Tumblr Blog

I have just  created a new tumblr blog in honor of Sparky and other Cairn Terriers out there. Here’s the link:

Tender Love and Cairn

The joys of puppyhood

Now I love Sparky, I really do. I just wish he didn’t poop and pee in his crate, and then lay in it and step in it and sniff at it all the time. I’d give him a bath everyday, except that baths are bad for Cairn Terrier coats. So I resort to wiping him down with a puppy bath wipe and then spritzing him with crisp apple puppy perfume. It works pretty good until the next time I put him in his crate, and then the poop-n-pee process repeats. I get really mad and frustrated with him, but all it takes from him is one lap around the house running full speed, tongue lolling, ears pinned straight back, doing that little grunt he does when he’s really exercising, before my heart melts again and he can do no wrong. And when I pick him up to look him straight in the eye to try to get a point across in a low, growling tone, all it takes is that little tongue to sneak out and lick me across the nose. It’s not fair that puppies have such powerful weapons in their arsenal. And don’t even get me started on the sad look he gives me when I’m walking away from the crate, or the pitiful howling he does in attempts to get me to let him out of the crate. It’s almost too much. But I don’t cave. I don’t know how, but day after day, I put him in the crate, even though I know he doesn’t want to go in there, even though I know I’ll just come home to a dirty, wet, smelly dog. Who knew house training a puppy would be so hard?

Introducing Sparky Jones

After a little convincing and a lot of driving, Sparky Jones came home with me yesterday. I had to drive to Social Hill, Arkansas to get him, which is about 20 minutes past Malvern. That’s a lot further away from Conway than I had originally thought. The long trek was worth it, though, when I pulled up and saw three little Cairn Terriers running around. I picked the cutest one, of course, and man, he’s so tiny and cute. I had a cardboard box with a towel and a toy for him to ride in on the way back, but he would have none of it. I ended up driving the hour and a half back to Conway with a sleeping puppy in my lap. 

In case you don’t know what a Cairn Terrier is, think Toto from The Wizard of Oz. While that is the most famous example of the breed, my favorite example happens to be from I Love Lucy. Little Ricky’s dog, Fred, was a Cairn terrier. In a nutshell, they’re the cutest terriers out here, hands down. I don’t have any pictures of Sparky uploaded yet, but I found a picture online to give you an example. It’s pretty much what Sparky looks like, except he has a black muzzle, black feet, and black ears.

 

So there ya go. Sparky Jones. He’ll weigh about  14 pounds when he’s full grown. Now begins the awful task of housebreaking him. 

How much is that doggy in the window…

There are few things in life that make me happier than a cute puppy. In fact, the only thing I can think of that could be any better would by my own cute puppy. I know that this is the most impractical time in my life to get a puppy. I know that; I really do. But the bottom line is I want a puppy. And honestly, I think the best quality a puppy owner could have is to really want that puppy more than anything. And buddy, I’m there. 

 

Now, I’ve had puppies and dogs my whole life. But these puppies and dogs were outside puppies and dogs. They weren’t allowed inside the house (except for the time Lucky got attacked by coyotes, and then Dad let him stay in the laundry room), they weren’t allowed in the vehicles (unless it was a truck bed), and they never even had collars or a leash or a gold medallion that read “Sparky Jones” (because this will be my puppy’s name). But I’m 22, going on 23. Almost married. Newly graduated. About to start a new job. I think the safe thing right now is to just get a puppy while everything is changing. I mean, I don’t want to grow complacent in my new life and then decide that a puppy would just intrude on what I have going on at the time. Nah. Let’s get Sparky Jones right now. I want a little collar with a gold medallion, and a leash so that I can take him to a park, and a little crate to keep him in during the day while he’s anticipating me coming home from, and to take him on a drive with the windows rolled down a little bit on both back doors so he can run back and forth from one to the other, feeling the rush of summer air on his little bearded, Schnauzer face. 

 

Sparky Jones, I’m ready for you. Are you ready for me?