January 15, 2003
I don't know if I believe in love at first sight when it comes to dogs, but there's something about puppies in general that tug on my heart strings. And the first time I picked her up and she licked my chin and didn't even whine to get down, I was hooked.
There were three breeders that I was seriously considering. I must have phoned about 30 or so. Many weren't expecting puppies or they weren't expecting them in the timeframe I was hoping for.
When the breeder told me about the pups, it sounded promising. There were two puppies that had been held back as potential show dogs, but they decided to sell them as companions.
I rented a car for the next morning and recruited a friend to drive out with me. I'm not very objective when it comes to puppies and I wanted his input.
We arrived in Brantford about a half-hour early and found the place with no problems. As soon as we stepped inside the door, we were surrounded by a flurry of miniature schnauzers.
Every time I sat down on the floor, I immediately had three dogs in my lap. They were beautiful dogs, very friendly and sweet-tempered. Her mother was friendly and after checking up on her pup, she walked around the room.
My pup was inquisitive, active and sweet. She was happy to explore the room or lay in my arms. I took a bunch of photos because, after all, she'll never be 8-weeks-old ever again.
I've already made the obligatory shopping expedition to PetSmart to buy a crate, collar, leash, toys and food/water bowl. I phoned the vet to schedule her first checkup. I'm seeing the 'dog people' in the park with new eyes - soon I'll be one of them!
Now, I just need to wait. She'll be ready to go home on the 25th, but I'm waiting until the 1st of February because I'm leaving my job on the 31st and will not be working again until early spring.
This is going to be the longest three weeks of my life!