Musings: Mom? Am I Princess Shelby?

Happy Chinese New Year!!

My Mom said I am the perfect dog to celebrate the Chinese New Year being a ShihTzu. I looked at her a little puzzled, because I was born in America, so why would I be a perfect dog for today’s Lunar New Year celebration. Every day Mom and Dad treat us like we are very special. But this made me think – why are ShihTzu puppies so special?

Here are a few things I learned:

  • The Shih Tzu puppy is prized for his/her small size, sweet nature, flowing coat, and intelligent mind – this means I am very smart and of course, I am extra sweet!
  • We are often called “chrysanthemum dogs” because of the way our hair grows up from our nose and around the face in all directions – this is especially true when we wake up in the morning before Dad combs our face hair!
  • Shih Tzu puppies are believed to have originated in Tibet, bred by Tibetan lamas to be a tiny replica of a lion, (hence the nickname, “the lion dog”) which is associated with Buddhist mythology. But did you know that we were almost extinct?
  • The name of our breed is a little hard to say, but it is pronounced SHEED-zoo. Although young boys always laugh when they say this – silly boys!

As a breed,  we lived among royalty and became refined during the reign of the Dowager Empress Cixi (T’zu Hsi, 1861–1908). After her death, the palace kennel was dispersed, and our breed became scarce for many years. As a breed we became virtually extinct in China after the Communist takeover of 1949. Luckily, a few individual pups survived, and seven dogs and seven bitches (this is what they call female dogs) became the foundation of all Shih Tzu puppies now existing.

We are not lazy dogs. We work hard and we are dedicated to our very special work. We don’t guard, hunt, or tunnel into the earth, although we love to retrieve balls (or in my case squeaky toys) that are thrown again and again. You should see Lincoln! He goes crazy playing “Bring It Back” with Mom and Dad. A game I am still learning.

As pups we are bred to do one thing, and do it well: We are considered the perfect companion dog, true sweethearts with only one purpose in life, we love to give love to the world and we love to soak it back in. We are an in-your-lap kind of dog – ask my Dad, I love being in his lap. We are generally quiet, but we will bark and alert you that someone is at the door, but as trusting creatures, if we know Mom and Dad like you, then we will like you too – although, I am still learning this and sometimes will continue to bark (but I am working on this). Playful and mischievous, be careful because we will steal your shoes or in my case, I prefer to steal Dad’s pen off his table. But most of all I love stealing my Mom and Dad’s hearts.

So you see, the ShihTzu is pretty special. We are an elegant and docile little “lion dog” highly prized by the Chinese court for centuries. As royalty in China, the ShihTzu male (this would be Lincoln and Tesla) considers himself a prince among dogs or for the female, a Princess. See Mom! I really am a Princess! (and I am a Lion Dog and I am Chrysanthemum Dog)! But mostly I am loved.

This is me, Princess Shelby with my current brothers, Lincoln and Tesla, and my past brother and sister, Beemer and Porsche. My family – or is that – Kingdom!

 

Musings: Mom? What is “Puppy” Love?

Shelby here! Yesterday, I asked Mom what love is. She told me that love is many things. She explained we can love things – like treats (oh how I love treats!) or like Mom loves my eyelashes (she really loves my eyelashes!) But she said this kind of love is different than the love you feel when you love someone, like she loves Dad or like she loves me! She said it really isn’t something you can describe, but it is the feeling you get when you are together that is even more intense when you are apart. I am pretty sure this is the feeling I experience when Mom leaves for work and then when she comes home or when Dad runs errands and I don’t go with him. My heart both aches and is warm at the same time when they are away, and it soars and I feel intense happiness when they are home.

Yesterday was a special day of love in our home and I am still experiencing the warm feelings of this today. It was a day when I was surrounded by sweet and unconditional love. I am surrounded by this same love every day, but yesterday was special. It was not only Valentine’s Day, a day of special treats, it was the day when my Mom and Dad celebrated their third Wedding Anniversary.

Their story is quite the love story. Mom and Dad have known each other for almost seven years – oh wait, that is puppy years – let me think – 7×7 = 49 human years (come September). They met when they were sophomores in high school and remember being friends, hanging out in study hall with their other friends, and they even had a trip to Eugene (Mom was riding down to see her friends, Dad was hoorah – I’m with Maggie Riggs!). Unbeknownst to Mom, Dad had a “puppy” crush on her back then, but he never told her – silly Dad! Just imagine!

Their lives took them in different directions, but they always stayed friends. They would see each other at reunions, or when Mom would make an occasional stop at Tebo’s (this was the restaurant Dad owned before he retired), and then about seven people years ago they connected on FB. In October 2014, Mom posted she had an extra ticket to a Portland Winterhawks game on the 30th. A rare Thursday night game when Dad wasn’t working  – and sure he would like to go! Dad was a little nervous, which seemed a little silly to Mom. But what Mom didn’t know was that Dad was newly single, and she never imagine it was anything more than going to a game with her old high school classmate! Boy was Mom surprised. The rest is what they call history. One more game and they couldn’t be separated! It was a whirlwind. Engaged on December 17th, they would be married on what must be the best date of the year February 14th, Valentine’s Day! Pretty cool story don’t you think!

As puppies we are pretty lucky. Dad immediately fell in love with Porsche, Miss Bentley and Lincoln and adopted each of them as his own. Once married they adopted Tesla, and then they adopted me! I don’t even want to imagine what might have happened had Mom and Dad never married, as Tesla and I would likely have never become brother and sister or found this very special forever home.

When I think of love, I imagine more than the love I feel when I see my favorite treats or my favorite toy. It is the warm feeling I get first thing in the morning when I see my Mom is awake and will rub my tummy and how happy I feel when I can give her kisses. My tail starts to wag and I feel this sensation of happiness that almost explodes from my heart like I have never felt before. I know I am safe and I know that I am loved.

 

 

Musings: The Rituals of Our Home

Hi all – It’s Shelby. I have been thinking a lot about rituals. We have certain ways of doing things in our forever home and it seems to me that these rituals are important for both puppies and people.

My Mom and Dad have an evening ritual they follow almost every night and I wonder if other puppies have parents who do the same. Just when I wonder about this, I realize us puppies have rituals too!

Every night when Mom leaves her office she calls Dad. She has a special tool in her car, so she doesn’t have to use her hands to hold the phone so it is safer and just like Dad we can hear all she is saying. Sometimes Dad is busy painting or walking us pupplies. But when he realizes Mom has called he always calls back. They talk about the traffic (what a silly thing to discuss) and sometimes when Mom forgets to take the backroad, they will talk about the “Crawl Over” (Mom laughs that this is supposed to be the “Fly Over”) and the “Free Parking on 217”! Mom always asks how the day was for Dad and how were the kids (this is us), and she usually tells Dad about her day. But, she would much rather talk about Dad and us, than work. It is always calming to hear their voices and we know when Mom calls this means Mom will be home soon. It is as if Dad is guiding Mom home safely, and we know Mom is less stressed by the traffic when she can talk with Dad. Before the call ends they also have this ritual of making sure they know they love each other – hearing this always makes me feel warm and happy.

Is is funny – within minutes of Mom’s arrival, Tesla and Lincoln will head to the door, they wait there and Tesla in his gruff little bark (he had his vocal cords destroyed by the mean people he lived with when he was younger) will sound the alert. I was so puzzled about how they knew Mom was coming. But then Lincoln told me to listen carefully to the sounds when she is talking to Dad. He said not only will I hear Mom’s voice, but minutes before Mom opens the front door – I will hear one set of clicks, then another, then really fast another, and fast another – within just a minute Mom will arrive. He said these are the ritual sounds leading her home.

Once Mom is home the rituals continue. We are all so excited to see Mom and I always run and find my favorite toy to bring to her to share with her. I want her to know how much I have missed her. Mom sits and one-by-one, we each spend a few minutes on her lap. She pets us, hugs us, gives us kisses and tells us how much she has missed us. We each patiently wait our turn, so goes the ritual, as we each know one of us will be next. Mom is home and that is the best feeling ever.

The other ritual we have at night involves Dad, but don’t tell Mom we also follow the same ritual during the day when we are just with Dad. As soon as Dad sits in his recliner, we each find our way to sit with him. Sometimes we are on his lap, but most often we surround him on the recliner. Lincoln usually sits next to Dad, while Tesla and I lie at the end of the recliner, often side by side. Sometimes, Miss Bentley will join us, but the closest she will get is the arm of the chair or sitting on the side table. Truth be known there isn’t much room left. But when Porsche was with us, she was always the one who would sit in Dad’s lap. We just love being close to our Dad.

Rituals are funny things, but as a puppy I think they are also important. For us kids, and for our Mom and Dad, they are the reassurance of joy of being connected to one another, and that all is right with our world. They are a series of actions or behaviors regularly and invariably (such a big word for a small pup) followed by humans and puppies alike. They bring a sense of comfort in their regularity and a sense of certainty in the sameness of each day. We are still finding our new normal and having these rituals help us know we are both safe and loved.

Oh! One final ritual. It is bedtime – and bedtime brings the ritual of treats! And you already know, I really love my treats!! Night all!

 

Musings: Four Months and I Love a Cat!

Hi all! Shelby here… But you already knew this! Can you believe it?! It has been four months, 16 weeks since I first arrived to my forever home. Sometimes I scratch myself (no not because of fleas!) and wonder if this could all be real. Never could I have imagined feeling so loved and happy.

The last four months have taught me a lot about being safe, being loved and learning that I am a special part of my pack of my two puppy brothers, my Mom and Dad, and of all things a cat! We are still learning about being a “new family” without Porsche. But since she left for the Rainbow Bridge, the boys have become closer to me. They watch over me and at night I curl up with them to sleep. Lincoln has started playing with me and Tesla, well Tesla may never play with me. But he always stands guard near me. I see him as my protector puppy. I have come to really love my brothers.

But of all the amazing things about my new family, who would have believed that I would ever like cats, much less love them – but I love my sister, Miss Bentley. She is now the oldest member of the pack and she does reign over her “kingdom”. She is really a special girl. She is an inside cat, but she does go out in the backyard with us other kids. When she was very young, at the recommendation of her doctor, Mom and Dad had her front claws removed to protect our eyes. The eyes of ShihTzu puppies are very close to the surface and can be easily damaged. But Mom explained to me the special technique that was used and how this is much more humane and not at all like the old, awful way. Instead of surgery, they use a laser that takes the nail off without removing any bone. It cost a little more money, but Mom said it was definitely worth it to ensure she wasn’t hurt from the surgery and that we pups would be safe. It is funny to feel her soft little front paw tap my face when she wants my attention. She does the same thing to Mom, but usually when she is hungry, which is seemingly all the time! Miss Bentley may eat more than we do – and like us – she loves treats!

Since I last shared my musings (isn’t this a funny word Mom is using), I have been spending more and more time with my Dad. I have started riding in the car with him on his errands and whenever he sits in his chair I am always the first one to be with him. It has become my favorite place and Mom seems to be okay with the slow progress on the remodel, because Dad just can’t get up when I am sitting in his lap. My Dad is a softie when it comes to us puppies and of course we know this!

This week is definitely a special week in our family. More to come!