What was I thinking?

4 weeks ago we decided to make the jump...and the time was right.. to add another 4 legged creature to our family.  After months of mulling over what might be right for us we decided to stay with what we knew and acquired another Standard Schnauzer.  We got her from the same breeder we used with our first Standard.. 16 years ago.  Our first Schnauzer, Shadow, was salt and pepper.  We wanted to be a little different this time around so we went with black.  Personality wise, Murphie is pretty much a clone of the first one except not so dominant.

So.. for the last 4 weeks, one of us is up at least once in the night to take the dog out.  She is really exceptional...she took to her leash, collar, crates, etc with NO fussing.  She fetches and is learning to sit.  NOW..if we can just get thru the puppy stage and all the teething and biting.  We are working on it.. she has a million toys.. but it will just take time.  In the meantime I use a variety of bandages when she gets my hands and just persevere.

A Standard Schnauzer is the middle size of the Schnauzers but the original of the Schnauzers.  She will be between 35-40 pounds.  They are watchdogs but not aggressive.  They are protective but friendly.  They are loyal and NOT yippy like their smaller cousins.  They are VERY energetic and love to exercise, walk, etc.  We have to wait until all of her puppy injections are up to date to socalize her much because of the fall epidemic of Parvo.  They were bred to rat so she often has her nose buried in the grasses...and the mole hills drive her NUTS.

All in all... we are pretty happy with her.  There are days... but I think that goes with any new addition, two legged or four legged!  She is learning to travel in a carrier in the car and really doesn't seem to mind that either.

This is a picture of our first Schnauzer, Shadow with her pal, Scooter.  We lots both pets to cancer in the past few years.

Lucky for Murphie, we adopted another cat when we lost Scootie.
And the one we adopted happens to love dogs.  So... they play all the time.  Murphie thinks KoKo is just another litter playmate.  Lucky for us!  And how ironic to have picked a cat who likes dogs. Makes you wonder!

Koko checking our Murphies Bed (and food)

More pictures as she gets older.  She is growing by leaps and bounds.