A dog!

Well, last night (13 February) was not a good night in the house. I guess being a Friday night, there were some guys who had a bit too much fun at the Oliver Cromwell pub which is at the end of our street. They were walking around the street being loud and obnoxious and knocked on our windows a couple of times and even knocked on my door once! Of course, Christopher wasnt home, and I was freaking out, but they eventually stopped, thank goodness. There were a few other creaks and groans that got the hair on the back of my neck standing up, but Christopher got to come home from work about 1am to check on me before he had to go back and finish the night out, so that was good. I felt like a whimp, but he pointed out that I'm still getting comfortable in a new place, albeit a new country even, and that not every night is going to be perfect.

But, we decided that for Christopher's peace of mind at work and my sanity in a creaky old house at night, we're going to get a dog! We miss Josie and Denny terribley and dont know if we'll be able to bring them both over here. To get them here, it would require a 6 month home quarantine, which Mom has offered to take care of, but the big problem is on the flight over, they have to be in a kennel in the underbelly of the plane, instead of in the cabin. Which really worries us both...they dont call the belly of the plane the "puppy snuffer" for nothing.

So, in the meantime, I spent most of last night and quite a bit of this morning researching breeds online since we kind of wanted something different. After much consideration, we've decided on one of these guys:

An Affenpinscher



Here's some info:

Pronounced 'Affen - pincher' meaning Monkey Dog, this breed has the face and expression of mischievous little black monkeys. The dark, sparkling eyes and prominent chin are framed by a beard, moustache and topknot of tousled black hair. The coat on the rest of the body is shorter and rough in texture needing little care except for brushing.

The Affenpinscher ear carriage can be either erect or dropped and the tail is left a natural length and carried in a gentle curve up over the back when on the move. The breed abroad has both ears and tail cut off though attitudes are changing and Affenpinschers 'au naturel' are appearing in America and Europe.

These dogs are as active and playful as the name implies. They are easily taught and are happy to take as much or as little exercise as you are prepared to give them. Affenpinschers are hardy and large enough to tackle country walks with enthusiasm, yet small enough to be tucked under one arm if necessary. They are full of curiosity and their own self-importance, are slow to make friends with strangers and make good watchdogs.

The Affenpinscher is one of the sturdier of the small breeds, weighing about nine pounds and being up to eleven inches in height. Like most toy breeds they are not suitable companions for very small children who can be unintentionally rough with them. Otherwise they are great comics, loyal and loving to their owners whose every move is watched with jealous attention. The breed originated in Germany and was introduced into Britain in 1975.

*Source: affenpinscherclubuk.com

We've found some breeders online and I've contacted them, so hopefully we'll hear something soon and we'll have a new dog!!! Wish us luck!

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!