Since I've been gone nearly a month, I feel you deserve some explanation of what I was doing in that time. The answer, sadly, is "not a hell of a lot." I was depressed at having to put my dog down, and even more depressed at the fact that, for the first time in decades, there were no dogs in the house at all. (Back in 2005, we had three of them, and they all had to be put down due either cancer or age-related illnesses.)
Let me tell you, when you're used to having a dog, a dogless house is spooky quiet. It really hit me hardest when I would come home from an errand, and not have a four-legged friend happy to see me. If this is what it's like for parents when their children leave home, then I understand empty-nest syndrome a heck of a lot better than I did before.
Speaking of parents... wow, if you thought I took it hard, my mother was nearly wrecked. I spent a lot of time in my room just to be away from her, because she was upset and prone to tears. Crying is a lot like vomiting in that, once you see someone do it, it's hard not to do it yourself.
So yeah, I was in my room a lot, and because I was depressed or headachey or both, I ended up taking a lot of naps. Which is fine, except that it screwed my sleep schedule to hell and back. I would find myself going to bed at 4 am, getting up at 10, then taking a nap sometime between 4 and 6 pm and sometimes sleeping at late as 8 pm. Then I'd get up, eat dinner, and start the whole thing all over again.
One good thing to come out of this mess is that I discovered something interesting about my body chemistry: I think I'm slightly hypoglycemic, and the reason I'm so damn tired in the morning is because my body is crashing. The irony of the situation is that even though I don't feel hungry, I desperately need food. So no more sleeping through supper for me! In fact, I've started eating dinner between 4 and 5 pm, and supplementing that with a boost of caffiene (small cup of coffee or 8 oz soda) just to get me through the evening. Armed with this new information, hopefully my biorhythms will stop yo-yoing and I can be productive again with a consistent schedule.
Again, big thank-you's to everyone who stuck with me during this period.
But now I have some good news to share. As of Saturday night, there is a new puppy in the house!
This is Heath. Isn't he adorable? You may now all go "D'awwwww!" We adopted him from Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. They are the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary and they do fantastic work. Even though we had to pay to have him shipped here, he came with all his shots, pre-neutered (sorry guys) and with rudimentary obedience training! This is simply the best dog we've ever owned, and he is only 4 months old. Truly, this is the Cadillac of puppies.
Regarding the name: He was originally called Joker 2 at Best Friends, and we didn't like that name. So we decided to name him after Heath Ledger instead. The name is apt, as he's a little Casanova! All the girls at the vet office were coming over to him, cooing as they petted him. (Guys, if you want to meet girls, get a puppy and go to a dog park. Any women there will fall over themselves to pet the widdle puppeh, and you end up looking like a strong, nurturing provider.)
Also, he kinda looks like a Heath Bar. ;)
We don't know exactly what his pedigree is. He's at least half German Shepherd -- when he's upside down and his ears are "up", you can see the Shepherd face quite clearly -- but the other parts are unknown. I personally suspect there's a fair amount of Rottweiler in him, based on his coloration (especially the face).
For those folks who want to see more ridiculously adorable puppy pics, check out my photostream at Twitpic.
So anyway... with a cute widdle puppeh in da hizzouse, my energy levels are up, and I'm more inclined to write. Nothing like random puppy antics to give me the motivation to write about KK, the LOLcatgirl assassin you guys love, hate, or love to hate. :)
In conclusion: I haz a hotdog.
There is definitely german shepherd in that puppy I think. At least that kind of light coat isn't favored in any of the other breeds with that distinctive facial marking.
ReplyDeleteHard to tell at that age though. Later the facial structure should give some sort of clue to what he's mixed with.
Could be labrador or rottweiler, but aren't those mixes usually a bit chunkier around the face/chest?
Very cute though.
My guess is German Sheperd/ Doberman, but your first assessment may be correct too. Years back i actually owned a Shepherd/ Rottweiler, and she looked pretty similar to your new pup.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, he looks adorable.
I know exactly what you were goign through, last august we had to put down my dog. She was fifteen, and had gotten so arthritic and had such severed hip issues that she couldn't really walk. That was a long, cold, quiet winter in my house.
Until late march, when we bought two Bernese Mountain Dog puppies, Arya and Rickon. it's nice having the noise from downstairs again while i write in my room. :-D
*severe hip issues, not severed. that would have been a much more critical issue. *sigh* i missed that on rereading.
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