March 25th, 2008 by aka Ladyfriend
Meet Xander Crews
Yeah…we’ve had a big week around here. Xander is 6 weeks old and we picked him up today. Plannned puppyhood. We put a deposit down on him when he was days old. Today he was old enough to come home. The boys are very excited about a puppy in the house. My dogs? Well, one of them seems to be intrigued by the pup. The other looked at me like “Oh god, this can’t be happening” (she’s my 12yr old Rotti mix and she just “tolerates” stuff like cats and puppies…but she’s been around them enough to know how to deal with them nicely)
Xander is a blue and rust Doberman.
He’s taken quite nicely to the boys. For just about 8 hours with us, he seems to be a pretty laid-back pup. No whining so far (we’ll see how tonight goes). He chased MastaG around and tried to give him kisses. He’s tickled about Xander. He’s learned to hold him gently and he’s asking lots of questions. I think he’s at a great age to enjoy his own pet.
And now it’s bedtime… wish us luck.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Congrats on the new addition! Hope he lets you sleep through the night! :)
March 25th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Much Luck. :-)
March 25th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Ohmygod! Lady, you are the man! To get AT liking dogs? Woot! But really, how could anyone deny that little cuter? Aw.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Xander is just freakin’ adorable!!! I am a “you can never have too many dogs” person (owning 4 at the moment) and now you have an even greater little family unit (is that possible?). Congrats.
Welcome Xander, smooochie, smooochie.
March 26th, 2008 at 6:18 am
Oh my gosh! The CUTENESS! Shhhheeeeessh!
March 26th, 2008 at 7:20 am
We had a “to be expected” night with the pup. He got us up at 12:30, 3:30 –both times having a successful potty trip…. a lil’ crying about 4…that was soothed with some love. And didn’t get up again until we did at 6:30. Yay!!
March 26th, 2008 at 7:31 am
What a good puppy. I can’t wait to spend some more time with him!
March 26th, 2008 at 8:11 am
THERE IS NOT MUCH BETTER IN LIFE THAN A BOY AND HIS DOG.
March 26th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
How adorable! We can’t wait to meet him, too!
March 26th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
That dog is going to be rotten! =)
March 26th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I don’t know either of you personally, but I’ve been a long time reader of this blog since AT was dealing with GAC’s illness and subsequent death. Shame on you both for buying a puppy when there are so many homeless dogs out there waiting to be adopted! There are even several doberman rescue organizations in your state. Sounds like you may have acquired him from an irresponsible breeder as well, as 6 weeks is too young for a puppy to be weaned from it’s mother. I hope you teach the boys that pet adoption is a morally responsible thing to do, so they don’t grow up and continue to buy from breeders, which just perpetuates the homeless pet problem and senseless euthanization each year of hundreds of thousands of puppies and adult dogs.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Wah wah wah.
Perhaps you’re being a ‘longtime reader’ gives you the illusion of moral superiority, Kristin, in that you can blather about ethics and norms and whatnot in the animal world, but piss off.
As a wise man once said:
“Go buy some medicine, bitches…”
March 26th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
All due respect, my home is filled with adopted animals. I have lived and worked in the animal world for over 10 years now and know what I am doing and whom I am dealing with. I am VERY VERY familiar with the rescue groups in our area. I am an animal lover and there are responsible people out there who have purebred animals. You shouldn’t be so quick to judge. You need to be better informed before you judge me. I’m sorry I’ve ruined your readership on this blog, but I really don’t care what you think of our decision. Take your shame elsewhere.
March 26th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
What aka said! Oh and what AT said too.
Cyber pets at Xander, by the way.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I do not feel morally superior because I am a long time reader, I feel morally superior because I choose to rescue.
Best of luck to you in your new lives…
March 26th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
AT and ladyfriend — I about to take a liberty that may not be mine to take… I am sorry if this upsets you…
Kristin — I don’t know who the hell you are or what exactly you wanted to accomplish with your comment. (actually I do) Every dog deserves a home. You may have some ethical axe to grind but you assume too much. You assume that whatever high and mighty mountain you are standing on that you see everything for what it is — think ordinary people are not educated or something to know any better. I got news for you — your moral weather vain is bent and you have no tact. You assume the worst in people. Not only that but you try to rob them of their joy. You want to go change the world? So why the hell are you sitting on your ass in front of a computer spreading all your ’shame on you’ to people you don’t know and a situation you have no part of? This weekend a family was reborn. They are some of the best folks I know. Been through some of the worst times I can think of. Seeing MasterG playing with that puppy and smiling brings me more joy than I can think of in recent memory. No, Kristin — shame on you and your careless words.
Again — sorry AT and Ladyfriend — Just had to speak my piece.
tg
March 26th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Heh, I love it when we start having comments of a moralizing nature on the tumor.
There should be a toot your own moral horn award….
We need that.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Ew, Kristin.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Well, I have a breeder dog and have no qualms about it. I also volunteer for rescue groups and one of the biggest issues I work on with dogs are ones that were taken from mom a bit too soon. So, while Xander is adorable and I certainly am not one to preach, Kristen does have a good point. 6 weeks is really, really early to be taken away from mom. Between the 7-10 week age pups get socialization skills that serve them the rest of their lives. Just a heads up… no preaching from me. Things like bite inhibition are going to need to be taught by you.
If I may so be so bold, I would recommend this really wonderful online group called SATZ. They are through Yahoo! Groups. The moderator is quite revolutionary and the group is really terrific. Its changed my life actually. I take in young dogs that are deemed “unadoptable” for various reasons and work through their problems and help place them into wonderful homes. Its really cool.
So, congrats on your wedding! And blessings to your new addition.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Morally superior with no humility…. hmmm. I think there is a word for that. Safely say that it never won many converts.
March 26th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Good Golly!!!!!! Everyone breathe. Puppies, and weddings are happy things. Don’t ruin my love buzz with all this pettiness. Now pass the beer!!! Cheers!
March 26th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I don’t ever comment, just read, but I was upset and couldn’t sleep, so I’m adding to the can of moral worms for the sake of my own zzzzz’s…
So what about all the kids eligible for adoption in DCS custody right now? If it’s such a horrible thing to have a breeder dog, isn’t it worse to birth your own children??? (not saying everyone should be neutered and have to adopt to be a parent, just trying to make a point!)
The main thing I have learned from having WG is that life is never black and white. It is very easy to sit back and say that something is terrible and wrong and that it should be done differently when you are on the outside of a situation. But that’s just it, you’re on the OUTSIDE and really have no idea what the actual situation is. What is right for one person may be totally backwards and wrong for another.
Congrats on the marriage and the new addition!
violakate (aka timsan1’s wife)
March 27th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Wonderful! We had Dobies growing up and I can tell you they are wonderful dogs for kids! You will be rewarded beyond imagination.
Kristen shame on you for attempting to bring down the joy in this family.
Big Congrats!
March 27th, 2008 at 9:12 am
I work in the pet world as well and I asked a fellow customer, who happens to be a very reputable Doberman breeder in the area how early he sends his puppies home. 6 weeks. He’s never had one returned to him on warranty or had any health issues or had any behavioral issues. They are fantastic doggies! Have fun!!
March 27th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Wasn’t it “Go sell some medicine, bitches.” ? (If you’re referring to the Chappelle sketch, that is… which I believe was supposed to point out the arrogance of our current administration in regards to the Iraq War… so I’m confused). But, anyway… the puppy is super cute.
March 27th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Oh yeah…
March 27th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Oh, good… I still get cultural references!
You know, I’ve been a vegetarian on and off for a long time (have been vegan for about two months, now, Woot!) and I think that it’s the ‘Kristin-factor’ that causes people to roll their eyes and immediately become defensive when I tell them that. They expect me to judge them, quite frankly because a lot of veg’ns DO judge. But, that’s not what it’s about, whether you’re trying to tread lightly on the planet, prevent cruelty, be greener, or whatever. It has to come from a place of love! If your purpose is to make the world better in some way, you can’t do that by judging, shaming, or not being loving to whomever you’re interacting with.
(Do you see PETA converting anyone, or just making people angry?)
March 27th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I appologize for my outburst earlier. Didn’t show a lot of class on my part.
tg
March 27th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Oh Geez Louise!!
The puppy is adorable and Mr. and Mrs. AT are good people.
So there!!
March 27th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Great dog. The boys will have a ball. When you bring something new in the home to love it is always a blessing. Enjoy. Also, I thought about the ladyfriend or ladywife. Ladyfriend is more appropriate. If you are not friends first you have nothing. I vote you keep ladyfriend as a name and she is a keeper for life for you guys.
March 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I’m a breeder, I’m a baker, I’m Fisherman… (not really. Law’s my game) point being who cares, this is a happy time… I am happy Xander has a happy home and loving family to raise him. I am happy MastaG and JuiceBox (formerly Pigpen) and AT and LadyFriend are a family. Now please post more pictures of your new baby, screw the rest of the opinions.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Oh how the mighty have fallen! Congratulations on both the wedding and getting AT to appreciate dogs, LadyFriend. When I informed AT that we got a dog, he scoffed. Now he’s posting puppy pictures on his blog.
[Nelson]Ha-haaaa![/Nelson]
April 1st, 2008 at 12:39 pm
What a gorgeous puppy! Congrats on the new addition to the family.