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Sunday, February 23, 2014

Bella

If this long winter has had a bright spot, it has been inside the house for us, not outside.  Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Bella, the new daily companion of Mrs. ProfessorRoush.  She's 8 weeks old in these pictures, but we've had her 4 weeks today.  Our recent empty nest syndrome was hitting Mrs. ProfessorRoush hard, but I think we've got it licked now.  Or at least we're being licked to death by our "cure" for the empty nest syndrome.

Bella is the offspring of a beagle mom who was a little loose with the neighborhood boys.  We're not exactly sure who the father is, but he is believed to be a Fox Terrier.  At least that was the theory of the breeders, who thought it was the Fox Terrier because he "was the only male dog in the area of the right size at the time."  As a veterinarian, I'm not so sure that an asymmetric mating is so impossible, and it would be about my luck that the father was a coyote.  Bella's beagle genes seem to be pretty strong here, however so we'll just call her a beagle, leave the paternal component unspoken, and just tell her that Daddy was an interstate trucker.  

On the behavior side, we've gotten pretty lucky.  The first night we brought her home we put her to a crate bed around 9:00 p.m. and she left us alone until 6:00 a.m.  Even better, she's done it about every night since, so she's a lot easier on our sleep patterns than either of our human offspring were.  Potty-training has really gone pretty well with the exception that the cats, Millie and Moose, won't leave us alone and distract Bella every time we take her out.  In the meantime, Mrs. ProfessorRoush is completely besotted, as every new mother should be.   I'm just hoping Bella's daddy really was a Fox Terrier and that I get a decent garden rabbit-chaser in the bargain.  It's the least Bella could do for the money I'm trading for puppy food, toys, and shots. In the meantime, I'll try to resist looking at her and thinking about how many new roses I could have bought instead.

10 comments:

  1. Congratulations. Adorable. I want one. We have been dogless for two years while we camped out in various rentals before finally finding our 5 acres. Still on hold as we plan an extended trip to the 'old country" later in the spring. Then it will be all systems go.

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    1. Yes, they definitely take a time commitment at the beginning. Poor Mrs. ProfessorRoush is exhausted every evening!

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  2. We just added a Bella to our household, a pure bred Malamute, my son's dog.....but she is here every day!! Just love her, she is adorable, as is your Bella!! Loved the story as well! N.

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    1. Thanks Nella. Good luck with the Malamute; your Bella will have a bigger footprint then ours!

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  3. What a sweet little girl! (And, boy, are you lucky in her sleeping habits!) I'm looking forward to watching her grow up from afar.

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    1. I'll keep you posted. BTW glad to hear your snow crocus are blooming....that means mine should follow within a week or two!

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  4. Congratulations on the new addition to your family ... and may I offer my admiration for taking on a puppy. She is adorable and I can see why your wife is so smitten.

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    1. Thanks, Connie. Hope spring comes soon for you out there!

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  5. Thanks so much for sharing your joy with us. She sure is a cutie and I hope she chases rabbits for you as good as my Westie does for me. Nothing like the fun of a new puppy or the work! Be sure to share pictures of her enjoying your garden.

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    1. What a great idea Penny! That'll help me fill in those long months next winter!

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