The new member of the family

[avanta7]

Meet Chloe.

My sister brought her to me early yesterday morning, as a very early birthday present. Spouse was still in bed, so I carried her into the bedroom and put her on his chest. "See what [Sis] brought me? It's an early birthday present." He opened his eyes. "Not another damn dog." I stood there and let the puppy lick his nose. "Not another damn dog," he repeated. She licked his chin. Big sigh. "Okay."


We went through multiple names before settling on Chloe. First she was Portia, then she was Rhea, then Clio, finally Chloe...of Greek myth origin, rather than Shakespearean like the rest of the critters*, but acceptable nonetheless. (Chloe is another name for Demeter, aka Ceres.)

Chloe is four months old, she weighs about 2.5 lbs, and Sis said she didn't expect her to get any bigger than 4 lbs. As little as Phoebe is, she'll be the big dog on the block at 6 lbs.

Speaking of Phoebe, she is soooo jealous. She has been very clingy since Chloe arrived. We've petted her and loved on her and paid her as much attention as we can, given the constant vigilance a non-housebroken chew-happy puppy demands. The cats watch Chloe with wary attentiveness and unhappy kitty noises, trying to figure out if she's a pet or an overgrown rodent. She returns their attention with a fierce puppy growl and an occasional charge at the nearest feline. She's been swatted at least once for encroaching on Jacquenetta's personal space.

Chloe has a bad patella on her left rear leg, a common genetic defect among Poms due to many years of inbreeding. That leg won't support her weight, so she limps when she walks and doesn't use it when she runs. When she gets big enough, she may be able to jump onto the sofa, but we've been cautioned not to let her jump off and risk breaking that leg.

She's about to blow her puppy coat and become really ugly for several months, but this time next year she should be well on her way to her full adult coat. Eventually she'll be as fluffy and full-coated as Phoebe.


*Phoebe is of Greek myth AND Shakespearean origin. In Greek myth, Phoebe is the daughter of Uranus and mother of Asteria. In Shakespeare, her name is alternately spelled "Phebe"; she's a character in "As You Like It."