Tuesday, October 22, 2013

introducing sumi the wonder dog

I truly believe in living as simply as possible. Our modest mid-century modern home is consistent with this philosophy as is my addiction to selling, buying and reselling all manner of used objects, furniture and clothing on Craigslist and eBay. I have found having cats is a low maintenance pet option and provides me an easy fuzzy fur fix.

cats and husky

But sometimes the universe interferes with your ideas of how your life should be lead.

Our 15-year-old son had been begging for a dog for several years. Personally, I don't cater to teenagers as I know they will be absolutely no help taking care of anything which includes themselves. So I ignored him. Kind of. I did take him to Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah which is a nation-wide animal shelter and rescue group.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Alex desperately wanted to take this puppy home ... a lab and pit bull mix, I believe. But, my husband wanted to be part of the selection and I didn't love this dog. She was cute, but I wasn't feeling it.

My good friend and her daughter did take a dog home, an Australian Cattle Dog puppy.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Truth be told. I have been just a tiny bit jealous.

My husband, son and I were having dinner Saturday night a few weeks ago at a local outdoor mall and wandered into a pet shop. Yes, Virginia, puppy stores still exist. Especially where the market is strong and the incomes are high. And the protesters can be kept at bay due to the fact the pet store is completely surrounded by private property owned by The Irvine Company.

I noticed an older Siberian Husky puppy in an open pen with children surrounding it, reaching in, petting, and just generally carrying on as children are prone to do. And the Husky went from kid to kid, doling out a lick here, a nuzzle there. Damn charming. I also noticed that she had been marked down. Twice. And she had one brown eye and one blue eye.

I think you know where this is headed.

White Siberian Husky, Brown and Blue Eye

So, that night I kept thinking about her. I asked my husband and son if I bought the dog tomorrow, would it be okay? They both responded immediately affirmatively. I was worried that the timing wasn't right with two back-to-back business trips in my immediate future. My husband asked, "So when is the timing ever right for anything?"

The next morning I called my friend, who had taken me to Utah to nurture and care for homeless dogs, and had adopted a puppy herself, and I asked her to tell me all the bad things about puppies. She did. Then I asked her if she would be disgusted and disappointed if I got a dog from a pet shop. She said no, all animals need homes. Even AKC breeds.

I went online and read all the bad things about Huskies. Independent. Mischievous. Active. Destructive when bored.

I think you know where this is going.

White Siberian Husky, Brown and Blue Eye

So I went back to the pet shop the next day and found a sales girl. I asked her to tell me everything about the Husky. She said, "Well first of all, she's my favorite." Then Sumi (the sales girl) proceeded to tell me why. In great detail. Because she had been taking care of the Husky personally every single day at the pet shop. I asked her what the dog's name was. She said she didn't name it (even secretly) because she would have taken it home, and she already has too many dogs and cats.

So, I made an offer. The pet shop accepted because the Husky was getting too big at twenty-five pounds and too old at four months. Frankly, Sumi told me, the pup was becoming a little tough to sell. After all, she was a large breed dog, hiding out in a pet shop filled with tiny puppy dachshunds, chihuahuas and pugs. At the end of the transaction, Sumi (the sales girl), with tears in her eyes, hugged the Husky puppy goodbye.

White Siberian Husky, Brown and Blue Eye

So, my bloggy friends, meet Sumi, the Wonder Dog. She came home virtually potty trained, totally socialized to people and dogs, and pretty much wrapped me around her paw from day one. Little cutey pie.

But man, the cats are pissed.

White Siberian Husky, Brown and Blue Eye

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18 comments:

  1. What a cutie! The cats may forgive you. They may even start liking Sumi. Then again, they may find a way to get even. That's one of the things I love about cats. :)

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    1. Cats are devious and they do have long memories. I love that about cats too. I am hoping they forgive me. They are calming down just a tiny bit.

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  2. Lucky puppy, lucky you! She's a beauty for sure. Of course you have a lot of work ahead of you, but it's worth it for the laughs she will bring you every day. Keep us posted on how she's doing!

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    1. She is a lot of work. Truth be told. We have modified our schedules, doled out duties, had meetings to discuss and then changed everything again. We will figure it out. We are getting professional advice from experienced pet owners about how to NOT let her take over everything and be completely in charge which is where we were headed.

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  3. Dogs have a way of doing that to you Rebecca. Sumi is gorgeous. She's gonna love you (and the rest of the fam forever!)

    p.s. don't worry about pics - you've got a new pooch to take care of!

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    1. I want to send you the pictures before it is too late. I know where the box in the garage is!!! Now that I am finally in town for a whole week I can get it done. Readers: Kylie is running a wonderful feature for Frocktober... and raising money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Her blog is http://lucyvioletvintage.blogspot.com/ and the pictures everyday of new frocks and models are entertaining, to say the least.

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  4. I love dogs that look like dogs (or foxes). She is definitely a doggy dog--not a manufactured breed. In your photos, she looks like she is trying to understand this strange world she has been dropped into. Or possibly she is looking for some mischief she can perpetuate.

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    1. She is a doggy dog for sure. In most pictures I am tempting her with a treat to sit still for the picture. So she is really thinking, "Hey. Give me the treat already. What is wrong with you? Give it give it give it give it!!!!"

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  5. Love the dog, but seriously, where did you get that rug by the washing machine? Looking for colorful, affordable rugs for my mud room.

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    1. That is a very good question. I love these rugs too. They are indoor/outdoor and come in a variety of colors and styles. I am ONLY using them in our house at this point. Very washable and good for Sumi the Wonder Dog. I saw them featured on a blog post and immediately went and bought these two. They are "Dash and Albert" and the post was http://theinspiredroom.net/2012/12/01/dash-and-albert-catamaran-stripe-runner-kitchen/. http://www.dashandalbert.com/

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  6. You should be aware that Huskies have a very strong pack instinct. At the Humane Society where I volunteer, we insist that someone adopting that breed already have another dog or adopt a second dog; otherwise, the Husky is very likely to get out of the yard on a regular basis, looking for the rest of his "pack."

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    1. Fair enough and thanks for the feedback.

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    2. You can be their pack. BE the pack leader and set your pack's boundaries. Let her stay in your room at night, while insisting she lay quietly and sleep. And unless she has a really horrific prey drive, which you would have found out by now, the cats will also be part of the pack, like it or not!

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    3. Just for the record, (all you Husky people)... miss doggy dog thinks that we are all in her pack, just like Anonymous says. She sleeps with us in our bedroom in a kennel and we do insist that she lay quietly and sleep. If she wakes up early and mutters, we take her outside, then right back into the kennel. And this works just fine. The cats are part of her pack too and her prey instinct, we think, is a play instinct. The cats do not like this, but are slowly getting acclimated to her presence. Just to be perfectly clear, we love this dog like crazy. She has not tried to run away at all when left for short periods of time in the yard. We come and go and it appears she is pretty confidant that she knows we are always coming back. At this point, although not a Husky expert, I would venture that a rule requiring adoption of two is unnecessary.

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  7. Congrats on your new bundle of fur! Yep, the cats WILL retaliate. And you won't know where or when it's coming. Because they're cats ;)

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    1. I love cats. Always have, always will. But I am very afraid.

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