Mandatory Adoption

Moving to a new place is difficult for anyone, not to mention the confusion of the pets. This particular move was not our choice, but hers. Little girls can be awfully cute and full of energy, but sometimes too hands-on for small animals.

I only had boys. Don't get me wrong, we tried for a girl first thing, then again, but it was not meant to be. So living with two young boys was an interesting adventure.

They befriended neighbor kids and played around the streets, gathering weird and unusual things, bringing them home and building forts in the backyard.

Our next-door neighbors got a new puppy. She was a little dog, white with a small black dot on her backside and speckled black dots on her little ears. She was a sprightly little thing, running around the yard, making the little girl next door as happy as can be.

The next few days were exciting and fun for the kids on both sides of the fence. They brought their new little puppy over. She didn't have a name yet, it didn't seem to bother her one bit. She played and ran around and jumped up on my husband's lap. She had adopted him.

A few days later, the kids came over again and explained to us that the puppy was deaf and couldn't hear anything. They wanted to know if we would take her. I personally think she was more comfortable with us anyway.

I made sure it was okay with the parents, because sometimes kids try to do things without asking. They assured me it was perfectly fine. They even gave us a little bit of dog food to help until we got some.

Her first full day with us was pure bliss, she laid in my husband's lap for hours. Then, she attached herself to me, snuggling under my legs or trying to stay on my lap, but I was always busy cleaning or cooking.

We named her Pepper, those little black spots were telling, not to mention her personality added a little spice to our lives. I got her this little sqeak toy and I taught her tug of war. She loved it! Her little growls were so cute.

She was such a cute little puppy. Even though she was deaf, I trained her without voice commands. I had to use body language and little doggy treats. We never did find out the cause of her deafness, but we loved her still the same.

If I wanted her to sit, I held my hand at her nose pointing my finger down. If I wanted her to lay down, it was a bit tricky at first. I got a dog treat, set it under my flattened hand on the ground, and pointed to it with my other hand. She would try to get that treat from under my hand by digging at it, but eventually she realized that the only way to get it was to lay down.

I eventually trained her to do all sorts of other things like standing up, jumping, shaking paws, dancing, and a few other things. She's an amazing little dog. I still have her, she's laying next to me on the couch, snoozing comfortably.

We have added four other dogs to our family since then. They all can hear, and it helps show Pepper cues for going outside, prepping for walks, or even the occasional car ride. They all love car rides.

A little over ten years and counting, Pepper will have a full life experience before she's gone, and we will remember her long afterwards.