It's been one week

And I'm so happy to have a dog in the house again! She's delightful. A very sweet personality. Completely trusting of me. She's getting attached to the kids, too. In the morning, she wants to go visit them and wake them. Son responds much better to her waking him than to me!

In my original post, I forgot to mention my Daughter's reaction to this pup. Thanks for reminding me, Muse! My mother went to pick her up from school that day. I stayed home with the dog, who didn't have a name yet. Everyone was very careful to not spill the beans, so we could all see her reaction at once.

On the way home, my daughter spotted a "lost dog" sign in the neighborhood, for a Black Lab (no signs for Matsi, even today). She said to my mother, "I really wish we could have a dog." My mother visited with her about the responsibility of it and the commitment it takes to care for a dog. They pulled into the driveway.

As I heard the door opening, I went to the kitchen to greet Daughter as she came in. The dog followed me, peering around the corner between me and the wall. My daughter walked in and said Hi to me. She didn't look down.

"Hi," I said and pointed down.

Daughter looked down into the dog's big brown eyes.

"Awwww!" she said, making the cutesy face. "Who is that?"

"She doesn't have a name yet," I said. "We wanted to wait for your input before naming our dog."

Daughter's eyes went wide and she looked at me, not sure I was being serious.

"She's ours," I said. Daughter's smile said it all. Ear-to-ear and so excited that if she could have smiled more she would have. She dropped to a knee and started petting her.

We went to the den, and Daughter whispered in my ear. "Are we really keeping her?"

"Yes," I said. She giggled. "Be sure and thank your grandpa when he gets home."

So, we told the story of how she came to be part of our home. We batted around name ideas before finally settling on Matsi.

The kids are sharing the duties with her now. It's been good for both of them. Son is excited, too. The other morning, I heard my dad talking to Matsi as he got ready for work. Yeah, he's warming up to her quickly.

Thanksgiving about put Matsi on sensory overload. Too many smells, people, and activity. She barked twice, which is out-of-character for her now. I took her outside to play and she settled down.

Here's a picture of one of her favorite things to do. She plants herself on the stairs and looks through the rails, to spy on people in the kitchen.


We've discovered a few things about her. She doesn't beg. She will play outside, but not in the house. She knows some basic obedience commands. She comes when you whistle. And...she's not spayed.

Her first appointment with the vet is tomorrow. So, guess how we figured out this last tidbit? Oh yeah, just our luck. She came in heat. Dang, that's nasty.

So, now, she has pants.


Boys' boxer briefs, to be exact. They work nicely and are less expensive than the doggie-panties you get at the pet store. Oh, is she hating it! But she's a patient dog, and puts up with us fussing about this.

I could just kick someone's can for not having this done already. Ugh. Poor dear. I hate to put her through it, but I don't want to go through putting boxer briefs on a dog again.