I just dropped Montego off at the boarder for the weekend. Break my heart.

I love my puppy.

Tell me about yours. (Or your cats, gerbils, fish, snakes - whatevah.)

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Answers

I have no puppies, but I do have a bad ass cat named ruckus. He's all white with one blue eye and one green eye. He's the coolest cat you'll ever meet. When people come over to my apartment they always hide their money because "crazy ass ruckus, will get it". He'll attack the hell out of a straw, but when he sees a spider? He goes running. I love that guy.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Four cats. Count 'em. Four.

Kitty: a stray, born wild on a golf course. Gray and black tabby with cute white feet. Needs her personal space and will only be petted when in the mood. Likes to race around like a maniac. Loves watermelon.

Eddie: Adopted from brother-in-law. Currently has kitty laryngitis which is a blessing, because he's the most vocal of the bunch. He's light gray with green eyes. Has a white stomach and chest. He used to be really fat. When he would lay on his back, he looked like an aircraft carrier and I called him USS Ed. He's down to a svelte 13 pounds now. He's Mr. Mellow Kitty. Loves to play with straws and super balls.

Wally: Found abandoned when a kitten. We don't know if he was born wild, or abandoned by people. A long hair orange tabby. Mr. Independent, he lives outside exclusively in one of the neighbor's yards and comes by for food and pets (as in petting).

Smokey: Adopted us a few months ago. Abandoned by somebody (bastards), he followed my husband home one day. Dark gray with a few white markings underneath and yellow eyes. Quite the fiesty little bugger, but loves to sit on laps and cuddle. Trying to break him of the "pooping in the computer room" habit.

We have some fish, but eh.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Aw, I always miss Xander the Puppy when he's at the kennel. Although he loves the kennel and they love him.

Xander is a cocker spaniel; adopted from a no-kill shelter in August, he'll be 2 in January. He's brown and blond with hints of red when it gets long.

He's the cutest dog ever. He's got the little docked tail so when he's excited he wiggles his whole back end. Fast like a hummingbird, so fast it's like he's vibrating. And at the same time he sort of runs in these weird freeform patterns. If you've ever seen footage of a bee doing the "here's how to get to the good flowers" dance you've seen what Xander does when he's happy but add a toy in his mouth at the same time. Funniest damn thing ever.

His favorite game at the park is "I've got this toy and you can't have it!" He gets the toy, shows it to another dog, and then RUNS for hours while they chase. He liks to be chased. He's my love.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

My little black Pomeranian, Remington Winchester (Remi for short - from Texas, much, Dawn?) is going to be staying with my brother when I start my new job on the 19th, as I will be in NYC every week, only coming home on weekends for the forseeable future.

I'm going to miss him like CRAZY. I just hope he doesn't forget who I am, since his treat needs will be more than taken care of by my brother, and Remi tends to gravitate toward the person with The Cookie. Little bastard.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Y'all.

The MOC and I are adopting a dog. Because we're crazy.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Congratulations on the new addition, Al! What kind of dog? Any names picked out yet?

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

So you decided? Yay!

Montego is very excited.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Yes, do tell! Are you adopting from a shelter? Going to a breeder? Have you puppy-proofed the house yet (good luck with that!)? Puppies are a never-ending source of love and amusement, but they're exhausting, too.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

I'm getting one too, once I get a summer job. The Jeff has signed on as official dogsitter, too. So excited.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

We are currently talking with the Humane Society (well, Al is). We've narrowed it down to a few choices, all under 25 pounds.

We are trying to get a dog that is like us: likes to live in an apartment, fairly sedentary, doesn't shed much and likes listening to bluegrass at high volumes.

I think we should have him/her by the weekend. I have to admit, I''m a little nervous. This is my first dog.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Okay, while we are waiting for more news about Al & MOC's new puppy, I will tell you about our pets.

We have a 2-year old Yellow Lab named Baxter, after Lonny Baxter from the Maryland Terrapins. Yes, we are that demented. He was the biggest puppy in his litter and now weighs 102 lbs. I feel every one of those 102 lbs. as he sleeps in bed with us. We have a king-size bed but with the two of us and the big dog, it may as well be a twin bed. Baxter absolutely loves to swim (of course, most Labs do) and you literally have to remove him from the water to get him to stop. For as graceful as Baxter is in the water, he does not fare so well on land. He is constantly running into things (ie., the refrigerator) and we chose him because hit his head on the underside of a coffee table while I was playing with him. Hence, his nickname of Mr. Magoo. He is the sweetest galoot I ever could have hoped for.

We also have a beautiful gray and white cat named Chili. She is the product of the local stray male cat and a female cat who went out on the town one night. She was the only gray in a litter of black kittens. She has white tuxedo markings and white paws with a flawless gray circle on her chin. Chili is a big girl too...she weighs in at 20 lbs...our own fault for free feeding her since she was a kitten.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

MOC, you and Al will love having a dog...so much entertainment value! No reason to be nervous. Of course, in the beginning it is rough because of housebreaking, etc. but if you all are going through the Humane Society, the dog may already be housebroken. By the way, you all should be commended for going the Humane Society route. Please keep us posted.

Okay, now Hannah, what kind of dog do you want to get this summer?

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

The dogs at the Atlanta Pet Rescue are all mutts and scruffy and cute looking. We need to go with a small dog because of the limited space available in our apartment for tennis-ball-throwing.

We can't name it before we get it, but I suspect "Belvedere" will become a contender.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

I swear the Nonsmoker wants me to get a house so he can adopt a pit bull. It's part of a my-dog-has-a-worse-reputation-than-your-dog unspoken competition he has with his brother, who has the cutest and friendliest and dumbest Rottweiler evah.

My parents are on the lookout for dogs again. Al/MOC, if you see any brother/sister pairs with a little dachshund in them, let me know.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

I want a terrier of some sort, I think. It'll have to be an apartment dweller, too, so nothing too big or too active.

And The Jeff wants me to name it Haggard. We'll see.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Actually, small dogs are often more high energy and need more play time than big dogs. So, if you're going to have doggie inside the apartment a lot, check with the shelter people for what breed(s) would be good for that. Of course, if you get a mutt all bets are off! :)

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

So, if you're going to have doggie inside the apartment a lot, check with the shelter people for what breed(s) would be good for that.

We're doing just that. I have made it very clear that it is extremely important to us that we be matched with a dog that could stand to live in an apartment.

The people across the hall from us have a hyper dog that they leave alone all the time and we hear her barking non-stop. I wish I could break in over there and dog-sit for them. Damn trashy people.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

And another thing - there are two terrier mutts at the shelter that look a lot like my former dogs, who both passed away right after my dad (they were both more than 13 years old, but still - I know they couldn't live without him).

My dad had this crazy Dog Reincarnation Theory in which he basically believed that your one-true-dog would be reborn to you over and over throughout your life. (I wish I could explain to you how funny it is that my father had this idea - he was so not like that.)

Anyway, I hope I recognize my soul-dog or whatever when I see him/her.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

It gets even better when you live in a single home across the street from those same trashy people. Instead of the constant barking, we get their dog's shit in our yard. Oh, and both of their cat's shit too.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

As I was telling Al and the MOC this weekend, when I chose Montego it was basically my old roommate and I walking through the Humane Soceity going, "You like that one?" "Yeah." "Cool."

Once I got Tego home and did a little research on poodles and terriers (she's either half Scottish or half Cairn, not sure which) I was like, Oh shite. Both breeds are highly active and like to dig. She may only be 17 pounds, but she can run circles around bigger dogs, and does.

Al and Chris - I highly, HIGHLY recommend crate training. Tego knows it as her "home" (the command I use is actually "Go home") and since dogs are den animals by nature it is not cruel as one might guess on initial thought, but actually very humane. It makes house-breaking a snap and you don't have to worry about your dog OR your apartment when you're gone all day.

When shall I palm-pilot a Piedmont Park play date for Montego and her new boyfriend Belvedere?

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Yeah, I've crate trained a dog before and it worked great. Otis, who now belongs to a former roomate, would even ring a little bell by the door when he needed to go out.

If this dog thing goes down, it will be this Saturday.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

We had a major rite of passage with Baxter last night. We broke down and put away his crate because we gave him complete freedom about 2 months ago. My boy is growing up...brought a tear to my eye.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Here's a great pet owner forum, lots of good info and some wicked funny stories: Craigslist

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

You can't pet him and you can't rub his belly, but I got a new frog today.

He's an African Clawed Frog, rather than the Dwarf ACF that I loved so dearly. This guy must live alone because he attacks, plus he's much fatter, less graceful, and will grow larger than a silver dollar.

I'm torn between Humbert and Elvis. On the one hand, I like to say Humbert, but on the other hand he's fat and bug-eyed like barbituate- phase Elvis. If he lives out the week, I'll give him his name. He's a sullen little fucker and if he doesn't straighten up his name will be Holden Frogfield.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Haaaaa! We got the dog!

His name is Murphy, and he is the cutest and funniest thing.

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2002

Oh, wow. That's too cool.

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2002

And he is the cutest damn thing I ever did see.

-- Anonymous, April 20, 2002

That is the cutest damn dog I have ever seen...you can tell that he has a great personality even just from the picture. Congrats!

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

I finally figured out that he reminds me of a mix between Benji and Colonel Sanders - totally adorable.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Dawn, that is a perfect description of him! The thing is, though, I think the dog has two problems:

1. Separation anxiety, which is funny, because....

2. I think he also has narcolepsy.

Really, as long as we're in the room with him, the dog is asleep. He fell asleep in the car on the way home from his adoption. But as soon as he is by himself? The wailing begins - and he has that terrier sound that makes it seem like someone is stabbing him with a knife. I'm sure the neighbors love it. Finally, I have revenge from all their loud music.

He looks much bigger than he is in that picture. He only weighs about 15 pounds.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

My lord, that is a beautiful doggy! N and I just stood here and "awwwwwwed" for the past few minutes.

Congratulations Al and MOC.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

A narcoleptic dog...that is the funniest thing I have ever heard. I can just picture him falling asleep in his water bowl. The reason he may be sleeping a lot in your company is because he is comfortable in your presence. Plus, he is probably wiped out from his stay in the adoption kennel. I know that when we board Baxter, he is exhausted when he comes home.

In regard to the seperation anxiety...from what I understand, it is very common in adopted dogs. We got Baxter when he was 8 weeks old and we even had some seperation anxiety problems with him. I started noticing his anxiety when we would leave the room and from that point on, I have always left either the TV or a radio on when we are not there. (Of course, I am demented enough to leave Animal Planet on for him during the day). Anyway, it really helped Baxter.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

Oh lord. That dog is so precious!!!

I must get a job first, dog second. Job first, dog second. If I say it often enough it will kick in.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2002

I'm not really a dog person, but Murphy is sooooo cute! How old is he, do you know?

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2002

Forgot to ask - how did you choose his name? Took me quite a while to find a name for my girl.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2002

All is revealed here.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

The Murph of Cheese could not be cuter if he had been delivered straight from the cute factory. Congrats, Al and MOC.

I made the mistake of going here, and the dog envy is eating me alive.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

There is a dog here that keeps calling my name. I mean, literally, I wake up at night thinking about her. But I cannot get a dog before paying my rent and having a summer job. I just can't.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

Hmmm . . . now we can play "Guess the Dog That's Stolen Poor Naked Hannah's Heart." My guess is either Jessica or Tara.

I know what you mean, Hannah. I think you'll probably get a doggie before I will, though, seeing as how I have to move first, and right now I don't even have a moving date. We must be patient . . .

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

Some of the critters at The Amanda Foundation have some pretty weird expressions on their wee faces. Who thought to put them in a tiki room setting? Cynthia looks like she wants to bolt for the hills, and Conchetta looks like she's laughing about the tacky kerchief around her neck. And Oscar's thinking "oh please just get this so not chic garment off of my body now!" Heh.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

Oh, those two are cute too, WG. But Millie keeps me up at night.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2002

And how about Dexter? He looks so sweet (as they all do)...I want to adopt all of them right now. I was literally looking through the pictures with tears in my eyes.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

And Millie would keep me up at night too.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

Y'all, meet Tanner.

And now I really really really have to stop looking at these pictures, since I absolutely cannot move down before June 25th and The Nonsmoker can't foster a dog in my absence.

Y'all with dogs, give your dogs some love for me and Hannah, OK?

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

No problem on the dog love, WG. I was actually thinking of the Dogless but not by choice on this thread last night, as Baxter fell asleep across my lap with his nose buried into the crook of my arm last night. He just seemed so relaxed and content, and so was I.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002

Murphy went to the vet today to discuss his dermatological issue with the doc. He has dry skin, and it's making him all itchy.

Otherwise, he's doing good and getting adjusted, though he hates being locked in his crate, and the separation anxiety continues. Getting better, though.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2002

Y'all! My parents! They got two flat-nosed, funny-looking, 11-week- old puppies. I told my mother last night I was moving down and she said, "Now we'll have a puppy sitter!"

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2002

WG - they sound so cute! Do they know how big of dogs they will grow up to be? Any idea of what breed they are? What did they name them? Are you still planning on moving South this summer? Could I possibly ask any more questions?

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2002

Do they know how big of dogs they will grow up to be?

Small -- my mother thinks they won't be much bigger than our late Trapper, who was 20 lbs. at his fattest.

Any idea of what breed they are?

Terrier mixes; Mom suspects there's a little bit of chow in there.

What did they name them?

Not named yet; the frontrunners as of last night were Pumpkin for the girl and Dopey for the boy.

Are you still planning on moving South this summer?

Sometime between August 1 and September 15.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2002