How we came to share a bed with an 80 lb dog.

Wow! Chloe is having a great day so far! She actually jumped up, ran to the door and barked when the FedEx guy showed up on our doorstep. Then a bird had the audacity to land on the back patio. This didn't go over well with Chloe, who just about went throught the sliding glass door to get at it! This may not sound like much, but enjoying doggy things is a big part of knowing how she's feeling.

OK ~ I promised a happy story, so here it is:

Chloe became part of the family on July 10, 2001. Jim, Shawna and I had been living in the city of San Diego. Jim & I decided we wanted to sell our home and buy a larger home in the smaller town of Ramona, up in the hills. This did not go over well with a teenage Shawna, who felt that Ramona might as well be Timbuktu. To take the sting out of the move, we promised to get a puppy.

Jim & Shawna visited the Helen Woodward Animal Center and looked at all the available doggies up for adoption. They didn't have much luck until they spotted a little pup in quarantine. "Zig Zag" was recovering from kennel cough. It was love at first sight. After work, I met Zig Zag and adoption papers were signed.

When we adopted Zig Zag, she was just a tiny scruff of a dog! She was born on May 1, 2001. Her records show her breed as a dachsund/pitbull mix ~ HUH?! Supposedly, the dachsund was the daddy. I still have a difficult time picturing this! Anyway, the pup was supposed to grow into a medium size, 40 pound adult dog.

Zig Zag is no name for a pup as cute as this one (or any pup at all, for that matter!) so while I was shooting for Layla, Shawna ultimately came up with the winning name ~ Chloe.

Because we all worked, it was decided that Chloe would be crate-trained. We purchased a cozy crate for her and lined it with a soft blanket and her water & food bowls. At night, Shawna kept Chloe in her room. Even in a new environment and away from her brother, Chloe never cried. It took us a few days, but Jim & I discovered why Chloe was so quiet and well-behaved.

I went into Shawna's room in the morning to wake her up to discover this: Chloe's crate on Shawna's bed, the crate door open, and Chloe cuddled up right next to Shawna. Apparently, Chloe did whimper and whine while in her crate at night. Because Shawna is such a sucker for sad faces (I love you to pieces, but your weak!) she started out by putting the crate on her bed. When Chloe continued to whine, Shawna opened the door, "in case she did want out." And that, my friends, was the end of crate-training. It was also the end of the 'No Dogs on the Furniture' rule.

So Chloe grew. And grew. And grew. And so did Shawna's interest in boys and hanging out with her new Ramona friends. Oftentimes, Jim & I were in bed (with Chloe) long before Shawna's curfew was up. Thank heavens for Cal King beds!

Our friends at Helen Woodward must have gotten some bad information: Fully grown, Chloe topped off at 80 pounds, and as far as the dachsund/pitbull mix, you tell me. I don't see it. I actually had a Rhodesian Ridgeback owner ask if Chloe was Ridgeback. Hmmmm...