introducing sumi the wonder dog

I truly believe in living as simply as possible. Our modest mid-century modern home is consistent with this philosophy as is my addiction to selling, buying and reselling all manner of used objects, furniture and clothing on Craigslist and eBay. I have found having cats is a low maintenance pet option and provides me an easy fuzzy fur fix.

But sometimes the universe interferes with your ideas of how your life should be lead.

Our 15-year-old son had been begging for a dog for several years. Personally, I don't cater to teenagers as I know they will be absolutely no help taking care of anything which includes themselves. So I ignored him. Kind of. I did take him to Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah which is a nation-wide animal shelter and rescue group.

Alex desperately wanted to take this puppy home ... a lab and pit bull mix, I believe. But, my husband wanted to be part of the selection and I didn't love this dog. She was cute, but I wasn't feeling it.

My good friend and her daughter did take a dog home, an Australian Cattle Dog puppy.

Truth be told. I have been just a tiny bit jealous.

My husband, son and I were having dinner Saturday night a few weeks ago at a local outdoor mall and wandered into a pet shop. Yes, Virginia, puppy stores still exist. Especially where the market is strong and the incomes are high. And the protesters can be kept at bay due to the fact the pet store is completely surrounded by private property owned by The Irvine Company.

I noticed an older Siberian Husky puppy in an open pen with children surrounding it, reaching in, petting, and just generally carrying on as children are prone to do. And the Husky went from kid to kid, doling out a lick here, a nuzzle there. Damn charming. I also noticed that she had been marked down. Twice. And she had one brown eye and one blue eye.

I think you know where this is headed.

So, that night I kept thinking about her. I asked my husband and son if I bought the dog tomorrow, would it be okay? They both responded immediately affirmatively. I was worried that the timing wasn't right with two back-to-back business trips in my immediate future. My husband asked, "So when is the timing ever right for anything?"

The next morning I called my friend, who had taken me to Utah to nurture and care for homeless dogs, and had adopted a puppy herself, and I asked her to tell me all the bad things about puppies. She did. Then I asked her if she would be disgusted and disappointed if I got a dog from a pet shop. She said no, all animals need homes. Even AKC breeds.

I went online and read all the bad things about Huskies. Independent. Mischievous. Active. Destructive when bored.

I think you know where this is going.

So I went back to the pet shop the next day and found a sales girl. I asked her to tell me everything about the Husky. She said, "Well first of all, she's my favorite." Then Sumi (the sales girl) proceeded to tell me why. In great detail. Because she had been taking care of the Husky personally every single day at the pet shop. I asked her what the dog's name was. She said she didn't name it (even secretly) because she would have taken it home, and she already has too many dogs and cats.

So, I made an offer. The pet shop accepted because the Husky was getting too big at twenty-five pounds and too old at four months. Frankly, Sumi told me, the pup was becoming a little tough to sell. After all, she was a large breed dog, hiding out in a pet shop filled with tiny puppy dachshunds, chihuahuas and pugs. At the end of the transaction, Sumi (the sales girl), with tears in her eyes, hugged the Husky puppy goodbye.

So, my bloggy friends, meet Sumi, the Wonder Dog. She came home virtually potty trained, totally socialized to people and dogs, and pretty much wrapped me around her paw from day one. Little cutey pie.

But man, the cats are pissed.

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