Little Kennel in Bancroft

I just re-read my last blog and it sounds pretty pathetic, but I'm still standing by it. I believe it to be true and I'm really looking forward to the responsibility of dog ownership. I've always wanted to be a mom and this is a crash course for me so hopefully I don't disappoint myself. Yeah, yeah... I know a dog is different than a human, but it's the idea of me being completely responsible for someone else besides me.

For some strange reason, I usually do better when others are involved as part of my purpose. Stupid, stupid, stupid that I value other people more than I do myself sometimes, but it is what it is so if you can't beat em, join em.

My friend was casually looking on Kijiji.com at puppies just to compare his against and gave me the idea of getting one of my own. I searched on there for hours, but was unable to find "the one" and also got scared after reading articles of all the potential (and expensive) health problems that can arise when you buy a dog from an unlicensed breeder with no guarantee against defects and not to mention the possible trauma that a puppy can face if he's not cared for properly after birth. Thus, I'm going to a kennel to pick up my puppy.

Bancroft... where the heck is Bancroft? After Googling it, I discovered it's almost at Algonquin park aka over 3 hours away. If I'm willing to drive that far for a man I haven't even seen, good gosh, I love him already... and I do. =)



Perfect Puppies, the kennel where my dog is.

Shih Tzu + Poodle = Shih-Poo

I'm a busy gal and I live in a small condo apartment with no balcony, so I have special needs when it comes to a dog. Of course while he's a puppy I understand that I will have to put in a lot more time to get him up to speed with his new life, his home and most importantly, his new mommy (me, duh!).

After Patch, the nightmare Cockapoo that was my family dog, I was permanently scared away from anything to do with any of the breeds where he was conceived... until I did some research and found that a poodle cross is the way to go - they commonly refer to these mixes as "Designer Dogs." Firstly, poodles have hair and not fur so they don't shed and they are usually hypo-allergenic which is great. Next, mixed dogs tend to have fewer genetic defects when they are crossed compared to pure breeds. Finally, I always wanted a mixed child and hey, just in case it doesn't happen for me, here's a guarantee I'll get one. hahaha... bad again, I know, but how cool does it sound to say I have a Designer Dog? Just kidding - I won't Paris Hilton my dog.

So given my situation, research says that I should have a smallish dog that requires little exercise outdoors and is not too needy for attention... unfortunately, there aren't many smallish dogs that require little attention because they're all attention whores! Attention whores I tell you! I can't give up the cuteness factor and I can't compromise on the size with my limited space limitations, so I've had to make my decision on the breed based on the characteristics that I want in my pooch. Alas, I've settled on a Shih-Poo, which as the title of this blog cleverly says is a cross between a Poodle and a Shih Tzu.

Here are some of the characteristics of Shih-Poos...

A first generation Shih-Poo is a mix of a Purebred Toy Poodle with a Purebred Shih-Tzu resulting in a non shedding and non allergenic mix. This breed will grow to be about 10-15 lbs and because of the Shih-Poo's smaller size, they are great condo/apartment companions. The Shih-Poo typically has a soft, cuddly coat that is easy to groom, a long tail, a button nose and comes in a variety of colors such as black, white, blonde, tri-colored, fawn with a black mask, red, chocolate and others.

Shih-Poos are excellent family pets as they are wonderful with people of all ages. They make an excellent lap dog and like to travel. Not requiring a lot of exercise, this breed can fit comfortably into any life style.

The Shih-Poo's temperament is very loving and laid back like the Shih-Tzu. They rarely bark, are never aggressive, love to cuddle, are generally easy to train, and have a very patient disposition.

Alas, the choice for a Shih-Poo was obvious for me! Can't wait to choose one... I'm leaning towards a dog that is all one colour as I'm not that into the multi-coloured ones as much. We'll see though... you never know which one you'll fall in love with. =)

The Conception of a Dog

Ok, so I've decided to get a dog. Hopefully, it's a right, good and conscious decision on my part since it is a difficult and long term commitment, but I guess I won't know till I get him -- which is kind of dangerous in some respects, eh? Well I'm not really one to give up or abandon the ones I love, so we'll see.

I suppose I should share why it hit me to get a pooch and let you judge me as if you wouldn't anyway. I'm going to be brutally honest because I really have no reason to lie and even if you don't like my reason, you can't do anything about it anyway. =P

2007 has been a good and bad year for me all the like. It was the year that I broke another record for my earnings, which is always good career wise. On the same token, it was also the year that I realized that there is a lot more to life than work... and when you're self employed like me, that's sometimes a very nasty realization to come across, since you're the only one kicking your own butt to work. I wouldn't say that I took some time off, but I haven't been at the same level that defined and characterized my success for the past couple of years. Albeit, when your car breaks down and you realize you have no one to call because you haven't maintained any relationships with anyone or you get the feeling that if you accidentally slipped and fell at home and got knocked unconscious, no one would probably discover you for a least a few days, you quickly realize that it's time for a change.

So change I did. I stopped the insanity of 14+ hour work days and tried to learn how to say no. That's not an easy feat for me since I'm in the service business and it's in my nature to put others in front of me. I started going out more, I rekindled long lost friendships and started new, hopefully long lasting friendships. I weaved, repaired and possibly fabricated relationships so tight that I thought they were unbreakable, but that of course is just silly to think.

I once loved Christmas day, but now I hate it. With two break-ups on the ol' 12-25 under my belt, many heartbreaks, broken promises, unmet expectations and countless harsh revelations of how alone I am in the world sometimes is more than enough to turn this Santa lover into a Grinch. The emotional engulfment is enough to kill me and it usually does.

If you knew me, you'd probably describe me as a socialite who is constantly surrounded by people... then how is it that I'm lonely? Well, I've actually discovered that people like me are usually the ones who are the loneliest of them all - maybe it's because we're no good at keeping relationships or maybe it's just a need for constant attention? I'm not sure which it is for me but I do know that I'm getting at my wits end with being disappointed by people and the things they do. As I get older, it's getting harder for me to stomach getting hurt and beat up in my search for love - whether it be from friends, family or myself. At the same time, I realize that I'm not in this world alone and I should not try to function as such... although that's my first instinct.

I sometimes think that I'm too naive for my own good and that I should be a lot more jaded than I am. I should be damaged by all the painful relationships and life itself, but I still find myself emotionally and physically investing all of me in all of my close encounters and endeavors. I've never left a relationship believing that I haven't given it my all and the worst part is I end up losing pieces of me. The problem is that we're people and people will be people.

Hence a dog.

I've got love to give and I'm looking for unconditional love in return... I'm looking for a co-dependent relationship that gives me reason to come home happy... and I have more faith in a dog than I do in people. As selfish, wrong and as sad as it may be, that's the story.

Wheeee... I'm excited!

Dog, Not Necessarily Joanna's Best Friend

I've always wanted to have a pet, but I think the "retarded," okay fine - not retarded, but untrained family dog I grew up with kind of bit that dream up... along with the chunk of meat from my foot when I accidentally stepped on his tail. How was I to know he was lying on the floor smack right in front of me on the couch?

Needless to say, the little punishment (and I say little lightly because he actually got smacked so hard that he flew and hit the wall) he received from my father for taking that chomp on me tarnished our relationship forever. He never greeted me, obeyed me, or showed me any love or affection ever again. It was like we were strangers living under the same roof - I was dead to him and I dreaded his existence since we would have no contact except for me occasionally stepping in his piss or shit and having to clean it. Damn, untrained dog, I tell you.

Well anyway, it seems that I've finally overcome the fear and I've decided to get a puppy of my own. Wish me luck I guess?

In the next edition, I'll disclose my not-so-secret reason for getting the dog-bug.

Smell you later!