So my entire life I always had big dogs...German Sheperds, Labs, and a Chow. Who would actually want a small little dust mop that runs around yippy and biting your ankles?! Who would actually spend money on such a thing?! And what can you do with them besides drop kick them?!

After I moved away to college, I realized I really missed having a dog. You can imagine my excitement when my roomate told me she had gotten a puppy! This so-called puppy was more like a fluffy rat! I was expecting a REGULAR dog like a lab or something but she brought home a Shih Tzu! To top it off, she had spent $500 on this fluffy rat! I endured the rat (who was later named Otto) for two years and he actually turned out to be an okay dog.

The college years came and went and I eventually found my way to Virginia. After two years in Virginia and being settled, I decided it was finally time for a dog of my own. After visiting shelter after shelter and searching online, I stumbled upon an ad for 'Black Puppies.' Without any pictures, the ad just described a litter of 8 black pug puppies. DO YOU KNOW WHAT A PUG IS?? A pug is a small yappy dog with a smashed face thats looks like a tiny fat sheep and snorts. Why would anyone want one?! But pugs are also very entertaining, full of life, don't require a lot of space and if they're smaller, it means they eat less which means they poop less. Ok fine, I will go to this stranger's house and look at this litter of tiny black monsters.

 

OH MY GOSH....I had never seen anything cuter in my whole life! I instantly fell in love with the biggest puppy in the litter who was pushing all the other ones down and biting them. He reminded me of a gladiator....I shall call him Maximus! Entranced by the squirming black furballs, I handed over my $250 deposit to hold Maximus until he was old enough to take home....3 weeks later.....wait, there's no such thing as a black pug....right? Did I just get scammed? Then I went home and did my pug research.

How can you say no to this?

Fast forward a few months to when I've had Maximus for a while...I love this little dog...I must have another one! So the hunt began for a girlfriend for Maximus. Found her! Molly came from Cincinnati (WHO DEY!) but due to some unfortunate living arrangements had to stay with my parents in Indiana for a while. During this time, my parents fell in love with Molly. I made the difficult decision to let my parents keep Molly since she was only my dog on paper. My father, who has been a self proclaimed dog hater babies the heck out of Molly! They go on daily walks, he has a secret stash of cherry tomatoes in the basement for her, he holds her until she falls asleep at night AND buy her little pink sweaters.                 Maximus's first bath. He hated me.  

Molly and Grandpa playing.

 

My Dad aka Grandpa working with Molly.

Maximus and Molly finally united!

Fast forward a couple more months....Maximus is getting anxious to have a girlfriend...I must have another one! So the all too familiar hunt began and ended with Annabelle. My boyfriend and I went to visit his family in Pittsburgh (got beat by the Bengals!) and ended up coming home with 12 week old Annabelle. Let me take a couple steps back...we are in Pittsburgh...IN DECEMBER. The address for this lady's house is waaaaay out in no man's land. We're talking like back country roads with tons of snow and ice and no cell phone reception! I felt like we were in a winter version of The Hills Have Eyes. All I was thinking is that this little puppy had better be the cutest thing AND made of gold. When we finally found the "house" after taking several wrong turns onto roads without signs, there was probably 12-15 adult pugs and bull dogs crammed in the tiniest room! It was so sad but I'm glad we saved one. So far, we have not been disappointed with our little Annabelle at all! She's a rough-housing, ball biting, scrappy little girl! She really gives Maximus a run for his money! They are in love...sleeping together at night and are completely inseperable during the day.

The puglets in Pittsburgh before the Bengals vs. Steelers game.

Annabelle and her daddy napping.

All the puglets together for Christmas at Grandma & Grandpa's.