New Addition!

Okay, we did it. We found Lexie, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who turns 5 on Saturday, a brand new Cavalier companion!

That’s right. We brought a new puppy into our household. She’s 8 weeks old, and her name is Mystie, short for Mystique. I generally like to work the letter Q into my doggy names since the kennel name I use for the very rare litters of Cavaliers I breed is Ubiquity.

Mystie’s the Cavalier coloration called Blenheim: chestnut and white. She’s tiny and already full of determination to get into everything she can. It’s a challenge to wear her out so she’ll sleep while I’m writing. Or even at night, since she’ll wake up and cry in her crate until she’s taken outside. At least she’s well on the way to being housebroken. She loves to prance, and dart away when we want to scoop her up, and play with absolutely anything within her reach--which means we’re ultra careful about what’s in her vicinity.

So what does my ostensible excuse for adopting Mystie think of her? Well, Lexie isn’t sure yet. She’s not as well socialized as her alter ego, the tricolor Cavalier in my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries who, unsurprisingly, is also named Lexie. Kendra’s Lexie is always out and about with other dogs, and she unstintingly makes friends with them.

My Lexie is generally intimidated by other dogs. But she’s not intimidated by Mystie, no matter how much Mystie lunges at her to play, chews at her ears, or barks her little squeaky barks at her. Lexie’s confused sometimes, curious other times, probably a bit jealous, and not necessarily interested in her new friend... yet. But Lexie’s just getting a taste of her own medicine, since she was the same way a little less than five years ago with Sparquie, the Cavalier we lost last year. Sparquie and she eventually became good friends, although Sparquie was always the alpha in their pack. But when Sparquie started losing her hearing, Lexie was the one to let her know if there was another dog barking or something else she might be interested in.

I suspect, as time goes on, Lexie will start to appreciate being alpha in her new pack. In any event, we’re still giving her lots of attention and love.

Although I don’t intend to show Mystie, she comes from champions--Covenant Cavaliers. We got to meet her beautiful parents as well as some adorable siblings and half-siblings.

I’ve seen comments on an Internet loop for Cavalier aficionados where I lurk about how some people don’t understand why anyone would choose a breed whose main purpose in life is to love and be loved--in other words, they’re not necessarily watch dogs, and certainly aren’t guard dogs or hunters (thank heavens!) despite being spaniels. I can’t imagine a purpose that’s any more perfect!

What about you--what do you expect out of your dogs or other pets?

Anyway, we definitely welcome Mystie. I’ll let you know, now and then, about how Lexie and she progress in their new pack relationship. And will Kendra and her Lexie have a Mystie in their future? Not in the immediate future... but perhaps someday.


--Linda