My New Life with Shilo & Lily

My New LIfe with Shilo & Lily
September 22nd, 2007

I never imagined my self with dogs. I was annoyed, sensitive and most of all, scared of them, even with the small breeds. My husband has always wanted a dog, and I was the kontrabida. I told him that even if our children asked for it, I will never give them one. A close friend has been convincing me to get one as my companion at home, and to have someone greet me every time I would come home from work. I just brushed the idea for years. So why all of a sudden get not one, but two dogs?

For 5 years of being married, my husband and I never really had any argument or fight. I thought we are pretty lucky to have a perfect relationship. The first time I got him upset EVER was when I didn’t want to get these 2 puppies for sale on the side of the road near an IKEA store in Salt Lake City. I have said negative things and he didn’t like it. All the time we were in the Ikea store, he wouldn’t talk to me, and he said I have ruined his day. Okay, I felt really bad for the first time and I cried and thought that we should just go home. I have never really seen him that upset with me in 5 years! I felt horrible.

After that dramatic encounter, I thought that this could be a blessing in disguise. I took it positively and agreed to my husband that we‘ll think about it seriously. After studying and researching for a week, I have a found a breeder in Mona, Utah and went there to check out her new litters. We’ve seen Bichon Frise (w/c was our first choice), then Shih Tzu, Chihuahua, Schnauzer, and many others. My husband and I have decided to get a male and a female Shih Tzu, 3 weeks old then. They were very little and fragile. I honestly didn’t have the love at first sight that I was hoping for. But I can never forget that moment because I’ve never seen my husband so happy. His beautiful almond shaped eyes just glitters. His million dollar smile could launch a thousand ships. He would blush every time the puppy would rub his nose against him. He would carry this tiny puppy in his hand like it was the most precious gold. We gave deposit and waited for 5 long weeks before we could bring these puppies home.

It was the longest 5 weeks of my life. I was counting weeks and days. I got excited and was looking forward to being a new mom. I didn’t tell all my friends, but only a few whom I know will be happy for us. I told my family in the Philippines and they really don’t know how to react. My colleagues at work were all thrilled. But people’s reaction is really not the most important to me. Having these puppies was my way of showing my husband that I truly love and care about him.

I finally took our babies home when they were 8 weeks old. We named the boy Shilo, and the girl Lily. I was excited but overwhelmed that I thought I have forgotten what I have studied for in the last 5 weeks. Shilo was the shy and nervous one, and Lily was the dominant one. Lily would lick Shilo a lot. In the dog world, licking is their way of taking care of the other. I saw myself in Lily as she was very nurturing. I decided to have them sleep next to me in our bedroom the first night. I was waiting for the “crying and whining.” I didn’t really sleep well that night. I would peak at their crate to see how they are doing. To my surprise, they were deeply asleep, and Lily wrapped her paws around Shilo.

Days go by and I was getting to know them better everyday. Lily has shown her very outgoing personality. She’s bubbly, cheerful and very playful. Shilo has become more relaxed and comfortable especially when Lily is around. I have developed my love for these dogs immediately and took my new role seriously. Having these puppies is slowly changing my life, going through potty training, feeding them, playing with them, bathing them, going to the vet, keeping them clean and smelling good, so on and so forth. I have spent more money on them that I have ever spent on my shoes in the last 2 years. But all the time that I have spent with them exercising, disciplining, and giving affection has been worth it all.

Now that they turned 12 weeks old, they have grown more than twice. I only want to give them the best of everything a human can give to his pet. And in return, Shilo and Lily will only want to give me their pure love and loyalty. I have taught them how to come and run, sit, up (or stand), get their toys, and give me five! They keep themselves busy with the tons of toys I give them, and just by playing with each other. None of my shoes has been torn apart and none of my furniture has been chewed up. They are very well mannered with visitors and friends. As they grow bigger, I can see Shilo grow up to be a good looking boy. Lily will be more high maintenance since she’s got a white face and she likes to get dirty. But I will not be surprised if she’ll become a beauty queen in her own right.

These “kids,” as my husband would like to refer to them, has brought more sense of humor to us. We would chase them around, “baby” them, sing and dance to them, and just be plain silly with them. They indeed have brought us joy and contentment in the past month.

For those of you wanting to have puppies, it is a big responsibility. There’s time and money involved to keep them happy and healthy. Get two dogs if you can. One dog can be a lonely dog esp. if you have to leave him alone for long hours while you’re at work. Shih Tzu breed don’t shed and they’re small lap dogs. They require little to moderate exercise, but high maintenance in grooming. You have to feed them only human-grade, premium quality dog food. They have a very independent spirit and may leave you alone if they see you are busy. Only get puppies from a reputable breeder. Read lots of articles first on dogs before you ever get one. But if you do get one, loved and took care of one (or two), they will change your life forever!