Introducing . . . Bella!

You've heard us talk about her, but it is time to officially introduce her to those of you how haven't met her yet. (Yes, Mom, I'm talking about you too. What does that say about how long it's been since you've visited?!?)

Here is a picture of the newest member of our family: Bella. Bella is a 10 month old labradoodle. She is incredibly sweet and has a very lovable disposition. She also has much more energy than we're used to! I guess when you have two very old, lazy dogs you get a little spoiled. :) She is potty trained and thus far has not chewed on anything except for her own dog toys (which I must say she has a special gift for demolishing). She also has a great fondness for giving the kiddos kisses, and lots of them. It is not uncommon to hear "Bella, off!!!" in our house in response to said kisses on a not infrequent basis.

Bella loves walks and we try to help her work out her energy by giving her two walks every day. KD (Kiddo Dad . . . hey, we're going to anonymity on the web) takes her while I'm getting ready in the morning, and I take her when I get home from work. I've found that I almost look forward to my evening walks more than Bella does. It is a great way to unwind at the end of the day. I just pop my iPod in my pocket and listen to an audiobook while we're touring the neighborhood. She's pulling less on the leash now but she still freaks out when she sees other dogs. We're still working on that one.

We started our first puppy training class last Saturday. Um, Bella was by far the worst dog there. Not to mention she could have eaten most of those little puppies for breakfast in one chomp. (And seriously, I'm not kidding about the size differential). She pulled so hard sometimes that she actually pulled my chair across the ground in trying to get to the other dogs. I sure hope that improves, and quickly! I'll keep you posted on her progress.

So that is a little info about Bella. We'll be bringing home a little puppy friend for her in about 4 weeks. I'm trying to convince KD that Bailey is a great name to go along with Bella but he is still not sold on the idea. I originally lobbied for "Sassy" but DK took the firm position that its a cat's name. He bases this conviction on the fact that the cat in Homeward Bound was named Sassy. No amount of wheedling on my part will convince him that a name can apply to both cats and dogs. (I am sure will be a surprise to many cat and dog owners out there). But I'm starting to like the name Bailey better anyway, so maybe his stubborness has actually been a good thing.

I'll introduce you to Bailey (or whatever we name her) when we get her in about a month. For now, this is Bella. and as always, you are all free to stop by and visit her whenever you'd like!