Orion Comes Home
April 23, 2003

Hi All!

Just couldn't let another day go by without posting. Made it home safe and sound, with my adorable little guy. Think of a Gundt stuffed animal, all fluffy and floppy, that's my little guy! All 22.5 lbs of him! (weighed at the vet's today) When everybody warned me he was HUGE, they weren't kidding! He was double the size of some of the smaller pups in the other two litters!

We arrived at New Zion Friday afternoon. Because I was going to be helping Lisa with the LER, I couldn't touch any of the puppies! They have to be tested by a stranger. So, a warning to all. Don't ever volunteer to test puppies for an LER if you're getting one from that litter! It's pure cruelty! Watching everybody play, pick up and hold all the puppies! And I had my hands hiding under my armpits to keep myself from picking up my guy! Not fair! <kidding, I actually loved doing the LER!>

Saturday, the LER went well, considering we had to do 17 puppies! What characters they all were! Some in the Ursa litter were spunky little devils. They had me chasing them all over the place! One, I was sure was going to end up in the lake! I had to run fast! And my guy was last! Michelle Wirrell kept telling me she was going to take a picture of my face when it was his turn, and I had to pick him up. He was definitely the heaviest there! Spunky too!

Saturday night, after the LER, we went back to the motel so Sharon could feed her girls. She brought her collie Rosalee, and her sister's Shar-pei, Shelby. The puppy did so well during the car ride, I decided to feed him a little too. We then drove back to New Zion, and he didn't even get
drooly, great traveler he will be! I was worried he would keep us up all night crying. Not a chance! He slept the whole night! We couldn't sleep, a fire house's alarm went off in the middle of the night, sounded like an air raid alarm, he raised his head looked up, and went back to sleep. The room's
and motel alarm went off a while later, same thing. None of the dogs budged. They must have been exhausted! So, the next morning, I fed him a little again, and off we went. Not an accident in the car. We stopped every 3 hours or so, he went as soon as he hit grass. Made it home in less than 8 hours. Now, at home I had my two terriers waiting for us. I was very apprehensive about the meeting, and worrying Riker would do his alpha thing, and scare the puppy. Didn't happen, when Riker came towards the pup, the pup growled and barked at him! Being already bigger than Riker, Riker got all spooked! My poor Riker, he's very angry with me right now, for bringing that big floppy, barking thing home with me. But, he's treating the pup very nicely, and the pup wants to play with him all the time. Buttons, being the senior citizen is just ignoring him. If the pup comes up to her face, she barks at him, which doesn't faze him at all. What a stinker!

I'm going to love telling stories about him! Oh yeah! I guess you're all wondering what name I finally ended up choosing? Drum roll please.... Orion, after the constellation of the warrior. His full fancy name I haven't quite decided yet, but I'm leaning towards WhiteFangs Orion's Belt O'Zion. I'm told the way to look for the Orion constellation is by finding his belt. I may call him Ori for short, even though my daughter doesn't like the short version. Funny, she and I couldn't agree on any names, I came up with Orion as we were driving home yesterday. Just popped into my head. She called me and asked what I had been calling the pup, and I said Orion. She said "I like it" I was floored! But, glad we finally agreed!

Well, have to go let the little one out. Don't want to spoil it, and let him have an accident now, we've been doing SO GOOD!