I got Pogo when I was 14 years old. I was in 8th grade and we lived in Memphis, TN at the time. It was not a good move for my sister and I, we hadn't adjusted well because we hadn't found a good barn for our horses, and starting new schools got harder as we got older. For myself, riding was as much about the social aspect as it was about the horses. When we couldn't find that same atmosphere as we had had in Jamestown, NC, I regret to say that I began to lose interest. But, I became more and more interested in dogs. Finally my parents caved. They could see how unhappy I was and they hoped that a puppy was just the thing to cheer me up. My mom likes to joke that I paid for Pogo in nickels and pennies, while this isn't quite the truth, it did take just about all the money I had at 14 years old.
We found a breeder in the paper and went and visited his house on a Friday evening. My mom, sister and I drove way out in the country with no cell reception. We joked that if they turned out to be crazy and we couldn't call 911, at least we could throw the phones. Cell phones were much heavier in 2004. They turned out to be perfectly normal, if only just a little country, people who just happened to love Papillons. The litter had been four total, but only two were left. Two little boys. I knew I wanted a boy because our family dog is a girl and allegedly they get along better this way, who knows. I went down to their play pen, in the sun room. I climbed in and sat down on the floor. Immediately a little black, white, and brown fluff ball jumped at me. I caught him as he flung himself in my lap and I realized he had just chosen me...not the other way around :-) The other puppy was sweet but not nearly as interactive or playful, it also didn't have the correct coloring which was important to me. I also got to meet his parents and some of his older siblings, they were all the epitome of a Papillon. I fell in love right away but it was a lot of money and I needed to think about it. The man told us not to wait too long as other people were coming to see the puppies the next day.
We went home and I thought and thought and talked it through with my parents and before long I knew I had to have him. We called the breeder back late that night and told him we would be at his house first thing Saturday morning to get my puppy. We got up early and back headed out to Millington, TN. I immediately went back to the puppies and looked at them again to be sure, but my mind was already made up. I counted out tens, fives, ones, and more than a few quarters which I'm sure the breeder really appreciated :-) Money is money, right?
He gave us his pedigree, some shot records, AKC registration info, some dog food and toys and we were ready to go. After stopping at the pet store for toys, bowls, a collar and leash, etc we went home and got his crate set up for him and introduced him to Pumpkin (the family dog) and Pickles (my sisters cat). I spent the first few days with him constantly. It was spring time, the end of April, and the weather was nice enough to spend time outside, so I set up a little playpen on the deck and sat out with him all day for a week (it was Spring Break for me).
I still remember his first night. His crate was in my room and I had been instructed by my agility trainer that he should sleep in the kennel from day one, not in bed with me (that lasted long....haha) or he would get too attached and not be independent enough. Somehow he managed to get out of the crate and climb down half the stairs crying. My mom heard him (their bedroom was on the first floor) and she came out to find him wedged up against the wall in the corner on a stair. Our stairs were hardwood until halfway up when they changed to carpet, he made it down the carpet steps but couldn't go any further. My mom spent the night on the couch with him whimpering into her neck. Thank you, mom! I really never heard him!
To be continued later....
