The kids and I went to North Pole to look at some whippets this afternoon.
If you didn’t know, I’ve been doing my homework on different breed types, looking for a good match for our family. There’s a lot of attractive things about the breed, but a couple drawbacks too…
But I found there was this lady with a half-dozen in her home (along with as many shelties!), so we went out to see what they were like in person. (The short conclusion is that they are just what I thought they’d be like, only softer.)
She also had a litter of 4-week-old puppies, and Natasha was just smitten. I wished I’d brought the camera. That first five minutes of her holding the little white dog was priceless. I’ve never seen that look on her face before. Here was a real, live baby that was the same size to her that Elisha is to me. She could hardly stand for me to hold him. She wriggled almost as much as he did, begging, “Can I have a turn now?” before I’d pet his soft head twice.
Very fun.
It never ceases to amaze me that puppies look like puppies no matter what breed they come from. No matter that the parents are long sharp and lean, these babies were still rounded. Maybe not as pudgy as some puppies I’ve seen, but I’d never have guessed their type looking at them.
So are there any breeds that STAY looking like puppies? : ) I don’t like weensy-tiny dogs, but I don’t like really big dogs, either. A nice, solid little dog about the size of a good-size puppy would be great. Matthew wants to get a dog whenever we get a place with a yard, and I have no idea what kind of breed to look for.
Re: the shoes picture. The white and red baby shoes are the only baby shoes I have so far. They were a gift from my college roommate. So cute! I knew I wanted pictures of/with them. When I was gathering props and outfits/costumes for the photo shoot, I came across the white dance slippers my mom gave me for my birthday ball in May. They seemed like they would photograph nicely with the baby slippers. I wear a size 9.
No, *sigh* none of them ever stay puppies.
The small dogs are really hit and miss (some I miss, some I want hit…) I lean strongly toward the young adults of any breed just b/c their temperaments are so much more apparent.
I’ve read that nearly any breed can work for anyone, if you know the individual dog and it’s a match. I don’t know if I’d agree with anything that sweeping, but know what you want/will put up with in broad strokes (e.g.,size, activity level) and narrow your search that way.
Go in with your eyes wide open. It can be very good. (Check out that mutt book I wrote about at Untangling. Very fun.)