A New Member of the Family
Meet my new puppy, Winnie!
On Saturday, April 20, we welcomed a new little one into the family! Her name is Winnie, in honor of Winnie-the-Pooh. She is a five-pound, 16-week-old Shih Tzu with a brindle coat.
Winnie is shy, smart, inquisitive, and super sweet. She loves her playpen, car rides, and cuddling with mommy. She is also an escape artist who has figured out how to get free from her collar and harness when we go on walks. An introvert and strong-willed, she fits perfectly into the family.
If you had asked me this time last year if I was ready to be a dog mom, the answer would have been…absolutely not. Being a fur mom is a huge responsibility, and dogs are a financial and time commitment. But some life experiences helped to change my mind.
The first was spending time with three special pups - Zoey, Remy, and Egypt. Zoey was my cousin’s dog. I would babysit her periodically while the family went on vacation. She was a senior dog at the time but was very chill and sweet. Remy was the first dog I ever lived with and a ball of energy and fun. He could never get enough rubs and loved going on walks. While he wasn’t my dog, he taught me what it was like to create boundaries and love a dog every day.
Finally, there was Egypt. She was my ex-boyfriend’s dog. She was strong-willed, but we became fast friends. Last year, I had to leave for two weeks of work training. When I came back, she was so excited to see me. She jumped in my lap in the car and stayed in my arms. It was one of the best feelings in the world.
These furbabies have a place in my heart and are part of the reason Winnie has found a home with me today.
However, finding Winnie was not easy. I did a lot of research to figure out the type of dog I wanted and how to create a schedule for the two of us. I asked my fur parent friends about their experiences and recommendations. I visited shelters and breeders, joined Facebook groups, and navigated around scammers. From the time I started looking for Winnie to when I got her, it was about seven months.
Even with all the twists and turns along the journey, my faith that I would find my pup never wavered. I’m so glad I stayed the course, and Winnie is home with me today.
We are still bonding, finding our schedule, and potty training, but it’s all going well. I look forward to introducing Winnie to her new family, being able to sleep through the night, and our training classes. We’ve got a lot of adventures ahead of us, and I know it’s going to be fun.
As Winnie-the-Pooh said, “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”