Friday, April 17, 2009

How We Found Each Other




Family Picture
I have three beautiful dogs. They are Kara, Cola and Panda. Kara is five years old and mixed breed. Cola is three and shih tzu. Panda is two and a half and a pekingese.


Kara loves to roll in the grass

Five years ago my beloved Princess died. I was heartbroken. Princess was ten years old. At the time I swore that I could never love another dog as much as I loved her. My plan was that I would never ever get another dog.

However, about a month after Princess' death, my friend Maria told me that her son Brian took his dog Maggie to be spayed and found out that she was pregnant. Maggie later gave birth to five puppies and Brian was seeking good homes for them. Maria told Brian to keep the lone female puppy for me because she looked just like my Princess. I told her that I was not ready to get another dog, Brian should find the puppy another home.

Brian found good homes for all the puppies except for the one he insisted on keeping for me. Maria told him that I would eventually change my mind and take the puppy. I did.

The day Brian brought the puppy over, she walked into the house as if she had lived there forever. I was in love. Maria was right, she looked just like my Princess! Brian had named her Tank. What a name for a girl! Brian was surprised how the puppy took to me as if we were long lost friends. He said it was karma. There was something going on here. We had indeed found each other. I changed her name to Kara. She loves everything and everyone, except cats.
Brian has since had Maggie spayed. No more puppies for her.

Cola

Cola loves everyone


I had no intention of getting a second dog. I had never lived in a house with multiple pets. Kara and I were getting along just fine.



One day a co-worker asked me if I wanted a puppy. Her friend had to move in with her parents and could not take her three dogs with her. Two had found homes. That was the last day she could keep Cola. She did not want to take her to the shelter. I knew I had to take that puppy. I was shown the picture of a cute all black shih tzu.


When I went to pick up the puppy, she was not black at all. She is white and cola coloured with black around her eyes. I did not care that she was not the puppy in the picture.

When I got Cola home, Kara thought that the little ball of fluff was a cat. I had to crate her and introduce her to Kara gradually. This little dog was made to love and be loved. She is sweet and adorable. Kara finally found out that Cola is no cat. She loves her and soon started treating her as if she was her very own pup.

Panda

Panda fears nothing!


A few months after I got Cola I was surfing the web seeking information on the shih tzu breed. I came across an ad from someone seeking a good home for a shih tzu puppy. The owner was leaving the country. I was now aware of how fantastic shih tzus are because of my beautiful Cola. I called up and the puppy was still available.


Panda was very attached to the lady who gave her to me. She cried all the way home. We stayed up for most of that night and for many more nights afterwards. Kara and Cola were a bit jealous of all the attention this tiny thing demanded. She eventually adjusted to her new home and the other two dogs.


Panda's personality is totally different from Cola's. The text book information on shih tzus does not apply to her. Her personality, size and her double coat are evidence of her being pekingese and not shih tzu. (I have her original papers from the breeder which says she is a shih tzu. Just goes to show.) The information from the AKC website, the CKC website and my vet all say that she is definitely pekingese.

Panda weighs only six pounds. Her small size has never stopped her from starting a fight with even the biggest dogs when we go walking. She is absolutely fearless. She is sometimes very possessive with food and toys and she barks at everything that moves! Yet, she is independent, intelligent and she can be quite lovable. Although she is not as mushy as Kara and Cola, I love her as much as I love them.


I volunteer at the animal shelter and see all the beautiful dogs needing forever homes. I wish I could take them all home, but three is my absolute limit.