One Week Later

Remember when I said I looked forward to posting good news?

This is Shiloh - our new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel! He's ten weeks old today, about six and a bit pounds of fluff and kibble. He loves to play, he loves to chew, and he LOVES to snuggle.



Danny and I drove to Seattle last Thursday; we were both, I'll admit, *just* hanging on. It felt good to get out of town, and the drive from here to Seattle is a pretty one.

After contacting several breeders, I found one in Silverdale with a litter ready to go and puppies still available. The breeders were vetted by our dog trainer, and when we went to see the puppies, we had lots of questions. Honestly, on the way there, we told ourselves we were just going to look, and maybe, possibly *consider* bringing home a puppy if it was, like, the perfect puppy.

Well..

We like him okay. And yes, he is a puppy, so there's plenty of work to be done with him, but he's doing well with house-training (it helps that he sniffs and/or circles 2-5 times before actually doing anything), and he's learning his "sit" and "lay down" cues quite well, and he does pretty great on a leash (once he stops chewing it). When he wakes up in the morning, he does so slowly, leaving plenty of time for snuggling and belly-rubs.

We still ache over Tesla. A new puppy means 20 different things that remind me of her puppyhood - which wasn't long ago - and having to figure out which items of hers to use over, and which ones not to. But Shiloh has been happy to accommodate us as a therapy puppy.

He's also ridiculously cute in his Martha Stewart collar and harness. Just saying.

Life is hopeful. Good things are on the horizon, and they are being met with a happy puppy tail-wag.

We really like the puppy. Did I mention the snuggling?