Nessie has Buggered Her Eye......Again.

Nessie the Monster, Duchess of Hagg

will be 10 years old on Friday, December 28

She would love to accept your well wishes for her birthday.

You can do so by making a comment on this blog.

From the Home page, click on the title of this blog to get to the page and scroll to the bottom to find the comments.

The poor old girl has gone

through so much with her eyes.

Thankfully, she is on the mend.

With all the busy hustle and bustle of the Christmas Season, it's hard to find the much needed rest that my ol'fart body really desires.  It seems that the best part of my day is the part where I'm finally crawling up into my really fluffy, comfy, warm and toasty bed.  Don't get me wrong.  Hard work, dog training and lots of friends to attend to keep me happy, healthy and young --(at heart), at least.  But dragging my tired behind up into that bed at night and snuggling down into my blankie is the 'Ahhh' moment of my day.

So, I know I've mentioned to you before that Nessie has had to endure some eye injuries at the paws of her young Chamberlains.  I mean she's old like me and they play so rough......she's had a time of it keeping them in line.

This is a very blurry photo of Nessie trying to control the very young Lady McKenzie.
McKenzie just wasn't listening to anyone that day and was pushing the limits.  Nessie could see that my husband and I were over our heads, so she fixed the problem.
Thankfully, I have become a stronger pack leader since, but this was one of my big lessons on 'how to'.

Santa Paws is Coming

He sees you when you're sleeping.

He knows when you're awake.

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake!

You two better straighten up and fly right or Santa Paws won't come.

Malcolm keeps staring at me!  Make him leave me alone!
I didn't do a thing to deserve this treatment.

I see what you're doing McKenzie.....  She's just tryin' to get me in trouble again!  She always does that!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas filled with much Joy, Peace and Happiness

House of Hagg

Book Give Away!

Random House

has graciously given me 4 books to give away to my readers.

I was supposed to read and 'review' them for you, but I've found

that I don't have that much time what with the

holiday season and building a new house and

keeping 3 active Boxer Dogs happy.

So here's what I'm prepared to do.  I will give a synopsis out of each book to you now.  (I have 2 copies each of 2 books)  For the first 4 people who become a member of this blog and who put me in their circles on G+(If you are ON G+) and who use the contact page to leave me their name, full address including zip and book preference, I will send you a book.  I do not guarantee you will get the book for Christmas, although I'll try.  I also do not guarantee which book you'll get even though you leave me a preference.  (Also, I will use a major carrier to ship it, but if they lose or damage it;  I'm sorry.  There will be nothing I can do at that point)

Is No News Good News?

It's been 9 months since I last wrote about anything that 

Malcolm or any of the dogs have eaten.....

That's enough time to have a baby!

Could the problem be resolved?

Can no news really be good news?  I wonder.

I just realized that I get so caught up in what's going wrong at the House of Hagg that I can't really see what's going right.  And just when I don't think I have anything to report to you, I understand that it's because nothing bad is happening!  Well, paint me white and call me a snowman!  That's a  good thing and cause for a celebration!!!!!!!  So, if you'll excuse me for one second.....

YIPPEE!

WOO HOO!

ATTA WAY TO GO, BABIES!

Okay. I'm done.  

Now.  For those of you who are looking for this year's Christmas picture, we are currently working on that.  We have been trying to get just the right atmospheric conditions and the tide has to be just right with the moon.......

Oh.  What the heck!  I can't get them all to sit still for the camera.  But I'm cooking chicken chunks today, so I may get some better luck if not more drool in the picture!  :0)

Malcolm is still working on his fear issues but is progressing with the help of our Therapist.

McKenzie begins a short, 3 week, intro to Freestyle class tonight.  (Doggy Dancing for those not in the 'KNOW'. )

Nessie is getting older and more and more demanding.  I think she is struggling more to see, but still prances like a Duchess on her long walks.

Sometimes I think Malcolm's ACL is better and sometimes, not.  He struggled terribly to get out of his kennel yesterday morning and then got only as far as the hallway and laid back down again.  But he lets me do his physical therapy (leg stretches) without complaint and he took off like a Banshee on the Tow Leash yesterday.  I could barely get the bike slowed down to take the first corner!  And he ran the whole 1 1/2 miles that we went.  (Except for when he did the Horse Impersonation.  He slowed to a walk and started pooping in the street as he walked and then wanted to take off running again.)  :)  Was that too much information?   Yes.  I stopped and picked it up.

Hope your Thanksgiving Holiday was wonderful and you have many great memories and stories to tell!  I do!  Look on my G+ profile to find a video of my brother stitching up the finger of my Sis in law.....he he he   

.....and a great time was had by all!    except for her, I guess......we gave her a shot of tequila, so she should have been alright.   Don't forget to put me in your circles on G+ and make some comments on this blog so I know you're alive!  :0))  

And, click on the Bicycle at the top left corner of the blog to order your Bike Tow Leash!

Loose Hips Make Me Slip!

Is It a 'Tweaked' ACL?

or Is It the More 

Sinister Hip Dysplasia?

The answer is, probably both.  A while back, Malcolm refused a jump in the agility ring and pretty much told me his back leg was hurting.  I took him to the Vet who said he had loose hips.  I took him to a different Vet who specializes in sports medicine and she said he had tweaked his ACL.  We did Hydro-therapy for about a month and I did physical therapy with him at home for several months.  You know, serpentines, up and down small steps, leg stretches.  He got better and wanted to do jumps again.  I was careful for a long time and then got busy with life.

I believe that he does have an underlying problem of perhaps loose hip joints,  but I don't think that's what's causing him to sort of favor that leg. And I can't really say he favors it.  I just notice that, at times, he doesn't put an equal amount of weight on it when  he's standing.  He still jumps and pounces and twists and turns and does spins and every other typical Boxer move.  And he does each move with Boxer Gusto and Style.  (Typically flinging slobber and loogies over my walls and leather furniture)  I'm just noticing .............something...........

I've been busy running errands for our house that we're building.....it's in another city and there's a lot of going back and forth.  I have to admit that I haven't been exercising or doing much of anything other than the weekly play, toenails and tooth brushing with the dogs.  Since their classes ended about a week ago, they haven't even been to the dog club for a work out.

Malcolm needs muscle built up in his hiney.  That will help.  I have to make a commitment to exercise him regularly.  I just have to do it.

I have been working him on his fear issues though and he's beginning to understand that not all strangers are scary.  I can't count how many times a stranger comes up to my Jeep at the gas station to pet my Boxers.  Malcolm hangs back a little, but he'll get the message from his sisters that they are friendly.  He always gets a good sniff in and sometimes allows the person to pet him.  One guy even took pictures.  :0)  Boxer people are a breed of their own.  If you love Boxers, every time you see one, you think you KNOW and I mean really know that particular dog.  Boxers just belong to all Boxer Lovers whether they know you or not.  I've never seen the likes of that with any other breed.  That guy taking pictures almost crawled up in my Jeep!  (Not in a threatening way.....he backed off when I asked him to)  They just don't realize that it's not their dog!  Another person almost got drowned by Malcolm!  (BTW, I knew this guy.  He wasn't a stranger to me, but he was to my dogs.)  He reached in to pet them and Malcolm the Scaredy Cat stuck his head out and started licking the guys face so that I thought he couldn't breath!  --I did notice that the man didn't back away--  he  he he.

Malcolm is making regular visits to places that will let him in and he gets nothing but rewards, chicken and praises for not being scared.  It's getting better very slowly, but it's getting better.  And I've noticed that when he sees a small fluff ball dog, that he sits and looks at me so I can handle it.  That's trust.  He now knows that I understand, and he waits for me to take care of the situation.  He gets lots of praise and chicken for that too! 

Wordless Wednesday

Lord Malcolm's Progress

Everyone tells me it will be a slow process.

After all, I spent an ENTIRE YEAR

getting him into this mess.

But I have to say,

My new attitude and behavior

is giving him loads of confidence right away.

It's been only 3 short weeks since our friend Tiffany helped me out with Malcolm and gave me some great tips on how to handle his confidence (or lack there-of) and his lunging at other dogs.  {see my post of Oct. 9th}  As most of my readers know, I had been really making hard corrections on my wee bairn because he just didn't get it with anything less.  You know that I tried harness leashes that promised to correct him gently, I went to various trainers, and did many many things to try and correct his lunging problem.  {you can look up all the past blogs for a year and see how hard I had tried}.  Nothing worked, so I called in the big guns--ie, Tiffany Talley.  

Even as young as Malcolm was in this commercial, you can see his body language when the woman and child enter the picture.

He didn't know how to react to them (they'd never met) and he was scared.

We've Come a Long Way, Baby!

It's Our Birthday!

We've had a great first 3 years and

are looking forward to the rest.

We want to thank everyone who has been

following us on our journey through life.

We hope to have many more wonderful 

Adventures so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are some pictures of us through the years.  Hope you enjoy!

Nessie the Monster Makes Front Page News!

The Duchess of Hagg was

Captured by the Pup-a-Rotzi

While She was Helping Young

Children Learn to Read

As you all know, the Duchess of Hagg makes regular visits to see young children.  Reading and education have always been a number one priority on the Royal Agenda.  A correspondent for a local paper in a suburban community caught her up at one of the local Libraries while she was involved in helping young children learn to read in a programme called Paws for Reading.   The following are pictures that were taken of her and then published on the front page of that newspaper with a wonderful article asking for more 4 legged volunteers!

This is Carter reading to Nessie and his sisters

Twins, Seth and Brayden put on an entire performance for the Duchess
by acting out the books they were reading

The thing that Nessie would like you to know is that every dog can be tested to become a Therapy Dog.  Once you've passed the test, you may set appointments to visit Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Libraries and other facilities that have people who might benefit from petting and being with a tail waggin' 4 legged pooch.  It's good for the people, it's good for the dog and it's good for you when you give back to the community.  It's also educational for the public because they can see that even bully breeds like Boxers, Rotties and Pitties can be calm, balanced and loving animals with the right handler.  

For more information on Therapy Dogs, INC.  visit their website or call Toll Free @ 1-877-843-7364  or you can email them @ therapydogsinc@qwestoffice.net

An Animal Behaviorist vs Dog Trainer

The more I try to help my dogs live amongst humans, the more I learn that I don't know what I'm doing........

When one of your dogs develops an issue,

whether it be aggression, fear, pulling, lunging

or dominance;  it is wise

to get a person who is trained 

in animal behavior to help you.

Let's face it.  There are a lot of dog trainers out there.  And the responsible person who buys or adopts a dog will usually want to get some training for it and themselves.  So where do you go?  Pets Mart or another local dog supply place, until you find out that there is really no room to work there and that the 'trainer' is not really that organized and doesn't really know your breed.  And there are usually way too many dogs in the small space to work.  Yes, you can get very very basic information there, but not much else.

Our first glimpse on the internet...we hadn't seen him in person yet.

I'll Be There.......

This was posted on G+ today and was a great lesson for me with regard to Malcolm.  I hardly ever open videos on G+ unless they are agility videos, but I'm an old Sax player and I couldn't resist.

The reason it reminded me of my relationship with Malcolm is because of how he responded to my new techniques while at the Dog Club last night.

So with high hopes and expectations and new 'tools' just learned from our session with Tiffany, I loaded Malcolm in the Jeep and headed for Agility Class.  And yes.  I remembered to get the chunks of chicken out of the fridge.

We got to the school parking lot and everything was normal, so out jumped Malcolm and we headed over to the grassy area to take care of business before class.  That's when we got our first opportunity/challenge.  The lady with her big Golden was talking to me about Malcolm's previous eating habits and neither one of us were looking at our dogs.  Her dog did something and Malcolm lunged.  (He usually doesn't do this with large dogs, so of course, I was caught unaware)  I did NOT correct him though.  I stepped calmly between him and the Goldie and asked him to sit -- which he did right away and he also looked at my eyes right away as if to say, "OK.  Mom. I see you've got this one."  So I gave him a chunk of chicken.  

Next up was the lady with the Chihuahua.  She walked up and went by us.  I again stepped between Malcolm and the Chihuahua and didn't even have to ask him to sit.  He did so on his own and looked at me.  More chicken.  He also kept his focus on me, only glancing at the dog as it walked back by to go inside.  Whoo Hoo!  More chicken.

That was great!  Two opportunities before we even went into the Dog Club!  Malcolm passed both tests while his handler only got a 75% score.  I get lots of points off for not noticing the dog language while I was trying to have a conversation with the Goldie's mom.  So we went in and had our class without any further challenges.  I will say, that Malcolm did better in his class than he has in about 6 months.  He had slowed way down almost as though he really didn't like agility.  In fact, I've been considering pulling him out of it and finding something else to do.  But last night, he had a blast.  He was strong and fast and paid attention and never once worried about what was going on outside the ring.

After a phone conversation with Tiffany this morning, she suggested that it might be that Malcolm has been so stressed out over the other dogs that he just couldn't relax and have fun in the ring.  I think she may be right.  I'll wait to see how he progresses this week before I decide that.  In the mean time, Malcolm did have one more challenge as we left.  Another lady with her weeny dog walked by us in extremely close proximity.  I stepped in front of Malcolm again as if to say, "It's OK, buddy.  I'll handle that dog.  You don't have to worry."   Malcolm simply sat there looking at me and he didn't worry at all.  We didn't even have to move a further distance away.  And it was only when the woman asked me why I stood there with my back to her, that I offered that Malcolm was terrified of little dogs and that's why he lunges.  She commented that he was doing really well and that she didn't get any indication that she should worry about her dog being lunged at.  We had a conversation and nothing happened between the big dog and the little dog.  Yay! Malcolm!

I do hope that this is a first step on a road to full recovery and a normal balanced Lord Malcolm.  You should have seen him flying around the agility ring last night.  It made my heart so happy to see him have some fun.

Don't worry Buddy, ...I'll Be There

SLOBBER

DROOL

REPEAT

When I'm Wrong, I'm Very Very Wrong...

But I'm not afraid to admit it, learn from my mistake and do what I can to correct the problem.

For how many months have I been struggling with Malcolm pulling on the leash and lunging at other dogs?  Just a minute and I'll go and look at my old posts, so that I can tell you.   .....It looks like I've been writing about it since August of 2011.  Let's see.  This is September of 2012 -- so a year.  Good grief!  It seems a lot longer than that!  Well, so as not to bore you with regurgitating a whole year's worth of posts, I'll try to list some of the highlights of things I've tried that I thought would keep him from doing it.

Nessie, Malcolm and McKenzie
Masters of all they survey.

Our Boxer Friends in Texas

Our friend, Pink, is in a BEuuuty contest!  She needs you to vote for her so she can win some money for Legacy Boxers down in Texas!  Check her out on her own page linked below.  You have to be on facebook, which I'm not, so I said I would let you all know........She is a great dog who is in rescue and is taking obedience classes.  She is deaf, but she barks loudly for all who need loving and safe places to snuggle into.  She is great looking isn't she?  And remember, this Saturday, Tulsa Boxer Rescue is having their Barbecue and Boogie for Boxers....6-12am at the Double Tree at One Warren Place.  We have donated a Bike Tow Leash for their live auction..............

Diary of a Deaf Dog:
Hey everyone!I entered the Fuzzy Nation Super Mod...: Hey everyone! I entered the Fuzzy Nation Super Model Contest on Facebook and have made it to the list of finalists! Please vote for...

Barbeque and Boogie?

Tulsa Boxer Rescue 

is having their big fund raiser on Saturday the 29th from 6pm to 12 midnight at the Double Tree at One Warren Place in Tulsa.

I think it should be called Wiggle Butt and Kidney Bean, but that's just me.  Here's a link to their page.  House of Hagg is donating a Bike Tow Leash for the live auction and there should be enough fun for everyone to enjoy themselves.  Put your boots on and plan on having a wonderful time.  Support a great cause at the same time.

Anyone Up for a Game?

A New Session of Agility

Classes and an Entirely New Attitude

(I Hope)

McKenzie concentrates as she balances on one foot......

The fall weather is cooling us off, finally, and it's a great time to start a new session of Agility Classes at Companion Dog School of Tulsa.  Since I've been so busy building our new house (about an hour and a half from where we live now), I didn't think I was going to take any classes this time.  But husband and friends talked me into it and even if I can't be in attendance for all the classes, I'll at least enjoy the ones I can get to.  So what did I do?  I enrolled in 4 different classes on 4 different nights!  NOW how am I going to keep up?  And I've all ready told you that I don't really have time to practice.  Yes.   I keep proving over and over again that I am an idiot.  

The plus side is that every dog gets his or her private 'Mommy' time and we do love to go and play together.  We always learn something new and we do use that time to work on focus exercises while we wait for our turn to run.  McKenzie goes on Monday night, Malcolm on Tues and the wee Monster girl, Nessie, goes on both Wednesday and Thursday.   She is trying to learn the weave poles on Wed. night and has her regular class on Thurs. night.  Nessie is still doing simple courses, but dang!  She is really tearing it up.  Last night, she just flew over the jumps and the A frame and the teeter.  She's great at going to the box and she sits without a command.  She had forgotten about the tunnel and I had to push her in the first time, but after that, she just really did everything she was asked and had a blast, too!

Malcolm on Weaves

McKenzie went back to her usual self on her first night.  No focus.  Flying around the ring.  Bouncing off the walls.  Running out of the ring to see what else there was to do.  Here's the funny part......I switched teachers between her and Malcolm.  I thought I might get a different perspective by switching out dogs and letting another teacher help me.  So after McKenzie's 1st run, Lyn said........"So this dog is faster than Malcolm but she doesn't have the focus he has.  Is that right?"  Yup.  She hit the 'nail on the head'.  But I don't really care what others are thinking any more.  We're there to have some fun

and that's what we're going to do.  I'm going to make myself not worry about anything and I'm not going to get anxious about the 'politics' of the people at the club.  I'm not a person who 'trials' my dogs.  I do want to have fun with them and to learn this game.  I'm doing my best, and so are my dogs.  No.  We don't practice every day.  So?  We are still better than some who do.

Malcolm did great in his class.  He is still struggling a bit with a whimpy ACL. We are still doing some therapy work to fix it and I can tell it's a lot better.  He ran his first 2 runs pretty good, but missed a couple of things.  On his 3rd run, he was perfect and very tired.  Too bad he/we can't get it right from the 1st run and he wouldn't get so tired.  

Nessie can sit in a box.

So really, it's still McKenzie that I'm trying to work on and if I can ever get her focused in, she'll be a great agility dog.  I may even put her into a trial next year.  The twins turn 3yrs old next month.  No sign yet, of any delivery of their brain.  UPS has not texted me a notification that the package that contains them is on it's way.  Until then.............I'm just (not so) patiently waiting.

Regal and Fun Loving Even in Old Age

Older Dogs Can Be in Great Health
and Full of Vibrant Energy and Life.

Certainly, they are not "washed up" as some may think.  There are many older dogs in shelters across the country who have had to come to the shelter, not because they were problem dogs and certainly not because they were in abusive situations.  Many of them have led wonderful full lives with their owners.  They may have ended up in a shelter simply because they either outlived their owner or because their owner has had to move to a facility of some sort to receive some of their own much needed help.  There are many wonderful benefits to adopting an older dog.  They are trained and house broken and know how to be gentle all ready.   They won't drive you crazy with lunging, digging, bolting, chewing and generally being a pain in the ....... :).  They are good dogs and because they've lived so long, not much will scare them or make them crazy.  They've seen it all in their life-times.

Some people don't want to adopt an older dog because they think they won't have the drive and energy to play.  Not so.  A healthy older dog, especially when they are in the form of a Boxer, are still energetic, happy, social and full of vim and vinegar!  Nessie the Monster is a very good example.  She has had her health scares over the years, but she is in fine health right now at the ripe old age of 91/2.  The average life-span of a Boxer is 10.  Nessie will live longer than that as she's been well cared for and still gets plenty of exercise.  

This is a picture of Nessie dozing in the garden last year.  I love it when dogs sleep with their heads up so they won't miss out on anything!

And exercise includes Body and Brain!!!!!!  If you are going to own a Boxer Dog, be prepared to get physical and mental with them.  Their highly intelligent regal faces sit on a body made of nothing but muscle.  They need to use all of their  parts to be happy.   You don't have to formally train your dog, but you need to play mental games with him/her and give them opportunities to learn new challenges.  As a dog gets older, they still think of themselves as young.  They may not be able to run as fast or as long as they used to, but heck!  They can still do many fun things.  

I hear that tomorrow is National Dog Day.  It's a great time to get out there and do some new fun and exciting things with your dog.  Learn a new trick or just go for a long walk in the rain....(if you have any).  Make your walks more exciting by throwing in some obedience training along the way!  Play Hide and Seek or Go Find.  And if you don't have a dog but know you'd like one, go to your local Boxer Rescue and consider and older Boxer.  Make sure you are honest with yourself on your level of experience in working with dogs and your level of activity.  This is the only way to be fair to you and your new dog.  Get the dog that's right for your lifestyle and you will both be happy.

Nessie just graduated from her Beginning 1 Agility Class.  The video shown is her 2nd attempt at a run.  {I have a video of the 1st attempt, but it would't load on blogger :( I think it was a little choppy. }  The dogs in this class had never done more than one or two obstacles at a time.  They don't quite yet understand that you have to follow the handler and do a bunch of things in order.  The course is simple and had a few dead crickets lying about on the floor.  This is the first time to run off lead on a course and we kind of crashed at the end, but I think she did very well and she can't wait for the next session of classes to begin!  You Go, old girl, You Go!

This is her 2nd attempt

In honor of National Dog Day, doggyloot is donating treats, chews and toys to a number of pet rescue organizations. Through this move, the discount e-commerce site for dog owners is maintaining its commitment to providing care for dogs of all types across the nation.

National Dog Day is celebrated on August 26^th annually and serves to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year. In conjunction with this holiday, doggyloot is donating a total retail value of $4,841 across the following organizations:

• Blackdog All Breed Dog Rescue

• Minnesota Boxer Rescue (MNBR) - 6th Annual WiggleFest and Silent Auction

• Golden Retriever Rescue Group of Southwest Florida (GRRSWF) - 4th Annual GoldenFest fundraiser

• Diamond Dachshund Rescue of Texas - 11th Annual Adopters Reunion

• Northeast Ohio Mastiff Picnic

• Sergey Foundation

• DogDay 5K Race

“Providing dog owners with great deals on chews, toys and treats is our main business, but the heart of the company comes from our passion to keep dogs everywhere happy and loved,” said Jeff Eckerling, CEO of doggyloot. “National Dog Day provides the perfect opportunity to donate to shelters and we hope that the dogs enjoy their new treats.”

Lord Malcolm's Hydro-Therapy

{Put Your Wee Snoot in the Air

and Give the OL' English Accent

a Try.  This time, use a Male Voice}

Hydro-Therapy, The Effects of 
Flailing One's Body

by 

Lord Malcolm, Chamberlain to the Duchess of Hagg

I dare say, old fellows, that there is a consequence to the way in which one lives his life-style.  One must always be aware of the real effects that might occur to one's body while one is sort of, well, living.   Now, I must tell you that I have never really been given over to too much thought about my health and my body.  I do have an exuberance for life in general and I have exhibited that on quite the occasion.  I think you have heard of some of my escapades here as I am well aware that my dear sister, Lady McKenzie is so often given over to talking very fast and  in such a high pitch about literally everything, including my devotion to ingesting food among other things {See Buffet, Antics, Chew Toys, Russian Roulette, One Step Forward and Chamber Pot}.   I am also aware of the Duchess (whom we love and admire) flapping her wee jowls and droning on ad-nauseum about my choices in life.  Yes.  I do indeed love to romp and jump on other dogs, especially the wee ones.  They yip and yap in those high pitches and snarl and growl while everyone praises them and calls them just the cutest wee thing.....well I don't think they're cute.  I think they get away with many various crimes against Caninity.  (If humans can say humanity why can I not say caninity?)  So I quite think it a fun job to jump at them and put them in their place.  It is quite funny to see them get so scared from just a silly jump.  Although, I  have slowed in the love of this game;  it's just too dog gone easy to scare them and I believe it stresses out me family.

My Life With Boxers

I knew it would be hard

and

I thought I was prepared...

Actually, In all Truth, I really wasn't.

It's time for a wee bit of honesty.  I wasn't ready at all for these two pups to enter my house.  In fact,  WishBone, my beloved 1st Boxer Boy had only died in September of that year (09) and by the end of October my husband was already wanting another puppy to fill the void.  Not me.  We still had our wonderful Nessie Monster and she gave the best hugs a dog can give.  She was well behaved and could handle herself in any situation and she proved that it had been WishBone who had caused any previous trouble, not her.  (Although, if it was WishBone who started it, it was always Nessie who finished it!)  But on her own, she was pretty much perfect.  And I still missed WishBone and I still DO miss him.  I just didn't want a puppy.  My thoughts were to let Nessie live out the rest of her life and then if we wanted, we'd talk about a new pup then.

WishBone and Nessie in the garden

My husband, however, was relentless.  He came home from work every day asking if I had found the perfect puppy yet.  "Uh.  Well.  No.  I haven't even looked."  He eventually got tired of me and began searching the internet for breeders.  He kept calling me to the computer to look at pictures.  I kept saying "I'm not buying a puppy from a backyard breeder who doesn't know what the heck they're doing as far as conformation, temperament and health!"  "And I'm certainly not buying from a puppy-mill!"  " Also, no reputable breeder around here will sell to us because they don't know us, so just forget about it!"  I tried as hard as I could not to buy a puppy.  And I kept him at bay until November.

WishBone using Nessie as a pillow while on a trip in the bus.