The best gifts come in small packages...with four paws and fur.
Sarah has had a crush on Fluffy Muffin, the Shih Tzu at Bowen Lodge in Minnesota, since she was two. She always looked forward to seeing Fluffy and taking her for walks. I have long thought she should have a Shih Tzu of her own someday.
After Cadi the Lab died a year ago, Sarah and I talked about getting another dog, specifically a Shih Tzu, but, after all the care that Cadi needed in her final months, Don wasn't keen on the idea.
Some time went by, and he started to come around. I checked shelter sites daily to see if there were any Shih Tzu mixes available. I felt a purebred pup would be too expensive. Then one day, Don looked at me and said, "But Sarah's never had a puppy...." That's all I needed to hear.
I found a Shih Tzu breeder near Worcester who happened to have teddy bear, or Shih-chon, puppies, which are Shih Tzu/Bichon Frise crosses. Because they are hybrids, they are healthier than Shih Tzus and have the positive attributes of both breeds. Their double coats and black eyes and noses make them look like teddy bears. One of the families we traveled to China with has one and loves it dearly.
Don and I went to see the puppies while Sarah was in school and chose a quiet but playful female. She would be ready to go home on the 22nd, which was a half-day for Sarah. We planned for me to go get the pup and arrive home after lunch to surprise her.
When the day came, there was a winter storm advisory, and school was cancelled, so I told Sarah I needed to run errands. Although I was nervous about the trip to central Mass. and back, it turned out to be a breeze. I didn't hit any snow until I was nearly home, and traffic was surpisingly light for the Friday before Christmas.
The pup whined for the first half of the drive back, but then I put Martina McBride's Christmas album on. As soon as Martina and I started singing "White Christmas," she quieted right down.
When I got home, we had Sarah sit in a chair with her eyes closed, and I brought the puppy in in a gift bag. By the time I got to the chair, the pup was mostly out, but Sarah was surprised anyway. In fact, she was downright incredulous. She said when she felt something soft on her chin, she thought it was a fluffy scarf. Later, she said, "Am I awake? I feel like I'm dreaming" and asked "Do we have to send her back sometime, or is she ours to keep?"
It took a day or so, but we managed to all agree on a name: Abby. Sarah came up with it, Don really liked it, and I thought it was okay. Of course, now I think it suits her perfectly.
She is a good little puppy. She came trained to a potty pad, and we've had very few accidents. In fact, given the cold snap we've had for the last week, I'm tempted to wait until spring to train her to go outside. :)
She sleeps in her crate in Sarah's room at night. For the first week, Sarah slept on the floor beside her. She's whined very little, even the first night. She wakes once to go potty, then goes right back to sleep when I return her to the crate.
Don takes her downstairs when he gets up around 5:30, and they have quiet time together. Just kidding...there IS no more quiet time for Don. When I come downstairs after hearing excited barks, I find him frazzled and ready to tell of Abby's latest exploits.
The cats were anything but thrilled with Abby's arrival. For the first couple of days, they mostly kept their distance. If they got within a few feet of her, they promptly threw up. So melodramatic.
Nick pouted for a few days but then started coming to me to cuddle again. He now comes into the kitchen when Abby's loose and has touched noses with her a couple of times. He's amazingly patient with her and hasn't been at all aggressive. He looks huge beside her. Sophie is just staying away.
Abby is a spunky one. She has us in stitches when she gets racing around the house, ears flying. She's all bounce. And that face...just precious. She's the perfect little dog for the Cozy Little Colonial.
The best gift I got this Christmas was surprising my daughter with a puppy. It's hard to top that. I'm one lucky mama.
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