Sunday, September 20, 2009

how i became pugged - paige

I thought I'd start my blog out with a little past history on how I became pugged.  I grew up with miniature schnauzers but when I moved out of my parent's house, I wasn't allowed to have my two dogs where I lived because I was still renting my Grandmother's house.  I was allowed to have animals in cages, so I got some ferrets ( amazing pets, by the way.)  


Over time, I was able to purchase the house and was FINALLY able to have a dog(s).  I tried to take Cayla & Linus, my two mini schnauzers, but they missed my parents.  Plus, terriers and ferrets don't really mix.  I researched different breeds that would go well with small critters, and up popped a picture of a pug.  I had always thought pugs were cute, but was a little nervous to own one of these flat faced little creatures.  I read all the horror stories of the nasal and bronchial surgeries that can pop up, but I decided to look into a puppy anyway.  I wasn't really into rescue at the time and I thought a puppy would mix better with the ferrets.  My mom was working at a dog grooming place and the lady was also a "breeder".  I later found out she bought litters of puppies from Amish Country, UGH.  Anyway, one day I was there, and there was a tiny little female pug who was extremely ill.  With hindsight, I probably should've just bought her, got her to a vet, and she would be here today, but everyone said, "Don't pay money for a sick dog".  A couple days after I saw her, she sadly passed away from her "illness".  BUT, hey, the lady has a couple more puppies, did I want to look ??  I went to the house and there was one extremely fat one, and another littler one.  I always go for the runts of the litter, so I took the little one home.  I named her Paige, after Jimmy Page, from Led Zeppelin.  She was adorable and fawn, but didn't seem like a normal spunky puppy.  After a day or so, I noticed that there was nothing but diarrhea coming out of this ravenous little dog.  I took her to the vet and she just laid her head on my shoulder in misery.  The vet ran a stool sample and she had 3, yes 3 parasites eating every bit of food she was taking in.  My vet said that she would've eventually starved to death and that that was probably what did the other puppy in.  


Boy, did little Paige eat up all the extra attention she got from mommy from being sick.  We definitely bonded during that time, so much so, that she had MAJOR separation anxiety when I would go to work.  Off to look at a black pug I saw advertised in the newspaper . . . . but Savanna's story is for another blog.