Adorable, isn't he? He's a two year old male shih tzu. That we rescued. For a ba-million dollars (whew! who knew rescue was so expensive?).
We used to be the proud owners of Morgan - a boston terrier that we adored. But Army life made it increasingly difficult to find good housing after every move, and eventually we asked our parents to take him. They graciously accepted...and he's been theirs ever since.
Now we're out of the Army, Ashlyn is older and I'm well past my meltdown. So we felt ready for a pet.
I was raised in a family that adopted pets from the pound or those destined for the pound. We always took in the runts, the defective, the ugliest. Dad worried those were the pets who would never see a life past the pound. My mom was horribly allergic to animals, but she loved them and knew how important they were to the rest of us, so she took shots. Still does. Anyway, Morgan came from a pet shop. It went against my instincts to not buy from a pound or rescue group. And I swore I would never do that again. So we have kept our eyes open for a small adult dog.
Enter Gregor. An intelligent but stubborn little guy who was not housebroken. We run a pretty disciplined household, so that didn't take long. The foster family thought he didn't know his name because he never responded to it. We realized quickly that he knew his name just fine. He just likes to respond on his own terms. Basically, he's one of us.
After reading about your mom, I'm ashamed of myself. My family wants a dog so passionately, and I've been the hold-out. I've begged my husband not to get one. It's not that I don't like them -- although that's how it all translates -- it's that I have no desire to take on the responsibility. Also, it's easier to clean up after people than dogs, in my opinion.
What a woman your mother must be! Actually, I caught a glimpse of her loving heart when she emailed my daughter, Caelyn, about something she posted on our blog.
Anyway, Gregor is a cute little guy, and your mom's example of a mother's sacrifice is very convicting.
Posted by: Dayna | 02/05/2009 at 04:48 PM
So, so, so cute We had a shih tzu when I was growing up and it was one of the smartest animals I have ever met. If my husband would go for small dogs I would have another, but he's a big dog kind of guy. I'll just admire yours from afar!
Posted by: Kahne | 02/04/2009 at 05:22 PM
he's so cute! and his name suits him very well!
Posted by: LauraJ | 02/04/2009 at 05:14 PM
Congrats on the new member of your family! He looks so furry and cuddly!
Posted by: Jackie | 02/04/2009 at 02:50 PM
Hahaha... I totally know about dogs who respond on their own terms.
Enjoy your new pup!
Posted by: Meg | 02/03/2009 at 07:02 PM
He is adorable!!!!
Posted by: Keri | 02/03/2009 at 06:55 PM
Oh my goodness, is he not the cutest little thing EVER?
And I love his name! It's great!
Posted by: Margot | 02/03/2009 at 10:35 AM
Gregor is a very cute addition to your family. He looks like he has lots of personality.
Posted by: Susan | 02/03/2009 at 07:34 AM
such a cute puppy!
Posted by: Casey | 02/03/2009 at 06:41 AM
Too cute for words. We got our buddy Scruffee from the Humane Society, 9 years ago and he is just the best. Expensive too, because everytime we move, we end up needing a fence! Yikes, but he's worth it. Best of luck.
Posted by: kathi | 02/03/2009 at 04:44 AM
Awwwww. . . . What a guy =).
Posted by: Lucy | 02/02/2009 at 11:06 PM
What a cutie! I'm sure the girls are super excited!
Posted by: Amber | 02/02/2009 at 10:45 PM
Cute as he can be. We hope to have another one, one day. I found pictures of Trooper and Morgan the other day. They loved each other so much. Glad to see you have a new member of the family. What is Morgan's web page?
Posted by: Lacey | 02/02/2009 at 08:29 PM