In El Salvador, a woman will go to jail for murder -- up to 50 years -- if she has an abortion. No exceptions. Not for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. The country even has official vagina inspectors to gather evidence. If your penis was involved, you're immune from prosecution as long as you report the incident. El Salvador's government will tell you when you are born, when you can die, and leave you hanging in the middle. What a beautiful country. Sounds like South Dakota.
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Dog Tired
We've had Kona for one week today, and we're learning as much about ourselves as we are about raising a puppy. Turns out I'm more of the worry wart than the wife. We've both fallen in love with our little girl, but I definitely feel the need to coddle the dog more. I've bought a couple of books, including "The Art of Raising a Puppy" and "Dog Bible." The National Geographic TV show
Dog Whisperer reminds me to be the alpha of our pack. And a Yahoo group from our breeder Amanda is filled with helpful owners who've gone through the trials of snail eating, carper chewing, potty training, and separation anxiety. Whatever the challenge it already seems worth it. My first dog since I was in grade school is a beautiful addition to the family.
Kid Kona
Thanks to septoturbinoplasty surgery, I haven't slept more than an hour since Tuesday night. Thanks to my wife and a Chinook breeder in Illinois, I have a puppy to get me through challenge. Kona is her name, and I thought I'd pass a bit of time telling her story.
Amanda Bays has bred a rare type of sled dog for several years. Buying a puppy from her is like adopting a child from China. The paperwork, interviews, and deposits should be enough to deter all but the most sincere of prospective owners. That and you don't actually get to choose your puppy.
After a careful search, we chose the breed because of it's even temperament, good looks, and rare standing. Originally, I would have been happy with adopting a puppy from our local shelter, but most of the dogs were older pit bill mixes, which we thought might be too difficult to train effectively and fit in with our two cats.
The Channahon Chinooks website and weblog attest to Amanda's dedication to the breed. The amount of work she puts into preparing the litter for placements is stupifying. All kinds of tests, shots, and evaluations go into her decisions. We were lucky enough to end up with "Ms. Purple." A few pictures from birth to her seventh week are represented in this slideshow
I put together from Amanda's photos.
Part of the agreement we signed was to breed Ms. Purple, who's full name is now Channahon Kona of Storybrook, which ensures any future daughter will not be named "Story," much to my wife's relief.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll post more here. Or here. Or here. Or somewhere else as I needlessly test blogging tools from Google, Apple, Yahoo and others. (Bad habit.)
Good night, Kona. Sleep well, and sweet dreams of snow.
