How to Wrangle a Winter Puppy

parson-russell-terrier-puppy-picture-81966558-c6e5-4095-b2a9-cf925686c485Madam recently asked if I cared to add a second Jack Russell terrier to our furry family.

“Um, yes I guess so,” I replied while mentally tallying the hours of training I put into the first one. “How about letting me pick the puppy?” I asked. “Maybe I could find a serene version of the breed.”

Madam gave me the look. “You mean one that doesn’t dive down sewer pipes and retrieve irate raccoons?” she quipped.

“Something like that,” I concurred. “On second thought, perhaps our puppy research requires more than one level head.”

“You’re right,” she declared, and so the two of us set out to conduct our JR due diligence. Remarkably we agreed on the same puppy—Miss Winnie from southern California.

As luck would have it, Winnie arrived from sunny climes just in time for our first snowstorm. Nobody told her to bring a set of Under Armour to cover that hairless, pink belly. Nor was she big enough to wear a hand-me-down sweater from Madam’s Elderly JR. And then there was the immediate task of house training. Frankly, it didn’t surprise me when Madam showed up with an ear full of puppy piddling tales.

“I can’t seem to keep up,” she sighed, pointing to the lump in her midsection. Then the lump moved and I could see that Miss Winnie had augered into her new winter digs—the warm side of Madam’s Carhartt jacket.

“She refuses to piddle outside,” Madam moaned. “Nothing below 32 degrees. Just rolls her eyes as if I should know better than to even suggest it. On the other hand, she treats my bed as if it’s an Aveda spa. I need to find that Jack Russell Owner’s Manual we used last time.

“How about puppy class?” I added cheerfully, “Has Winnie learned to sit? Or to come when you call her? And how are things going with the Fluff Muffin Cat? I’ll bet the two of them get along famously.”

“That depends on what you mean by get along,” quipped Madam. Winnie adores the cat. She hugs him at every opportunity, which has turned out to be quite a thrill for the cat.

“So, do you think we’ve made a good puppy choice?” I asked cautiously.

“Oh yes,” replied Madam. “She might not rest much but she’s one smart cookie. Winnie has already duped the cat into joining her JR exercise program. And, here I am ferrying the little princess around in my coat. Heck, once we get this baby house trained, she’ll be studying French and running for governor.”

 

 

 

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4 thoughts on “How to Wrangle a Winter Puppy”

    1. Mouse would be doing quite a bit of “schooling” if she were here. And, yes, I think she would ultimately have liked a puppy. Maybe we should have considered it earlier.

  1. You have yourself a wonderful doggie in the making. Once she grows out of the puppy stage, she’ll be a great dog.

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