In case you missed it on Instagram or Facebook, we welcomed a puppy into our family! I am excited to introduce you to Howie (also Howard Kowalski Frank when he is naughty). He is now 10 weeks old. I have been getting a few questions about him and thought I would take this opportunity to answer them.
What breed is he? He is King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. His color is called Ruby and he has a little white patch on his chest! I have a soft spot for all spaniels, but I especially love Cavalier Spaniels. Charlie was a Cavalier Spaniel and we are just smitten with the breed. They are great dogs! Cavaliers are known for being friendly, great with kids, adaptable, and just plain adorable. He will grow to be approximately 20 pounds. We chose this breed because of their agreeable personality, size, and congenial relationship with small children. They also typical love the outdoors thanks to their hunting instincts and can be found swimming, running, and retrieving. We just can’t commit to running larger, active dogs every day and a Cavalier Spaniel’s activity requirements fit perfectly with ours. I hope to train him to become a therapy dog, therefore a Cavalier Spaniel’s outgoing and loving predisposition is essential.
You are pregnant and got a puppy? Are you crazy? Probably, yes! We agree the timing could have been better, yet sometimes things just happen at once. We are hoping by the time the human babe arrives in August, this little guy will be mostly potty trained and a tiny bit calmer. The house has felt very empty after Charlie passed away in July and we knew we’d get another dog eventually. We spent months researching breeders and then spent months waiting for Howie’s liter. We figured it was either now or several years from now and we opted to get him now to give the girls the opportunity to grow up with a dog. After all, studies overwhelmingly show the benefits of having pets! From lowering blood pressure and decreasing the likelihood of allergies to teaching responsibility and empathy towards others, the pros highly outweigh the cons.
How does Waverley like him? Since the time Charlie passed away, Waverley has shown an increased trepidation towards dogs that has broken my heart. She’s had a few less than perfect encounters with hyper dogs who infringe on her (very large) personal bubble, which I feel has contributed towards her fear. We weren’t sure how she would respond to having a dog in our house again but she has taken to him amazingly! They are definitely building a sweet relationship and love to run outside together. Waverley constantly asks what Howie is doing and loves to offer him toys to play with. I am really looking forward to seeing them together in a year or so after they’ve both grown up a bit!
What’s his personality like? Since he is only 10 weeks old, his personality is still evolving. So far, though, I’d say he is playful, smart, and snuggly. He has quickly taken to going potty outside and has only had a few accidents inside. He loves to be with people and gets really sad if he wakes up in a room that no one is in! The first week was really rough in regards to his constant waking throughout the night, but he has gotten a lot better and has recently started sleeping entirely through the night. When he wants to take a rest, he’ll try to crawl up and nestle in my neck– fortunately my pregnancy-sized chest is a helpful prop to sleep on– and hunker down for as long as I’ll let him. He is a typical puppy as well, he chews everything and goes from hero to zero in a split second.
Welcome to our family, little Howie!
