Che bravi cani
About 2 weeks later, we took the two to see our veterinarian. He seemed surprised to see Bill & me. We had been away from Italy for 13 months. We had been in New Mexico at Cannon AFB, for Bill's last military assignment. The Dr was surprised to see us with the 2 puppies, but also without our beloved Rocky. He asked us "Where was Rocky?" We had to tell him the sad news, that Rocky had died on 17 February 2005 in NM. The Dr gave Teddi & Honey their second booster rabies shots & examined them. Their previous owners had taken the puppies to the Dr for their first shots.
That day, the doctor told us he thought the 2 girls were about 6 to 8 months old. He said they probably were sold at the Italian market, which I found strange. Honey was the short haired version of the puppies sold, & Teddi was the long haired. Either way, they were both cute & lovable. The doctor told us about their breeds. I had wanted to hear that they were some exotic, expensive breed. But, alas, they were only small dogs to love.
The Dr gave us the "libretti" for both dogs. This is their book or record of health, immunizations, etc. We made an appointment for 4 November, to have the puppies spayed & microchipped.
In the meantime, all of us hoped that neither puppy would go into heat, & be attracted to a male dog. We are firm believers in population control for dogs & cats. The kindest thing people can do is to spay & neuter. Honey had started showing an interest in Guappo, a male black & white dog in our courtyard. His mommy is Signora C. Honey would sniff in our yard, where Guappo had been. We wanted to nip this behavior in the bud.
4 November: Bill & I woke up at 6:30 AM for the girls' most important day. I am not a morning person, but I awoke 5 minutes after my alarm rang. This is not my favorite sound. I skipped breakfast, finding that it makes me linger too long at home. Bill brought me a small cup of coffee, while I showered.
The girls skipped breakfast, per Dr's instructions. They were very good about it. All of us left home at about 8:10. We arrived early at the Doctor's office. The Dr weighed Honey. She weighed 4 kilos or about 10 pounds, very nice & trim. I am jealous. The Dr then gave Honey the shot to sedate her. She cried & nipped at the Dr. The doctor said the shot hurts because it stings like alcohol. Then he & his wife, also a vet, proceeded with the surgery, the spaying. Honey was also microchipped.
In the meantime, I walked around outside with Teddi. She is like Rocky. She doesn't always walk in a straight line. She likes to jump up on ledges, & put her nose on the ground, taking big sniffs & whiffs. Bill came outside, & the 3 of us sat in our car, with the heat on. Teddi ate up the love & petting, while I held her in my lap.
Then, it was Teddi's time for her spaying & microchip. She also cried when Dr L gave her the shot in her butt. Her weight was 6.5 kilos or 14 pounds. She is a chunkster. I wonder will she grow to be as large as Rocky, about 24 lbs. We will see.
After their surgeries, the girls were put into cages to rest & wake up. In the meantime, Bill & I went to the base, to the golf course to eat breakfast. I care nothing about playing golf, but I love to eat. Bill had a cheese omelet, a biscuit, & coffee. I had a cheese omelet, 2 biscuits, & cappucino. Then, we drove to area one of the base, to go to a health fair for retired military. I got my flu shot.
At about 11:30, we drove back to the Dr's office. The girls were waking up. Teddi came out of her cage. Instead of coming to me, she went to the Dr, giving him sugar. She has a short memory about the big, bad shot. Then, Honey came out of her cage; both went to Bill. The girls each have stitches on their lower stomachs. The stitch is about one inch long, vertical down the middle line of the stomach. They looked rather beautiful after their surgery. We finished up our business there, & went home.

Honey and Teddi Find a New Home




















Bill & I adopted Honey & Teddi on 8 October 2005 in Italy. It was a very happy day for us, & also for the 2 puppies. Our beloved dog, Rocky, a poodle-Skye terrier mix, had died in New Mexico on 17 February 05. We were extremely devastated & lonely without him. But, we felt that it was better to wait awhile to get another dog. We knew that we would be moving back to Italy soon, from NM. We had planned to retire from the military to Italy. We thought it would be best not to take a dog on the plane, on an overseas flight. We had done this a few times before, with Darlin, my poodle, & later with Rocky.
On 7 Sept we arrived in Aviano, Italy, very happy to be back home. We were & still are, very busy getting settled into our house. Even so, I was very much wanting to find a dog to love. So, every Friday, I read our base paper, the Vigileer, looking for a dog that needed a great home. Usually, the paper is only useful for lining my garbage. The ads in the paper have become microscopic, the print too small to easily read. So, each week I read the ads, not finding anything promising. Then, on 7 Oct I saw an ad that looked interesting. An American military family wanted to give away 2 small female dogs. The husband is a cat lover, not fond of dogs. Bill & I know many people, some in my family, like this. So, I called the phone number in the ad at about 7 PM, expecting that no one would answer. Or, I expected that maybe the dogs had already been given away. I usually, expect the worst.
I called & talked to Sara. She said that one dog was a mini Pinscher mix & was very small. The other dog was a long hair mix. So, I asked to see the dogs the next morning between 11 & 12 noon. Of course, I knew then that I would be their new mommy! They sounded really cute & probably irresistable.
So, Bill & I showed up at the people's house in Roveredo. As soon as we went into the front gate, we saw the cute puppies. Teddi, the terrier mix, was dressed in a T-shirt, with pink & white stripes, with a white collar. Sally, her name at the time, was a mini Pinscher mix. She was adorable, dressed in a sweater. Her sweater was red, white, & black stripes, with a Mickey Mouse patch. The family, Sara & Michael, had just given them a bath. The couple, both active duty Air Force, have 2 young girls.
We put the 2 puppies in our rental car, with all of their dog stuff. They came with 2 heavy, small silver bowls, a giant plastic tub of puppy chow, some leashes, a Y leash, some bones, & wee wee pads. They were very excited on the way home, from Roveredo to Giais. Honey was in my lap, not very safe, I know. Teddi was in the back of the car, looking around.
Our neighbors, Nerina & Giorgio, seemed surprised that we now had 2 puppies, not just one. But, they came together. Honey & Teddi are very attached to each other. We call them sisters, even though they are not. They are really "Buon amice", best friends.