Well hello there!!
In last week’s post I mentioned that I had a huge surprise in the works… as most of you already know, I’ve adopted a 10-week-old yorkie. His name is León –after Los Leones, the metro stop I live in front of. León is Spanish for Lion.
I'd been feeling a bit lonely these past few months living on my own and not knowing many people here. I considered adopting a dog for a long time. Originally, I didn’t want to adopt a puppy, I wanted an adult yorkie but a friend convinced me into getting a puppy. My teaching partner Dani helped me in finding someone to adopt the pup from. I wanted so badly to rescue one of the many dogs off of the street but they are all very large dogs. Although I am definitely a large dog (and mutt) person, I would have had to put the large dog in under the plane with cargo when bringing him home to the US. I think that experience would be traumatizing for any dog. Also, airlines restrict certain types of breeds from even entering the country such as pit bulls.
León came from a boy whose dog had puppies, he is not a breeder, which I am pleased about it. They brought little León to my house on Monday night and it was quite the family affair. They came in two cars –one from the León’s mom with a woman and her son, and the other car with the León’s father, the young boy and his father. They were sad to see León go and they told me that he had 2 sisters and was born on December 12.
^^ My co-workers told me he looks like The Lorax, and they're so right!!
In all honestly, León has been such a good puppy. He is very intelligent and only barks for about 15 minutes after going into his crate and then sleeps through the night. At 10 weeks, he already knows how to walk on a leash, go up and down the stairs and jump onto the couch. Yesterday, we went to the vet so he could receive his first set of vaccines. I could not take him outside until he had his vaccines because there are so many stray dogs around the streets, he would be unarmed against the devastating disease, Parvo.
Everything went well at the vet; in fact he was the most well behaved pup there! Now we can go on many walks, which he loves. I didn’t have to leash train him, he just picked it up as I started walking. I’m so impressed with this little guy.
I’m so happy to have a new little roommate. He follows me around everywhere I go. When I come home from work, he is so happy he starts crying. It feels so good to have a friend to come home to now! For my entire life I have had a dog, even when I was born –living in Chile has been the longest time I have ever lived without a dog.
Laughable Moments:
León doesn’t understand his reflection. At night he barks and barks at himself in the glass door.
He also tried to get things on the glass coffee table from underneath it.
When we went to the vet, a little 3-year-old was there with her dog. She went up to a man and his basset hound and asked him why his dog was so big.
The vet tech didn’t understand my name and wrote Kimberlyn on my file.
I went to the mall to make León a dog tag. The lady pointed to the paper and said ‘name and phone number’ so I wrote my name and phone number. She looked at the paper and said “your dog’s name is Kimberly Stryker?'” I thought she wanted my name, not León’s name!
^^ León and his león
Adopting León was one of the best decisions I've made here in Chile!
