To clarify, I’ve spent the past two months looking at rescues for a new addition to my family, and the timing has lined up in such a way that I’m considering my new puppy a Christmas present from me to me.

After unexpectedly losing my dog, Rosie, a few months ago, I fell into a pretty severe depression. I cried for weeks, listened to too much Marissa Nadler, and even now, I have trouble thinking about Rosie without feeling sad. I’m lucky that my other dog, Daphne, was still healthy and the world’s goodest girl, but a part was still missing. Daphne was lonely after Rosie died, and she’s always had other dogs to play with, so I decided it was in our best interest to get Daphne a companion.

I contacted several rescues in different cities (literally ranging from San Diego to random places in the Midwest) before learning about the Church of Pug in Seattle. I love pugs, but I don’t love their breathing problems, so I decided my dream dog was a pug mix. I found a puppy at this rescue that was so cute I wanted to cry, and I used all of the attention-getting techniques I’d learned from movies like “Swimfan” and “Fatal Attraction” to contact the agency.

The adoption went through, and on Sunday, I finally got to pick up Daphne’s new little sister. My last week has involved a stressful combination of traveling, working, prepping for a puppy, and prepping for the holidays. That means this week’s blog is a little different, although I hope the pug-mix puppy photos make up for it.

Please feel free to comment with your best puppy-raising advice. I have done this before, but I’m always open to learning something new! As of yet, the puppy does not have a name and goes by her nickname, “Dot.” Name suggestions (of the Greek variety) are also welcome.