10 days 'til Christmas

before we first got our puppy, brian and i agreed on a few particulars. first, we would never dress him in clothes. though i think dogs in clothes are hysterical, my husband finds it ridiculous. it was a battle i was willing to concede. second, we agreed to never spend money on any kind of "doggie prozac". we couldn't justify spending $$ to calm down a dog who was just not well trained. our mantra was "he's a dog". we naively believed that dogs on mood altering medication were clearly not trained well. we looked down our noses knowing that we would never have a dog that NEEDED any kind of medication.

we were like a couple of soon-to-be parents who believe they have all the answers. we were certain we had it all figured out. and just like those soon-to-be parents who change their tune once they bring home their bundle of joy, we now realize it's a whole different ball game than we anticipated. suddenly, we are questioning the particulars we were so adamant about just a year and a half ago. to put it plainly, we've caved.

last weekend while in the pet-stock-up store, brian looked at me and asked if i wanted to get something for spike to wear for Christmas. shocked and waiting for him to change his mind, i quickly picked out the cutest red and white elfin collar for the little guy to wear for pictures. we brought it home and have discovered a new character trait we didn't know existed. spike is a total fashionista. he loves his collar. so much so that he seeks it out, helps us put it on and trots around the house like he owns the place. i'm not kidding, when we grab the collar, he lays down first to show submission, then sits up tall and pushes his head through the elastic. this morning he even let me have an impromptu photo session where he showed the collar off from all angles.

i'm thinking maybe we've been mistreating him by not allowing him to express himself through fashion!!!

now, as far as the medication goes... we are facing the REALITY of puppy who has anxiety (especially in the car) that makes him lose control of his bowels and bark for hours on end with no relief in site. he's coming with us on a 7 hour car trip next week. long story short, he's getting dosed. after all, nothing says "happy holidays" like a quiet puppy!