Miss Doxie and Mr. Pug

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My first real post on a pet blog should probably cover my current pets, right?

Miss Doxie

Miss Doxie was a wedding gift to ourselves and a celebration puppy since I got my first “real” job.   We thought we’d just look around at the Houston SPCA to get an idea of what small breed could work for us since we were living in an apartment complex that would only accept 30 pound dogs or less.  Yeah, take it from me, you can’t just window shop when cute puppy faces are involved. 

Strangely enough, we did almost leave without a dog since none of the small dogs that matched all our criteria bonded with us at all.  When I suggested we come back the following weekend, hubby asked if we could walk through the section one last time. 

That’s when we saw Miss Doxie – a strange mix between a Dachshund and a who-knows-what.  She was older than what we thought we wanted (we were aiming for 2-3 and she was 7), but she seemed healthy and happy and loving.  She was also potty trained and knew some human words already!  $65 later, she was driving home with us. 

She has a few issues – she doesn’t like to be picked up and is racist towards black men – but she was the perfect fit for our little family.  She didn’t mind chilling on her own while we were out and she already knew all the basic commands.  She is a blessing.  5 years later, she’s still the same happy and healthy dog with the same issues.  She is a constant that I worry about due to her age.

Mr. Pug

Mr. Pug was a planned pup too.  We looked into breeds with great personalities and came across the Pug.  We didn’t have any experience with them at all, so we decided to foster for Pughearts to see what we were getting into.  When my first 3 fosters all had horrible issues, I should have known.  But then I met Mr. Pug.  That was it.  He was sweet and bubbly with me and warmed up to hubby in a few hours.  I had to have him.  $200 and a few weeks later, he was ours.  He’s been a sick sweety ever since.

I had no idea a dog could need teeth extractions…like 7 of them!  A few months after that, he got an ear infection.  A few months after that, it seemed like he was dying.  A few horrific vet visits and $1500 later, we find out that he’ll need to be on special food, steroids, and eye drops for the rest of his life.  He’s also prone to skin infections that cost $50-$65 to clear up each time.

Would I get a Pug again?  Probably not unless it was a mixed breed.  Do I want to give up Mr. Pug?  No.  Period.  The end.  He’s my doggie baby and I’ve just slowly accepted the fact that he’ll cost a minimum of $500 a year.  It sucks but options are limited and I refuse to give up such a great dog because of what amounts to vacation money.  I just wish I had paid more attention while fostering.  I kept making excuses for the broken dogs I was getting when I should have just realized that people have imbred the Pug to an unhealthy yet loving dog.  Oh well…he is a darling dog.

So, what kind of pets do you own?  What’s their story?  Do you want to guest post and show off some pictures?

If anybody would like to submit pictures just to submit pictures, please email me at dogslifeforme *at* gmail *dot* com with a few pics with a little description and I’ll do a Photo Post every Friday!  Our community totally wants to meet your little balls of fluff!