Introducing....

We actually had not given much thought to the possible hazards of operating a dog sitting/walking and house sitting business. We are in the process of growing it.... when we actually have time to pass out our flyers, and advertise what we do. It's a natural for us, given how much experience we have with pets of all kinds... But, I never expected to be given a puppy that we took care of! That can't happen every time, that's for sure!

A neighbor asked Michael to care for his dogs while he was on a trip. We walked over together to feed them the first afternoon and I discovered that it was a mom and dad chihuahua and three adorable puppies. They were about six or eight weeks old, and just so much fun to watch. Two boys, one girl. The little girl really caught our eye. She was smaller, shy and timid.... just melted me. She was my favorite!

Later, we found out that our neighbor was going to have to get rid of the puppies. I would have thought that he wouldn't have any trouble, given that they were purebred puppies and so cute! (Then I looked at the web page for the county shelter and saw that of the dozens and dozens of dogs listed? better than half were short-haired chihuahuas! I don't understand that. They are kind of funny looking, but why are so many unwanted?)

Anyway, he mentioned to Mr. B. that he was trying to find homes for them, and asked if we would like to have the one we had fallen for, the little girl.

We talked it over and decided that if she fit in well with Tuffboy, we'd go for it. Tuffboy really wears Sadie out and this dog will be his size when grown, and closer in age to him. Plus, dogs are Michael's passion. He firmly believes that his dogs are the reason his blood pressure is so low. They make him happy; they make the house more of a home for him. Not that our daughters or I myself are not important to him....just that the dogs are usually rescues and he finds a lot of satisfaction in providing for them a "forever" home, and he enjoys their antics and company every day.

There are times when I'm positive that that's not how it works for me :) but I can understand the sentiment. When I get to sit upstairs and sew, creating something for someone I care about, it makes the rest of the day, the concerns, the battles, the stress, just melt away....

If having a pack of dogs can do that for him, and as long as they are small (I am really afraid of big dogs, even Max the Wuss scares me pretty often!)..... I guess it's doable!


We picked her up while our daughters were away. We thought with less excitement, we'd get a clear reading on how well everyone got along. Over the course of the first two hours, she went from whimpering and once yelping when I tried to pick her up to bring her inside, to tentatively batting Tuffboy across the nose, and wagging her little tail.

The naming was difficult. We just had no good ideas. Nothing I brought up with Michael was acceptable, in his opinion. I thought Pinky was a great name. Yes, from the Pinky and the Brain cartoon. (snicker!)






























See what I mean? (no, Karen has no ambitions to take over the world....but for some reason the puppy reminds me of those two characters!) But Michael frowned at that one.

Then I offered my next brilliant suggestion...

"Yoda!"
























Am I really the only one that sees the resemblance? Again.... I was voted down.

She's covered in freckles across her belly, and under her little arms.... But "Freckles" didn't fly as a name either...

Phoebe, Chloe, Katie and Bonny..... X'd off the list.
















Bunny? No, and not Kitty either! (despite a strongly feline appearance at times!) Sigh!

We kept coming back to the name that Karen had suggested, based on the very first time she saw her, six weeks ago. She had said we needed a name...

With. Meaning.

And she felt that the puppy was an old soul. That she looked like a beautiful spirit that had been here for a long time, shining out of a wiggly puppy body. I know, it's silly. But really, look at this face.















Click on pix to "embiggen!"

I think that Kimiko (kim-ee-koe) meaning "beautiful history child", is fitting. She is Kimi for short. Tuffboy has a girlfriend. Kimi has a forever home.

And she has something she'd like to say.....


















"Yo quiero Taco Bell!"

;)