Somewhere else, I mentioned that Penny had surgery for a cancerous cyst. Well they gave her a fairly clean bill of health; no stage 3 cancer evident. So she's healed and back to her self.
Before this whole cancer thing started, we had decided that, since she's almost 9, this would be a good time to get another dog. We always try to get a new dog while the current one is still around, so the behavior can be passed along. We began by looking at rescues, but got nervous about potential aggression issues. Mrs. Scotch's business is pet care, and she can't afford to have a dog that's aggressive towards other dogs or people. Penny is the best, but we just got lucky with her.
So we went the breeder route. The Mrs. wanted an Australian mini labradoodle, which is a mixed breed, but has been carefully controlled for many years now, so it's like a designer pedigree. They have a good temperament, and they don't get too big. Anyway, we got onto a list for the next litter from a local breeder.
But the other day, we got a call that one of the dogs from the current litter has become available. The person who reserved it wanted a male, so we got to take the female. So now we have a puppy; her name is Talia.
Raising a puppy is a pain in the ass, but she's a good dog. She has no preconceived animosity towards other dogs, or cats, or people. Penny is learning to tolerate her.