Introducing ... Sadie...and Belle...and Fitz

I don't recall how it began. At some point before we left Georgia, either Sydney had asked for a pet or her mom had decided that a dog would ease Sydney's transition to a new environment. All I know is that it happened. Not more than a month after moving into our new house last July, they decided to go out looking for a dog. "We're just going to look," they said. "We're going to spend a lot of time researching to see what type of dog would be best for us," they said. "Good! Because we're not ready for a new dog," I said. "We should wait until we get some furniture and get comfortable with the house, the neighborhood, the new life," I said.

After having that good talk as a family, they left. Three hours later, she showed up.

What? A leash? How dare you?!?

"Isn't she pretty?" Sydney asked. " I named her Sadie."

Sydney actually had spent quite a few weeks researching different breeds of dogs and had pointed out pictures of a bichon to me before. I just didn't think we would find one so quickly. Apparently, Sydney fell in love with the 3-month old puppy right away at the store and insisted on getting her. And so, we have our newest family member aboard.

That was 3 years ago. That was our first venture into the world of dog ownership as a family. It was fun and terrifying at the same time. Sadie was the cutest, sweetest little fur ball. I called her "Sweet Face" because of her adorable little face and the way she would look lovingly at us. We had the best time playing with her and pampering her. At the same time, we had no idea what we were doing. A few months into ownership, I walked her religiously twice a day to make sure she gets time outside to do her business. One afternoon, no sooner did I turn the corner of the block that I saw two large dogs turning the corner about 2 blocks away. They were not on a leash, and the owner was nowhere around. I hesitated to take another step with little Sadie. Then it happened. The dogs spotted her and made a bee-line for her at full sprint. They were on top of us in about 5 seconds. I yanked Sadie up by the leash, trying to cradle her in my arms. But the dogs had reached us. One went around me while the other came straight for Sadie. I managed to kick the first dog in the face but the one who went around me caught Sadie by the throat before I could fully get her into my arms. I thought she was a goner. I spun around and screamed while burying my foot into the second dog's ribs. Luckily, that got their attention, and the dogs stopped attacking. They took off while I hustled back into the house. Sadie was scared out of her mind but she was not hurt. Needless to say, I walked Sadie while carrying a big stick for a long, long time.

About a year later, Sydney became obsessed with having a second dog. She was determined to get a teacup chihuahua. A what? What the...? Honesty, the thought of owning a trembling, teary-eyed, rat never crossed my mind.