This is your brain on puppies (#SFWApro)

So we picked up our puppies today. So zero work.

Trixie is a 8 to 12 months cairn terrier/chihuahua, obviously full of energy but her main interest seems to be snuggling with a person (so far. We’ll see what she’s like after she gets used to us). She’s been pretty quiet so far, only barking at one dog at the vets.

Dudley, below, is a lhasa apso/X crossbreed (or possibly shihtzu/x) who feels like a plush toy. He’s overall quieter but I think he’s more likely to bolt on us if he gets a chance. So far he’s more interested in treats and toys than his younger sister.

Much to our surprise, they really seem to like each other (so far anyway). Unfortunately Trixie is recovering from her neutering surgery so rough-housing and having her belly licked are a no go for about another week. So we need to impose some limits on their interactions.

I was feeling really worried about whether I could get work done while having to constantly watch the pups and make sure No Touchee, but TYG found a large pen we can use to place Trixie out of reach without forcing her into a crate (we don’t want to make her feel she’s being punished when she goes in). I can also do a reasonably good job barricading her in the dining room with baby gates. She doesn’t like the isolation but she just goes to sleep so it’s doable, at least until she heals up.

Keeping them separate consumed some energy but the big time-hog today was just the nuts and bolts stuff: get to the shelter, complete the paperwork, come home, show them around, play with them a lot, take them to the vet, come home, play with them more … But I knew that’s how it would be. It’s the kind of point where losing the work time is a fair trade off for the gains.

They are both very sweet and affectionate and I think we made good picks.