options

Doggie dilemma!!!

OK, as you may know, I am a little puppy crazy right now. And the plan is to start looking at breeders in June and get a puppy this summer. And up to now I had made up my mind on what to get:



A miniature schnauzer. I did my research, consulted my dad (who is a veterinarian), and finally came up with this choice. And I mean, I was set on it.

Until this weekend.

I went home to my mom and dad's for the weekend (which was awesome. It started with me calling Dad for help with a burnt-out headlight Saturday and ended with me packing up for an overnight stay that included working on the car with Dad in the garage all afternoon, doing my laundry FO' FREE ("Unforgivable," anyone?) and going out for dinner and drinks with the people my parents ride Harleys with and watching Indiana's Katie Stam WIN Miss America! Wooo! But anyway, back to the dogs...)

OK, so my dad says, "We had a puppy come in to the clinic and it made me think, 'You know what would be a great dog for Lisa? A pug.'"



Me: "OK, what?! That's what I had originally wanted to get but you said it had too many health problems!"

Dad: "What? I don't remember that."

Me: "Uh...I do. That's why I started looking for other ideas. That's how I came up with miniature schnauzer!"

Dad: "I don't remember you saying you wanted a pug. They're fine; they don't have too many problems, and they don't shed. And miniature schnauzers bark a lot."

Me: "Nice flip-flopping, Dad! Who are you, Mitt Romney?"

So now I'm trying to decide between the two. And I know what you're probably thinking...(a) why do I care, (b) why are you freaking out, it's only January, or (c) you've stopped reading by now so you're probably thinking about what's for lunch.

But I'm just trying to consider my options. So here is the famous Liz Lemon list of pros and cons:

Miniature Schauzer Pros:
Very intelligent and easy to train
Loyal, protective
Doesn't shed
Good swimmers (this dog has to go to the lake, so that's important)
Good with other pets and children
Good watch dog
Cute beard and bushy eyebrows

Pug Pros:
Fairly intelligent and trains well
Loyal, likes to cuddle
Doesn't shed
Loves people
"Comedian" of the dog world
Super-cute curly tail and buggy eyes

Miniature Schnauzer Cons:
Hair has to be groomed often
Barks at strangers
Will tear things up if he gets bored

Pug Cons:
Susceptible to some eye injuries/infections and breathing issues
Not sure how he'll do in the water (but they do make doggie life jackets!):

(is it bad that this video makes me laugh so hard?!)

And I'm sure a big part of the decision will come down to what's available when I start looking. But if you want to weigh in on this or if you've ever owned any of these breeds, let me know what you think!

Until later!