How do you say “Bisou,” and what does it mean?
It\’s pronounced “Bee-zoo,“ and it means “kiss” in colloquial French.
How old is she, and when did you get her?
She was ten weeks old yesterday, and we got her at nine weeks old.
What breed is she?
If you haven\’t been following the course of my obsessions: she\’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel—big name, little dog.
How big is she now, and how big will she get?
She\’s just over six pounds now. I\’ve seen Cavaliers that weigh as little as eleven pounds. I hear that some big males can reach twenty pounds. I\’m hoping she stays on the small side, though when I took her to visit her siblings a couple of days ago, she towered over all of them.
What does she look like?
She looks like a miniature Irish Setter/Cocker Spaniel blend—you know, big eyes, blocky muzzle, long, curly ears, reddish-golden coat.
What is her personality like?
A combination of St. Theresa, the Little Flower; and Kali, the Indian goddess of Chaos and Destruction.
Does she sleep through the night?
Yes! From the beginning! And, through the tireless efforts of her amazingly conscientious breeder, she arrived practically house-trained.
Does she travel well?
No sooner had she learned to relieve herself on our grass than we whisked her off to Philadelphia. There she had to figure out the uses of a flower bed in a narrow row-house yard. The minute she got used to that we whisked her back to cold , wet Vermont grass. It\’s a wonder she hasn\’t come down with a huge case of constipation, but so far she hasn\’t.
How do Wolfie and Lexi react to her?
Lexi pretty much ignores her. Wolfie adores her, and she reciprocates. Their Tristan and Isolde relationship will provide fodder for many future posts.
Is there anything else going on that we should know about?
Yes. Our Nigerian Dwarf doe Blossom is great with child, and will be kidding any day now. We have installed the baby monitor in the barn, and it keeps us awake all night with the sounds of hay munching and cud-chewing. Do goats ever sleep?
6 Responses
I want a baby monitor to a barn full of goats. I think that would be good for city life. I wondre if I can get that long distance.
I could send you a recording…but it mostly goes like this: crunch, crunch, crunch, and then this bizarre sound they make when they shake their ears.
I'll withhold envy until she gets through her adolescence. It's always what piece of furniture, beloved boot, or something will be destroyed. Each dog choses an item you never thought a dog would enjoy chewing on: once it was record albums, another a corner of a kitchen drawer, and our beloved Bain completely took the stuffing out of an antique sofa we didn't know he had even noticed.
When can I come see her?
mrb, this is the ultimate test of our values…a wonderful dog vs. an antique sofa. Is there any question as to which matters most? (As long as the destruction happens as a result of puppy high spirits, not adult neurosis.)
Indigo, just call!