It's Miller, er Millie Time!

Millie comes home!
As of last Monday, Millie has owned me for seven months. She was nine weeks old (approx.) when I adopted her.

I had to wait until after my work day to pick her up. By then, Millie's littermates had gone home with their new people and she was all alone. From the back, I heard her hysterical screams.
I said, “Is that her?”
The shelter gal said, “Yes, she doesn’t like being left behind.” 

Another shelter gal brought her out to me, both looked at me, neither seemed impressed. The shelter gal showered her with kisses then handed her to me saying all kinds of ways I was supposed to care for her. I carried her to the car with two hands per instruction by the shelter gal who brought her to me, but one hand would have sufficed.

Me the owner—you the dog, I declared in my mind, on our drive home. Later I would find out that Millie was born with her own set of rules and most of them might be at tad bit selfish. I'm pretty sure at three pounds, she was thinking, "You the human, me your owner."

It was a miserable first-night for both of us. She didn’t like being away from her warm fuzzy siblings. I didn’t like puppy crying sort of reminded me of baby crying, which makes me sad.

Here are some things I may not have told you about Millie:

* On FB, there was a long line of (crazy) women that screamed (the internet way) for one of the puppies--any puppy. It was like I was at a James Taylor concert all over again. So…
 
* I got nervous when one of the shelter gals on FB said yes to the screamers in the internet crowd, that the puppies were still available. I thought they had all been spoken for. So…
 
*I messaged the shelter gal on FB, then emailed her, then called the next day to make sure I was in line to pick one out (with longish hair) that afternoon. She told me to stop worrying and relax. (I'm pretty sure I heard her whisper through the phone, something about a crazy woman before she hung up.)
 
*Millie and her sibs had a story. Millie’s mother and father (a Maltese and Shih-Tzu) somehow magically, unexplainably, got together and had six puppies. At six weeks of age, the owners felt like they couldn’t take care of two adult dogs and six puppies . Five were surrendered to the shelter, flea covered and bitten.

This you may remember. From the git go, Millie was sooo tiny, but mighty fast. She was also bitey, and I thought I was going to lose my mind.

Somehow we've made it this far in spite of her rules. She is the biggest clown and makes me laugh daily. Yesterday, she saw new weather in MO--snow. I wondered what rule was in place for pottying outside in the snow. Guess what? She loves snow! 

She forgot about pottying, forgot about taking her time while sniffing every piece of grass, rock and air particle, forgot about eating crisp leaves and neighborhood noises. She dove in head first (wished I'd taken a picture of that) like she was diving for pearls. Millie loved snow so much that every time she went outside, the snow was deeper and she tried to eat every bit of it, in her fenced yard.

Millie pointing her curly tail at you!
Millie would like for you all to know that she prefers hopping through the snow, eating the snow, sporting snow moustaches and freezing paws to...

...wearing her new coat and hood and posing for the camera. (New Millie rule: You can make me wear the coat, but you cannot make me smile for the camera.)
 
Aww, Millie, you goof ball.


 

Comments

Happy Puppiversary! She's a doll.
Hi Teresa ... lovely photos and story line - I bet Millie is mighty to grateful to be with you - at her home, and in her surroundings ... now snow - how wonderful is that - they are fun darting about in the snow ...

Snow - yugh - that's chilly ... beautiful, but cold ... cheers Hilary
Shame the owners let them become infested with fleas.
So she likes snow? I bet you didn't see that coming. Let's see if she still likes it come the end of winter.
Pat Hatt said…
haha not gonna give in and let a pic get taken. Great she likes snow or that would have made for an interesting winter.
That makes things so much easier if she doesn't mind pottying in the snow!

Well *I* love her new coat and hood....how cute! But she is miffed, I can tell. :)
Arlee Bird said…
Millie is fortunate to have found you.

Lee
Tossing It Out
Unknown said…
Oh Millie! Yeah, my dog owns me too. I'm glad she likes the snow, imagine if she didn't....
Suzanne Furness said…
What a cutie, I bet she was funny to watch in the snow. Thank you for visiting my blog today and your kind words.
Jay Noel said…
Your doggie is a cutie!
We've only adopted dogs from volunteer shelters. Our first two dogs were a little more than a year old when we got them, and they were abandoned/abused. They lived long, happy lives. Our newest pup was adopted from a shelter when she was about 9 weeks old too. Wouldn't do it any other way.
JoJo said…
She is such an adorable little moppet! I just wanna scoop her up and cuddle her!!!!! I love your Millie stories. Keep em coming and do give her a big kiss and hug from me!!!! I would love to see my German shepherd's reaction to her. lol
Carol Kilgore said…
Millie is just such a cutie. I'm owned by two dogs, so I get that part :)
Mason Canyon said…
We never seem to rule the pets in our lives, they rules us. Millie is a doll and so lucky to have adopted you.
~Sia McKye~ said…
LOLOL! we won't mention ownership rights and critters. Course I have the philosophy that all have a right to be who they are so long as they recognize Mom is the alpha. My son Jake's pit is a year and a bit. Sweetest thing. Oh, when she saw the snow Sunday she ran in it, snorted it, flung it, rolled in it and then ran circles in it. She thought it was the greatest thing.

Your Millie is a cutey. Glad she's part of your household. :-)
Oh, I wish I had read 7 months ago about you picking up Millie. There is a trick that helps with getting new puppies. You buy a fluffy, furry toilet top -- bear with me here -- and rub the toilet top over the mother, or in Millie's case her siblings, getting the scent. Then, you buy a big, cheap wind-up clock with loud ticking.

You rubber-band the toilet top around the clock. When you put the puppy in the bed you have for him or her, you place the wrapped ticking clock next to the pup. The scent and the ticking (like heartbeats of Momma) will usually soothe the puppy.

Sadly, you usually end up with chewed toilet tops for the life of your dog who insists on that toy forever. :-)

Millie looks so cute in the snow and in her Santa suit! :-)
You and Millie are fortunate to have one another :) so touching.
B. WHITTINGTON said…
Loved reading about you and Millie. Heartwarming. Your writing skills always come through. Missing reading blogs and blogging. Health issues have kept me resting. Hope to be well soon. Hugs.
Stephanie Faris said…
Ahhhh new puppies! My mom and I decided that puppies have to be so cute so that you'll keep them even as they're chewing up all your belongings and peeing everywhere! That first night is always the toughest...but as time passes, you forget all that and just remember how aorable they were. Millie just makes me want to give her a big hug!
G. B. Miller said…
Puppy!

Semi-seriously, a new puppy can be a major blast of fun. The training never really ends, but that's okay because the more attention they get, the more self-assured they become.

Father Nature's Corner

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