Reflections: Bringing Home the Baby

Alright, Silvie is completely spoiled. Who would expect less? She's the single child in a household and she's pup with a 'tude.

You may think me completely crazy - referring to a dog as a single child - but if you own a dog, you know and you can't deny it. People are nuts about their pets, including me. There's no need to deny it, we (yup, J too) talk baby talk to our little nut. Sometimes we even get creative and make up what she's thinking in her little noggin'.



Sweet Puppy Dreams
So she's made herself at home. Within two weeks, we committed the ultimate sin and let her sleep in our bed. You may gasp in shock and disgust, but seriously, getting up every two hours to take a whimpering pup out to pee or sleeping almost five hours with a no longer separation-anxious Silvie.

• She's a creep - One night I woke up to a start, only to sit up and find Little Miss sitting at the edge of the bed watching J and I sleep.
• She's a snuggler - There hasn't been a night yet that I haven't had to fight for my pillow, stand my ground for at least part of the bed or not known where she was because she had her hot little body draped over me some way or another.
• She's the boss - The morning (or middle of the night) always start with me waking up because she's sitting on my head, chewing my hair.
• She's likes being centerstage - It's no longer J and I cuddling under the covers. Silvie manages to wriggly her little body inbetween so she is the center of attention.
• She's a Daddy's girl - Late a night you can find the two of them lounging on the couch watching baseball highlights on ESPN. And she's takes up just about as much room as he does in the bed - how it's even possible that there is room for me to sleep.

Howl at the Moon
Silvie doesn't bark - I'm not even sure you would call it a howl. It's more like a very high-pitched "awo-wow-wow-wow." Her floppy Beagle ear fly back and her pointy snout looks to the moon.

People recommended we "tsk" when she barks. I think it just pisses her off more because she cocks her little head to the side while she composes an even better "awo-wow-wow-wows" right back at you. And of course, "No!" means just the opposite.