The Story of Little Miss Tootsie Boo Boo Baby Stalnaker

It is amazing how attached a human can become to a pet!  I did have a few reservations about embarking on our pet parent journey, though.  I grew up with outdoor cats, and I was never really around dogs, hence my apprehension.  Court, on the other hand, was raised around dogs and felt extremely comfortable with them.  Even so, I think we were both nervous about the expense and responsibility that go hand in hand with pet ownership. 


Well, on December 10, 2010, we made a little road trip to Sanger, Texas to meet several potential puppy children that we had seen on puppiesforlove.com.  We had requested to see several different breeds, and the breeder had them ready for us in playpens.  Of course, they were all precious, but we were drawn to Chloe a.k.a Tootsie.  She was so soft, warm, and sweet.......She simply made our hearts melt......We KNEW she was our puppy without a doubt!!!!! 

Court began to drive us home after our puppy purchase, and I sat in the back with Chloe on my lap.  We could tell that she was nervous (So was I!), and a few minutes down the road she decided that it would be a good idea to go potty on my lap.  We had officially bonded!!!!  Haha!  Our next stop was the home of Court's boss, Brad.  We had heard so much about the importance of crate training, so he let us borrow a crate so we could try it out.  Court placed Chloe in the crate, and we quickly learned that she had a mind of her own and quite a personality!  Barking, bouncing, pooping.....She was not wanting any part of that crate!!!!!  Once we got her home and out of the crate, she magically transformed into our baby angel again. ;)  We brainstormed a variety of names, but none of them seemed to fit our pet princess.  Finally, while we sat on the kitchen floor, Court mentioned the name Tootsie.  That was IT!!!!  Of course, we had to add "Little Miss" to do her justice as the diva that she is.

As you can imagine, the crate training died a slow, painful death.  Not much changed from the first time we put her in her "home".  ;)  Eventually, Toots made her way into our bed, where she happily resides each night.  Occasionally, though, she will feel a tad independent and slumber out on the couch.  Between potty accidents and chewing, we have definitely had to learn a few things.  The doggy door is by far the greatest invention on earth!!!!  The princess can potty when she pleases, and she has not had an accident at home in several weeks.  Sometimes she will just go outside to play with her beloved stuffed animal, Miss Kitty, or she will sprint around the yard a few thousand times.  Court and I joke that she likes to go outside when she gets bored with us.

All in all, adding Little Miss Tootsie to our lives was the best decision eva!!!!!  Court and I love her more than words can express, and she constantly makes us laugh and fills our hearts with joy.  I have even noticed that I am much more comfortable around other people's dogs now.  See, all I needed was a doggy of my own!