Dripping with Cuteness

When you read the subject of this week’s post, you probably assume I’m talking about myself. I am alluring in that “Oh God what is that thing!?” sort of way, but I’m actually talking about a puppy this time. And not just any puppy, but the insanely cute Miniature Schnauzer puppy that now shares a home with us. My wife went with me on a business trip to Destin, Florida this weekend (can’t imagine why she’d want to accompany me to that place), and we decided while there that it was time for our son to get a puppy. No, I have no idea why we waited until we were out of town on business to make such a decision.

We had been contemplating this for a while, and a trip to a boutique pet supply store near our hotel sealed the deal for us. The owner had her Miniature Schnauzer in the store with her that day, and we fell in love. The dog was cute, friendly, spunky and just all-around enjoyable. Later, back in our hotel room, the research began. No, “research” is not a codeword for anything naughty. I actually mean research. Anyway, when the wife and I get our minds set on something and begin the research phase, it’s the sort of research that is usually the domain of those with PhD’s and federal grants. We almost crashed the interwebz in the process, and learned everything there is to know about Miniature Schnauzers. The good, the bad and the cute.

Research lead to discussion, discussion lead to a decision, and a decision lead to a search for a good breeder in the area. The breeder selection actually lead to its own research, and we once again bogged down the interwebz with our undying thirst for knowledge. Yeah, I know. That’s a little dramatic. We just wanted information, so we looked for it and found it on the internet. But that doesn’t sound as exciting.

Hi, I'm Buddy. Yes, I know... I'm cute.

The breeder we finally selected was located a little over an hour away, so my wife drove out to look at the puppies while I worked at the boat show (that’s the real reason we were in Destin). While talking to some clients at the show, I received the picture to the left on my Blackberry. The wife had found love. The furry kind with a wet nose and an appetite for chew toys. Yes, that does indeed describe me pretty well whenever I have a cold and haven’t shaved, but I’m referring to the pup this time.

Needless to say, no one with a heart could say no to that face. He was cute, he was healthy, and he had a great personality. He was ours. My wife filled out the paperwork, gave them our money, and jumped back in the car to carry this cute little puppy to his new life with the Brown family. His name is Buddy, because he’s going to be my son’s buddy and it’s easy to say.

Now that we’ve spent a few days with this bundle of yipping cuteness, I consider us lucky. He goes to the bathroom outside, he hasn’t destroyed anything, and he sleeps at the foot of the bed rather than on my face. My son took to him pretty quickly as well, and they spent a little while chasing each other around the house last night. We still have to teach my son the meaing of the word “gentle,” but that will come with a little coaching. He’s only 17 months old, so he only knows two gears: asleep and wide-damn-open. I guess that’s something he and Buddy have in common. Say a prayer for the fragile stuff in our house if you have a moment.