finally got my packet dog, and I couldn't love him more. He completes our chaotic household with his energy and feistiness, and we are all in love.
(And I finally determined...I'm definitely a "dog person.")
