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.
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:
Congrats on the new addition! She is adorable! Cavaliers are the best breed, hands down!!
Thanks! And yes, though I also enjoy other dogs, Cavaliers are the greatest!
congratulations on the new puppy! I hope she brings you a lot of joy.
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.
Thanks, Betty. She's bringing lots of joy already!
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!
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!
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
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.
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. :)
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!
Thanks, Christina! My hope is to have both Cari and Mystie around for a good, long time.
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