I can't believe I'm getting a pet, moreso, a dog. So what's the big deal. I never really had a knack for animals and I was scared of dogs when I was a kid. So this is really the first time I'm taking responsibility for a pet of my own, and yes, a dog.
Lexie, a Bichon Frise puppy, will be coming home next week, and I'm getting pretty excited about it. Lexie is the puppy of our old resident Bichon Frise called Chubby and a friend's pet Ivory, also a Bichon. She has 2 other sisters who will live with their mom Ivory. I get to have Lexie to come stay with his dad Chubby :-)
Anyway back to how I arrived at the decision to take on a pet puppy. Basically, it was just one of those situations that came along. It wasn't planned. And to me, things like that come along for a reason, a reason that we may not understand at first but will eventually make sense.
To me, it was an easy decision. It started with my niece asking me if it would be ok with use Chubby as a stud for her friend's female Bichon Ivory. Chubby was Mom's dog, and Mom had always wanted to mate Chubby so that we can bring home a puppy of his. Chubby came to us at 5 months old and he's now 7.5 years old. We looked, though not actively, for a female Bichon but never really found one. My mom wanted a breeder who owns the female as their own pet rather than the commercial breeders. So it was difficult. Mom had passed away almost two years ago and I got Chubby. He became mine, but being that I didn't really love dogs as much as most dog lovers do, I wasn't really a perfect pet owner. He's taken care of by my maids, and he spends very little time with me, only when the maids are busy or when I feel like having him in the room with me. He used to be close with Mom and me when he used to sleep in my room, under my side table. But after we left for a month long trip, he got used to sleeping downstairs with the maids. Basically, we grew apart. Anyway, even if mom is not around anymore, I still felt like this is a second chance for me. If I've not done much with Chubby, then maybe I can develop my love for animals more and forget about my childhood fear. After all, dogs are a man's best friend. Both of us can benefit from more love, LOL.
So, here we are, 4 months ago tomorrow, we had Chubby mate with Ivory, and as a result, Ivory got pregnant and gave birth to three little female Bichon puppies on December 15, 2011. Mom would have been proud of her baby Chubby, LOL. I didn't know anything about having our dog mated, so I asked my niece, and most of the research on the internet. Ivory was brought to stay in our house for 5 days, but ironically, I was on my way to a month-long trip and couldn't take care of it. So I gave instructions to the maid and my niece. She was more than willing to take responsibility for it as she really loved dogs. So without too much of my involvement, I left and everything went well. This further assured me that if it's in God's plan, it will happen, no matter what obstacles.
When I came back from my trip, I receive the wonderful news that Ivory had signs of pregnancy, although at the start, the tummy was still quite small. Week after week, we crossed our fingers, and hoped that everything will go well. It did, and 10 days prior to her birth, Ivory had an xray and confirmed that there are 3 little puppies. More would have been great, but 1 was more than enough for me. My niece had a puppy sharing arrangement with her friend which means that we will get half the number of puppies. Since it was an odd number, we get the half of the even number which again simply fell into place. I don't think I could have handled more than 1 puppy.
Dec 15 came, and we heard the good news, 2 puppies out, both healthy. 1 more puppy still in Ivory's tummy. But soon after a few hours, the puppy, premature by a week, also came out, a bit weak, but seems like a fighter. Week after, everything's well.
A month after, we had our first visit. We brought Chubby too so that they can get acquainted. The puppies were also strong enough to entertain visitors. Ivory was edgy when we visited, normal of a mother that is still nursing. But later on, she calmed down and was able to come at least in the same room with Chubby and us. The puppies were playing around, running and jumping around. It was great to see them like that. So, there's Bella who's the eldest, Lexie then Juno, the baby of them all. Again, mom would have been proud :-)
Part of it was also to get Chubby's papers in order, which we were not able to take care of before. But because we want to register the puppies, we had to do this. So in fact, it was a blessing, without these puppies, we probably wouldn't have fixed Chubby's papers still. It was a great learning experience too, part of being introduced to the world of dogs. Something wonderful happened to as a result, something unexpected. We needed to contact the original breeder of Chubby so that we can complete the registration, and I immediately feared that it would be a hassle. It turns out she was this lovely and friendly lady who actually still cares for one of Chubby's siblings. So she was excited to hear from me and asked for some recent photos of Chubby. She is a proud grandma, LOL. What a wonderful surprise!
So here we are, a week before Lexie comes home to us. I had to prepare myself emotionally and physically for her. It's like bringing home a baby :-) I researched on the internet about how to care for a bichon, what things to buy before she comes home, how best to potty train, etc, etc. I also went to find mom's book on Bichon Frise. So, pretty much ready, I also asked my nieces for some tips. Although I have a rough plan, I still don't really know how it will pan out. Will she sleep in my room or downstairs with Chubby? Where will she pee? When will I take her out for walks? How to groom, etc? There's so many things to do, and some I took for granted because I wasn't the one taking care of Chubby myself. But I'm all up for the challenge and I'm excited and proud at the same time, scared. It's a big responsibility really, much like taking care of a real human baby, which I don't have any clue of as well, LOL. But as we all say, it's a precious blessing :-)
So, here's to me! Best of luck!
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