When our kids were little, we had a dog that I nicknamed “Cujo”.  For those of you that are old enough to remember, Cujo was a dog that got rabies and trapped a mother and her child inside a hot car.  Our dog did not have rabies but I think by his nickname you get the point.

Being in the animal health industry, almost EVERYONE has a pet, whether it be a dog or a cat. Throughout the years of being without a pet, I would be asked if I had a pet. I would simply say “no”, not at this time, leaving out that I travel a lot and my family still has bad memories of our last dog.

I like dogs and cats, but my wife dislikes cats so that is always going to be a no go.  All of our children are grown up, so there was not a need to get a pet “for the kids”.  I had resigned myself to the notion that there would never be a pet in our home again.

When I returned one day this past spring from a business trip, I noticed my wife looking at dogs online.  The more she looked, the more she thought that getting a puppy again might be the perfect thing to do. If, and only if, it were the right breed with the right temperament.  Within a few days, I started hearing about how having a Maltese or something similar would be a great addition.  Once I heard this, I knew we were going to become owners of a new puppy!

We then spent hours looking for just the right puppy to bring into our home. We looked to see what was available at local rescues and shelters, but nothing was peaking our interest. Then one day we found a local breeder that had a litter of Maltipoo puppies that needed a home. Immediately I picked up the phone and arranged to go to the owner’s house and pick out a puppy.

When we pulled up it was obvious by the number of cars in the driveway that we were not the only ones there to bring home a puppy!   We walked in the door and every puppy was in someone’s arms.  We were looking for a male, but there was only one. He was sitting on the lap of a young girl.  Her family had already decided to take one of the puppies and was considering taking a second to have a playmate for the first one. My wife asked the girl if she could hold the puppy, and she offered him to her.  I knew in that instant that this dog was going home with us!  I then heard a familiar voice say “I want this one” and home the three of us went. I still lightheartedly accuse her of ripping the puppy from a child’s arms.

We decided to name him ‘Storm’.

The first few nights, I did not sleep much, bringing back memories of when we brought our children home from the hospital.  How can something so small make so much noise?! He did not bark at first but sure knew how to whine, doing so for hours at a time. The initial 'storm’ has now passed and our 2-pound puppy is now 7 months old and now weighing in at 6 pounds. 

Believe it or not, I like 6-pound dogs.  It is so easy to pick them up with one hand and take them wherever YOU want to go.

Between vet visits, vaccinations, worming, grooming and obedience classes (the list could go on and on) he has been a ton of work, but I certainly like this new addition to our home.  Everyone at home seems happier now and Storm brings a smile to our faces, lifting our moods. All of the hard work is definitely worth it!

I even get comments here at work! People say I seem happier now and not as grumpy as I used to be!  So not only am I enjoying this, so are the people around me!  We have all fallen in love with little Storm.