My Running Partner

Hello all,

I realize it has been too long since I wrote, so I decided to get on the ball. To start, I need to let you all know that I love animals. Anyone who knows me at all, knows that I wanted to be a veterinarian as a young child, I volunteered at the Humane Society for a few years in high school and I have always had some sort of pet in my life. Since Mike and I have been married, we have gone through many different animals in an attempt to find the perfect one for our family. We tried cats, but my mom is allergic, so we had to get rid of them. We tried rabbits (still have one of them) and we tried dogs. Big dogs, little dogs, red dogs, yellow dogs...wait, that's a book. Anyway, we have tried lots of dogs!! Cannon, Turbo, Rowdy, and now Bronx. I think we have finally found a keeper. A little history: Mike LOVES cats. He grew up with cats. I grew up with dogs. I LOVE dogs. Allergies trump dislike, so it was agreed that if we had to choose between the two types of pets, we would choose a dog, much to Mike's dismay. Cannon was a puppy--too much work. Turbo was a huge pig--constantly digging in the garbage and eating food right out of Claire's hands. Rowdy was perfect!! Except that he was too big and he shed too much for Mike's liking. Plus, he was blonde, so the hair showed up everywhere. Mike hated that. So, we had to get rid of Mike, I mean Rowdy. ;) After that last one, we decided to get rabbits, but the kids soon lost interest saying that rabbits are boring. It's true. But, finally, Mike agreed that if we could find a dog that doesn't shed, is small, quiet, and good with kids, we could get it. Well, folks, we found him. Bronx. He is my new running partner (on the short runs of course, because I don't think his tiny legs could carry him much further than about 4 miles). He stays right by my feet, never straying, except if a large bus or truck goes by. If that happens, he curls into a scared little ball. He is very nervous all the time. He piddles if he thinks he's in trouble. I think he may have been abused by his previous owner. But, we are showing him what it's like to live in a home where he is loved and treated well. So, after some adjusting time, we are really warming up to this little guy. Best of all...his breed doesn't shed!!! We are all thrilled with that. His eyes are a bit buggy which get mixed reactions from people trying to decide if he's cute or ugly. You decide!