So, this is the story all about how I went from being a cat person, to a verified dog mama.

Once upon a time in Florida there was a dog named Levi. He lived with my sister, Marisa. He had personality to spare, was well-behaved, and easy to train. He was also pretty darn cute, wasn’t slobbery, and upon spending a vacation there I dubbed him The Best Dog Ever. I had traditionally been a cat person, so this was a pretty big deal. I went back to Texas, and he remained cute and the best dog ever.

Fast forward a few years: my sister is now in South Carolina, and has acquired a companion for Levi. Her name is Stoli.

Levi and Stoli get along famously.

They are quite the adorable couple.

Meanwhile, my sister has gone and got herself engaged. On the very day of her wedding, whilst bride and bridesmaids are getting ready at the house, Levi & Stoli decide to celebrate in their own special manner in the backyard. Lo & behold, Stoli becomes pregnant. Two-ish months later, on no less than the 4th of July, my beautiful puppy made her entrance to the world, along with 8 brothers and sisters (all of whom survived).

The newborn girl puppy

Sienna (bottom right) and several of her siblings at meal time

I had a bit of convincing to do with the boyfriend regarding why we should adopt a spawn of The Best Dog Ever, and then of course we had to pick one. We both wanted the little red fox girl immediately, and agreed on the name Sienna. It’s a good thing my sister gave me first choice of the puppies, because apparently everyone who eventually adopted one of the brood wanted her! Can’t blame ’em. Who could resist this face?

Shortly after her eyes opened

I received regular updates from my sister and brother-in-law for the next 2 months while Sienna grew big enough to be weaned and make the move to Texas. Then I made the roadtrip out to South Carolina and met my little girl for the first time.

The first picture of me and my puppy.

"MY ball" - Sienna

She was a ridiculously cute puppy.

Hanging out with her dad one last time before heading to Texas

It was instant love. She was just so CUTE. She also had a ton of playful energy, which we attributed to puppy stage, but it turns out that’s just how she’s wired. 🙂 She was a doll on the roadtrip back, and became an official member of the Casa de Ian & Amanda. Ian fell in love with her pretty quickly, too, even though the first thing she did when I brought her into the house was have an accident, haha.

She bonded with Ian in a bout of 'chew on him'

Sienna and her monkey toy, in her pet bed, neither of which lasted long with her jaws of titanium.

We’ve had her for a year and a half now (she’ll be two this July), and are so glad we decided to get her. The first 9 months or so were rough, because she was one of those puppies that got sick with EVERYTHING (hives, puking, ear infections, you name it). But that all faded out once she hit about 1 year old.

Sienna wanting to play

She’s my little companion during the day, since I work from home. She sleeps by my feet in the office, or follows me around the house while I’m cleaning, and walks with me to check the mail. And she has completely turned us into dog parents (it’s not uncommon for me to refer to Ian as puppy daddy, or him to refer to me as puppy mama, haha). She’s also fairly spoiled, as far as sheer number of toys and the fact that I’m home with her all day so she’s not alone. But she is a sweetie – plays well with other dogs (she LOVES doggie day camp) and is always excited/friendly when people come over. She’s got so much personality and intelligence it amazes me. Plus, she seemed to instinctively know what things were ok to chew on, and what weren’t – she’d destroy her toys, sure, but shoes or power cords or furniture she didn’t touch. She’s definitely edging above Levi in the competition for the Best Dog Ever title.

She's a pretty happy pup, I think

She’s got her quirks, sure. She’s scared of thunder/loud noises and has to be cuddled during storms. She has a condition where she can’t drink water from a bowl because it makes her throw up, so she has to have a dog-sized version of a hamster bottle (no lie). She loves to dance and chase squirrels, and barrel crawl around the floor. She belches in a most unladylike fashion, and always acts innocently surprised when she toots.

Sienna's most recent portrait

She’s made me into such a dog mama. I worry about her when I think she might be getting sick, and get all proud when someone tells me what a beautiful dog she is (the people at the vets office LOVE her). I love her to bits, too, and am so glad things worked out as they did to bring her into the world. 🙂 She is my favorite dog, and so today’s Friday Favorites was dedicated to her.

How about you? Cat people, dog people, cool stories about how you met your pets?