Meet Zadie...

This week we finally found our perfect puppy (she is sleeping over the air conditioning vent right now).

We have talked about a puppy for awhile, but I felt that deep inside I was never quite prepared for one. You see, I was not raised with “animals” (as my mother put it) in the house, so pee-pee accidents never concerned me.

We found Zadie online, hey, this just happens to be how Jerome and I met. It worked for us and, yes folks, it can work for puppies too.

You do have to be careful meeting puppies ( and people) online. Our first puppy experience was not a good vibe .

We were told it was a purebred, “Do you have the papers?” NO

We were told it was up-to-date on her shots, “Do you have the vet record?” NO

Ah...then no.

We met Zadie (formerly known as the artist 'Tiny') on Tuesday and met her dad too, Sam.

Sam is 2 ½ and is a purebred Shih-Tzu. As for Zadie’s mom? Never met her, but she is half Shih-Tzu and half Bison Frise.

So we took one look at her ...sold.

I was playing it cool, like I was buying a car,keeping my cards close to my chest. Jerome, however, was rolling around on the grass with her. Our cover was totally blown.

We get to the car (as we decided that under no circumstances will we look at a dog and take her/him home the same day) and Jerome turns into a five-year-old. “Can we get her...can we get her? Can we get her NOW?”

We drive away.

I had to talk him out of it, “We have no food at home; we are not prepared for a puppy tonight”.

I mean, I knew we were going to get her. I just needed one last full night’s sleep, to be mentally and physically prepared and to make sure I felt the same way about her when I got home.

We get home and immediately called the owner to plan pick-up the following day.
So...guess who was at Walmart at 11 p.m. that night? Not that there is anywhere else you can go buy puppy supplies at 11 p.m. at night. By the time we got home I was exhausted. Then Jerome wanted to discuss names....

Why, for the love of god, why?! I was delirious at this point.

He felt we should do something literary since he is an English teacher and I am a librarian.

If it was a boy dog it would have been easy...Mr. Darcy (from Pride and Prejudice), but a girl dog proved harder to name. I am seriously thinking of getting another dog just to use this name, people!

I liked Maude (after the cult flick Harold and Maude), its unique, quirky but more suited for an older dog; she would have to grow into it. Plus it didn’t seem that fun. I just couldn’t think of a cool literary female reference.

Jerome went online and started surfing dog name sites, at this point it is midnight, I am in bed and beat. Then I thought of one of my favourite authors,

Zadie Smith.

Done.

Jerome liked it, I liked it. It was Sadie with a Z.

So, the following day we pick her up. We are given a kennel, food and her vet papers.

Jerome takes one look at the kennel and said “I am not taking that thing in the house!” It was beat up, dirty and duct-taped together,missing screws.

Once we got home I took it apart, cleaned it thoroughly and went next door to or lovely neighbour, John, who is a retired mechanic and he found me some nuts and bolts to do the job. It now looks great.

I must admit, I was worried that we would not sleep at night after putting her in there. She cried for 10-15 mintues and slept. The following morning Jerome removed her and she had no accidents and dutifully went outside.

She has been an amazing puppy thus far; easy-going, playful but not too hyper, and just rolls with the punches. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her as we have.

I feel so lucky that I met the second love of my life also online!