Her name is Jackie, named for Jackie Kennedy Onassis because of the puppy's white chest and paws which reminded me of the white gloves and pearl necklace Jackie-O wore. Jackie is 12 pounds (and quickly growing) of pure love and happiness.

Part Italian Greyhound, part other (boxer and lab maybe), this is her on the first day I got her. She has already torn the blue monkey to shreds (poor guy) I have trained dogs before but never one so young and never alone.  It has been two weeks and it has been quite the adventure. Jackie was adopted from the Gulf Coast Humane Society.  A non-kill shelter.  If you are interested in a pet I encourage everyone to adopt there are many dogs and cats who are waiting for the right family or owner to come get them.  Check out Petfinder.com to find a local shelter! [WARNING: contents of petfinder.com are extremely adorable and will cause you to involuntarily "aww"  do not start browsing unless you want to end up with a new friend] Searching for the right dog took some time.  I visited shelters and browsed petfinder for almost a month.  With Camden's pet policy(varies slightly by property) I could choose from almost any dog.  This made my decision difficult but I knew when I met the right dog I would know it.  The only two that were disqualified were a five year old French Mastiff named Penelope and a 3 year old Pitbull named Hope.  Penelope wasn't allowed because she weighed almost 130lbs.  Hope was disqualified because of her breed. I walked almost 20 dogs, played with countless more and then I met Ashley, Jackie's sister.  Ashley was a calmer brindle version of Jackie.  I was in puppy love.  Jackie was jealous that I took Ashley on a walk.  When I got back I was walking away and Jackie wanted to play, so I played with her.  Something clicked.  I knew Jackie was my dog.  So I adopted her that same day. The biggest challenge: she isn't house broken.  I understood that this means that she is going to have accidents and that's okay.  I just don't understand where it all comes from!  Take this morning for example.  I woke up, as I always do, to walk her at  7:30am.  I was a few minutes behind schedule because-- well it was 7:30 in the morning.  I was putting my sandals on and picking up her leash and she starts peeing on the ground, directly next to the puppy pad (an absorbent pad for indoor doggy potty training).  As I have learned from my entirely too many hours of watching Caesar Milan's show yelling at a dog for going to the bathroom is mean.  They think it is because they went not because of where they went.  So I give in, spray and scrub the carpet. It's a beautiful morning so I take her on a warm 40 minute walk.  She did great!  She sat when I asked, she didn't chase the cats on our property, and she didn't pull on her leash.  This almost makes up for having to clean up puppy puddles.  Since she has a black coat and this is south Texas she gets hot quickly.  She was panting and tired so I brought her inside.  Promptly she decides to poop next to the TV. Still, she's worth it.  She is smart, stubborn, and adorable (just like me!).  I am benefiting just as much as she is.  I am losing weight from all the walks we have been taking, I am on a regular sleep schedule, and being responsible for a living thing keeps me on my toes.  She is a joy to have and I am excited to have a life long companion. So, feel free to tell me how beautiful and adorable she is :)