Wednesday, January 11, 2017

My News

Last week, I mentioned that there was something very special pending in my life without mentioning what it was.  If you happen to be a Facebook friend of mine you already know, since a good friend posted a picture showing it: We've adopted a new puppy!

Those of you who read my posts know we lost our older Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexie, last October.  She was particularly special, and losing her left our other Cavalier, Mystie, without canine companionship.  Mystie certainly rose to the occasion and started stepping into Lexie's paws at times, doing the kinds of things Lexie had done like telling us when it was time to eat. 

But we've generally had two Cavaliers at a time for many years, and I began looking for a puppy.  We fund an adorable one, though the timing wasn't perfect because of some upcoming plans, but we've worked out the details--I hope.

I'm a hypocrite, you say?  You know I'm a proponent of pet rescue.  But I've been addicted to Cavaliers for many years, and the breed has a lot of health issues.  Caring breeders pay attention to that and attempt to minimize them in their lineage.  The few rescue Cavaliers there are sometimes come from puppy mills, so their health could be in jeopardy from the first.  And in case you're wondering... yes, despite those concerns, I did look.

Anyway, last weekend we picked up Cari!  Her registered name will be Compatible Constellation, but we got to nickname her.  Cari is short for Carina, which is a constellation, and it also means beloved in Italian.

So how are things going?  Our household is in happy turmoil.  Cari had had a little bit of training from her wonderful breeder but we're working on a variety of things including, of course, potty training.  Cari is an attention sponge but we're making sure to give Mystie a lot of attention, hugs and time to herself.  They get along okay, but of course they're both Cavaliers.

Time is an issue and my computer time has been reduced, which means so has my writing time.  We'll all get used to one another so I'll have more flexibility as Cari gets older and better trained.

Oops!  She's awake in her playpen now, and I need to go hug her and take her outside...  Wish me luck!


p.s.  The photo is one we got from her breeder.

12 comments:

Judy Greenwald said...

Congrats on the new addition! She is adorable! Cavaliers are the best breed, hands down!!

Linda O. Johnston said...

Thanks! And yes, though I also enjoy other dogs, Cavaliers are the greatest!

Betty Hechtman said...

congratulations on the new puppy! I hope she brings you a lot of joy.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your new family member. Cari is so cute and I know she will be spoiled in no time at all if not already. Give her a hug from me.

Linda O. Johnston said...

Thanks, Betty. She's bringing lots of joy already!

Linda O. Johnston said...

Anonymous, she's definitely getting spoiled already, although she's beginning to earn all the rewards as well as the attention. And I'll be delighted to give her a hug from you!

BonnieS said...

Congratulations! I also got my last puppy from a reputable breeder. Because I go for the larger breeds, temperament is a VERY important issue. My last dog, a German shepherd, was a rescue. Because she had not been properly socialized for the first months of her life, I had a lot of behavioral issues to try and correct. This time I wanted to deal with only MY mistakes, not someone else's.

So glad for you and for Mystie too!

Jackie Houchin said...

She is so, so, so, cute! Even with four cats, she tempts me to get a spaniel.. any kind of spaniel! Have fun with her Linda! Here's to the two of them becoming best buds soon.
Jackie

Linda O. Johnston said...

I'm with you, Bonnie. Not that you ever truly know what your puppy's temperament and health will be in the future, but you have potentially more knowledge if you buy from a breeder and get to meet some relatives.

Linda O. Johnston said...

Thanks, Jackie! Spaniels are sweet. And I hope you're right about Cari and Mystie becoming best buds soon. It may take a little while. :)

HauteTonReaderSociety said...

Aw, I'm so happy for you! A Cavalier is on my pet wishlist. And I totally agree with you, the health risks are too great to just pick any puppy. Responsible breeders are the way to go with a breed as prone to health issues as Cavs are.

Congrats!

Linda O. Johnston said...

Thanks, Christina! My hope is to have both Cari and Mystie around for a good, long time.