Puppy love

I met a woman in Forest Park a couple of days ago who was walking her Boston Terrier with her family. Being the BT fanatics that Jeff and I are, we stopped and talked to them about common BT quirks, how crazy Annie is, etc... After they walked away, we realized we had met the most Boston Terrier obsessed person ever. Its not uncommon for people to open up about how much they love their dogs when we meet other BT owners because they are such a funny breed of dog. This woman took it to a whole new level when she told us that she has created a blog for her dog, written from the perspective of the Boston Terrier. Wow. It was amusing to watch her teenage son and daughter roll their eyes behind her because their mom had gone off the doggy deep end. In a small way, I can kind of relate (as much as I hate to admit it). In June of 2004, I picked Annie out of a litter of 5 puppies when she was just 5 days old. She was the only female and the runt. I loved her perfect little half and half face. I e-mailed the breeder constantly, asking for updates and pictures until I could take her home at 8 weeks. Looking back on it now, I'm sure that I purchased her from a puppy mill because of the sheer volume of dogs that the breeder had. Knowing what I know now about those places, I probably wouldn't have given my money to this breeder but then again, I wouldn't have my Annie. So I tell myself that I saved her life and that makes me feel better.

Annie - 2 weeks

Annie - 5 weeks

Annie is a little over 4 years old now and loves her stepdad, Jeff, very much even though he wants to enforce the rules and not let her sleep under the covers. He threatens to ship her back to Springfield when she refuses to go outside to potty when it rains. She's a diva and she doesn't like to get her feet wet. I can't blame her. I wouldn't want to get rained on either when I'm trying to do my business. I bought her Halloween costume today and decided that she's going to be a piglet this year. Its appropriate because she is notorious for snorting like a pig when she is mad, excited, or drinks too fast. Jeff hasn't seen the costume yet but when he does, he will respond with complete silence and a look of exasperation. Maybe pity. Who knows.

So maybe I'm not too far off from the lady in the park. I never understood people who become so attached to their pets until I got her. I get it now.