Tuesday, April 1, 2008

If We Ever Get Another Dog...

Our dog is a 7-year-old Papillon with black butteryfly ears. We named him Dobby after the house elf from Harry Potter because he's pretty much a dead ringer. Expect he has fur. And he doesn't obey his masters at all cost. Of course, it is somewhat fitting because Dobby is eventually freed by Harry and lives the rest of his life as a free elf with no master. Since neither my husband or I had ever really had a pet before, we had no idea what we were doing when we got him. Needless to say, for most of his life he's been the master. We got some help from a dog trainer last summer to work on obedience, and it has paid off. Despite the trouble he can be, we love Dobby. He is highly entertaining. I really want him to have a doggy friend to play with, but that isn't going to happen as long as Mark has anything to do with it. But, I can dream.

  • Here are the possible names: Sassy, Bones, Spike, Buffy

  • Unlike the first time, we would not adopt on impulse, BEFORE puppy-proofing the house

  • We would sign up for obedience school right away, rather than waiting 8 years (despite what you've been told, old dogs CAN learn new tricks, but its much harder).

  • We'd know not to let the puppy sit or stand on top of us while laying down just because it's cute. Doesn't really help with the whole dominance-obedience issue.

  • When buying a house, we'd know not to get a floorplan that makes it virtually impossible to gate in the kitchen or foyer.

  • We wouldn't give in to the whining and make him or her sleep in the dog bed, not ours.

  • We wouldn't watch a movie just because it has the same name as the breed of the dog. That's three hours of my life I'll never get back.

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