A Dog

I've been wanting a dog for several months now. Why? I'm not sure. I know they're a lot of trouble, but I think I just want something around to hang out with me. Oh yeah, and the kids have been begging for a pet, any pet. Emily has been adopting "pet" spiders-she's really that desperate (ick)! I had my heart set on a retired-from-racing Greyhound, but we don't want to put up a fence right now. Our babysitter from church, Breanna, has a Shih Tzu who recently had puppies, so we're getting one of those when they're ready. I had originally looked at small dogs anyway, before I discovered the Greyhounds. Breanna's dog is really sweet, and they aren't supposed to be too yappy, one of my requirements. Another requirement was that it not be a prolific shedder. Shih Tzus are hairy, but don't shed too much. I'd rather bathe and brush a dog than have one that sheds too much!
I'm looking forward to getting little Bingley, but I'm dreading it a little bit, too. It's a puppy, not an adult, so we'll have to go through all the puppy stuff like chewing, housetraining, etc. It'll give my patience a good workout. Those of you who are experienced at training puppies are welcome to leave suggestions! I already acquired some toys, grooming tools, and odor/stain remover, and a crate and exericise pen are in my shopping cart on Amazon (I'm looking around at prices). Bingley will come home with us sometime the first week of January when we get home from Michigan.
In case you were wondering, yes, I got the name Bingley from Pride and Prejudice. I was going to name him Darcy, but Mr. Bingley was a more outgoing and pleasant guy to be around! Plus, we can call him Bing for short.


Since I'm talking pets here, we adopted a stray cat, which Emily named Voilet Calico Tucker. She was spayed on Monday and is recovering nicely. I'm letting her stay in the house for a few days, but then she goes back outside. We don't have a good out-of-the-way place for a litter box (sheweeee), and one animal inside (Bingley) will be enough. She's a pretty little cat and sweet, too. The vet said she's probably just under a year old.