A week before Christmas, 2005, I was on cloud nine as we drove down the backroads.
Of course, I was not high. Except for the kind of high that only comes from a - you guess it, new puppy!
It was my Christmas gift to myself. I had been following the progress of that litter since they were a week old. It was consisted of 5 beautiful longhaired puppies - 4 black and tan and one bright red girl. The bright red girl was my choice.
I could barely contain my excitement as we made our way towards the breeders house.
I already had the perfect name picked out for her. Shelby. I made my way into the breeders house, and saw the playpen with 5 beautiful little puppies. And one red mother dog glaring STRAIGHT at me. Angrily.
We made our way home with me cuddling Shelby in my arms in a blanket. The poor little baby was shakey and scared of everything. Wasn't too soon but on Christmas night though, my excitement was soon broken when my baby seemed to be in some excrutiating pain. Everytime I would touch her, and sometimes randomly, she would scream as if being murdered. I was up crying that night. "This beautiful puppy, and I can't even be near her. And she's in pain? What happend? What did I do?"
Worrying and worrying for days on end, the day of her vet visit, Shelby immediatley stopped her crying. Whatsoever. She was completely SILENT. Not a sound. We took her into the vets office, describing her problem, but they looked at us as if we were crazey. Shelby of course made her way around the office being cuddled, wagging tail, recieving treats. Silent.
Later we were out in the parking lot. Sense of relief flowed over me."I love you Shelby," I said, placing her on the ground outside to open my car door. Immediatley she began screaming as if severe pain.
Until I picked her up again.
I looked at her, oddly and speechless, as she gave me a look as if to say "Ha ... ha ... HA."
To this day when Shelby doesn't get her way, she brings out the ear shattering screaming. In fact she does that most of the time. If she's happy, if she's angry, if she's hungry, if she's sad. And it's QUITE an ear piercing sound.
I love my little Shelby.
But I love her more when I wear earplugs.
(The picture at the top of the page is Shelby, her first morning home)
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