Bad Goodbyes and Good Hellos...and magical Shiba Inus

We had to take Bear to the pound earlier this past week. He had gotten Nadine on the ground on several occasions that I thought were just rough puppy play but then he got jealous of Claudia getting my attention outside the other day. He jumped her and started biting on her head. She had a good-sized knot and a blue bruise on her temple. I can't have an animal like that around my kids, especially not one as large as he has the potential to be. So off to the pound he went with an explanation to the people there and a request that he not be homed with children. They said they wouldn't, but who knows really.

So with Claudia totally out of sorts without her former favorite cuddle Bear, Dean and I started looking for small dogs that were good with children. We found an interesting breed called a Shiba Inu and even found a breeder somewhat close to us (Deville, LA). I talked to her by email and phone about what we were looking for in a dog, and I had a really good feeling about her and her dogs. A big plus was that her grandkids are over all day 3 to 4 days a week while her daughter works, so these pups are the main attraction so to speak. They didn't have a clue that there are homes without these strange miniature humans groping them and chasing them constantly. She met me this morning in the mall parking lot as she was coming to Meadville to visit family. Sure enough, the instant the pup saw Claudia and Nadine she wanted to go meet them. There was no puppy hyperactivity or craziness. She just wants to be petted. In fact, she's in my lap asleep right now...farting little thing that she is.

I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out. Claudia is thrilled to have a puppy again, especially one small enough for her to hold. The best reaction has been from Nadine, who after getting thrown to the ground by Bear decided that she was not a dog person. All day she's been getting closer and closer to Jasmine, and tonight when she wasn't feeling well she asked to hold Jasmine. Nadine's usually a lot slower to adapt to new things (as Uncle Jon! lol), so this quiet little snuggle bug is getting quite the reception in the house. It's gone from "the puppy is for Claudia" to "Claudia share puppy with me and I share Tinkerbelle with Claudia". Big strides in less than 12 hours, especially when you figure in that Jasmine (or Lady Jasmine per her papers) was lost in the house for 3 of them. My mom found her sleeping in an empty 12-pack box of sunkist after I tore the house apart and moved the freezer looking for her...did I mention I moved that box 3 times?

Here's the gorgeous new baby...and no, I don't think even the presence of testicles would stop Nadine and Claudia from naming a pet after a Disney princess!