Personal Post: Pieper’s "Adoptiversary"

Yesterday was one year since we picked up the tiny six pound puppy Pieper at the PetSmart branch of the Humane Society here in Green Bay.  We had stopped there the day before to look at a puppy my brother was interested in, but couldn’t resist the tiny little black and white mix who looked so melancholy wandering around quietly in her kennel.  Ben had never wanted a dog - he hadn’t grown up with pets and saw a dog only as an inevitability (since he decided to marry me) but something he could hold off on until he was ganged up on by his wife and future children.  When he held little Pieper in his arms and she wriggled her way right in, he had this change of expression, and I knew we were getting a puppy.

When we picked Pieper up, she was named Brianna and we were told she was a rat terrier/husky mix and would be a medium size dog... we were in for a surprise.  As the weeks wore on, she got longer, and longer, and longer, but barely any taller.  We had her in puppy classes where she started as the biggest dog in class (being a few weeks old than the other puppies) and by the end of those six weeks, she was by far the smallest.  Now, fully grown, she is just over 16 pounds.  I never thought of myself as a small dog person, but I don’t think Pieper knows her size; she is one tough little dog.

Yesterday Pieper and I celebrated one year together with a trip back to PetSmart for some goodies and a visit with her teacher, then headed over to the Howard dog park for a hike on the trails and some play time with other doggies.  Happy Adoptiversary, Pieper; we’re glad to have you as part of our family!