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Our dog's name is Opie. Being complete weenies when it came to the best way to find a dog, we did an Internet search. All we wanted was to to find a small, calm lap dog. The ad featured a Chiweenie (half-Chihuahua, half Dachshund) and promised that the dog wouldn't get over 7 to 8 pounds. Unsure of the breed, we did some research. After some discussions - we decided to take the chance and go get him. Unfortunately, we took our two kids and neighbor boy along with us. Note to all prospective dog owners - pre-teen kids think ALL dogs are awesome and don't normally give a unbiased opinion.

We found the house, knocked on the door and entered. The smell was horrendous! Fleas were everywhere, including on the toddler who lived in the house. One of the two puppies was lethargic, but the other was frisky. Nothing was clean or well maintained about the house or the people living there. I was ready to walk out then, but my kids just fell in love with the frisky pup immediately. Not having the heart to be a mean mom, I wanted to make the transaction as quickly as possible and get out of there.

On the way home, we stopped for flea medication, dog food, puppy training pads and toys. Within 24 hours, Opie became lethargic and sick. He would throw up constantly. He kept looking at us with the saddest eyes. We took him to the vet, who did numerous tests, but couldn't find what was wrong. For 48 hours, fully expecting him to die, we took turns with a syringe squirting liquid protein and pedialyte down his throat. We prepared the kids as well for the puppy's death. Miraculously - he survived! To this day - we believe he had distemper.

He is now over a year old, completely hyper and yippy and does not have a drop of Chihuahua blood in him. We believe he's a Dachsund/Jack Russel mix. Although he's still relatively small, he weighs about 20 pounds - most of it muscle.

So - how many mistakes did we make? Plenty! I would not recommend our method for selecting a family dog. However, we wouldn't give him up for the world - he's definitely become part of the family.

Just between me and my readers - every now and then when I'm tired or not feeling well, I truly wish that Doggie Valium exists. I hope all hyper, yippie dog owners understand the feeling.

Learn more about this author, Linda J Banks.
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