Puppy Love

I've got a snoozing puppy across my belly as I type this... and I couldn't be happier. Ok, the details.

Zinsser is a Schnoodle, which is a well established poodle/schnauzer hybrid which is very good for allergies and doesn't shed. The breeder we used provided another schnoodle on our block - Otto - who is a year old and a handsome devil. As a breed, they're hypoallergenic, smart, and playful. Great with kids, and easy to train (though their poodle brains make them crafty)... he'll get to be around 15 lbs fully grown.

Bella has wanted a dog almost since birth, and we have promised for years that she could have one on her golden birthday (10/7/09), but who wants to train a dog in the fall with the cold weather? We decided that springtime is the right time for puppies, so we put our deposit down for a puppy.

About that deposit: The breeder we used has a great reputation and we're very happy with everything they've done... but it's not cheap. Fortunately, I did a bunch of e-baying recently, and my proceeds from Star Trek toys, Depeche Mode t-shirts, and old computer interfaces paid for the dog outright.

Anyway, Bella and Isaac were off at swimming with Grandma and Grandpa while we drove out to Isanti to pick up the little devil. We made it back before they did, so when Bella walked in, she got to meet the dog. She was very reserved with a nervous giggle and a big smile... and carried the dog like a ticking timebomb for a while... but by the end of the day she was palling around like a pro.

As to the name: Bella has heard Papa talk about "Zinsser" for years - especially whenever discussing painting projects - he's a big fan of proper wall preparation. Zinsser is a wall primer. But Bella liked the sound of the word, and Papa sure says it enough that she remembered it... and she decided that would be a good name for a dog. She's had that as her dog name for at least a year now... So when she met the puppy, she named him Zinsser right away... "Z" for short.

So just how hypoallergenic is he? I've had him up close to my face for much of the day, and haven't had even a tickle of allergies. I've had worse reactions to Merino wool. This little guy is ok with my body, which makes me very happy. Because for as much as Bella has wanted a dog, I confess to having wanted one pretty badly for the past year too, so I'm happy to have him in the house.

I do hear that the first night for a puppy in his kennel is a noisy affair, so I'm expecting a bad night of sleep... bring it on.