Our New Baby

Meet Scout

Could you have resisted this face if she stared up at you from the pet store floor? No, we couldn't either, obviously. We went to the market this morning to pick up some supplies for "future puppy" - bowls, a collar, a leash - and came back with "puppy." 

She's only 6 weeks old and if you know anything about dogs, you know that's too soon to be taken from her mother. But the reality is that in China they are convinced that one month is sufficient. It's surprising she's still around. We came to the realization that if we waited for the ideal situation (a puppy who had been with her mother until 2 months and had also had all her shots, but none of them before one month) we'd wait forever.

So why this one? Well, according to Mr. Dog Whisperer, it's best to choose a dog with medium energy who shows curiosity but isn't hyper. Check. I also was hoping for a girl because she might be less likely to want to be the alpha dog. Check. Finally, we wanted the kind of dog best described as "nong cun" or "pu tong" (country or ordinary). Basically, a mutt, but the kind of mutt that will grow up into a certain kind of dog. Check. 

It's a good thing we don't have much going on in the next few days because we're already discovering that a puppy is a lot like a toddler. Quick, she's sleeping - what can we do? She looks like she's going to pee - quick, get her to the toilet! No, don't chew that. No, go under there. Shh - don't wake the baby!