~Nicknames~

I was thinking of what kinda nicknames we have for Morpheus, lets count:

1. "Morphe"
2. "Baby"
3. "puppered"

4. "Your Son", I normally say this to Sean.
5. "booger bear". Sean came up with it and it stuck.

I know it's better to keep consistantly calling him by his real name. We just can't help it.

History Lesson -Shiba Inu

This morning I have been reading up on the Shiba Inu breed. Seeing how well our puppy has really taking on some of the breed characteristics. I found many, some good some bad. For Sean and I this is a learning process.

The Shiba Inu is one of Japan's six native breeds: Akita (large), Kishu, Hokkaido, Kai, Shikoku (medium), and Shiba (small). He is known for his spirited personality, small upright ears, and cat-like agility.

The Shiba Inu approaches the world with a calm dignity that is uniquely his own, which is likely why he is also described as stubborn. Because of his independence, the Shiba Inu is not the easiest breed to train.It is important to understand the freethinking nature of the Shiba Inu so you won't be frustrated. The Shiba Inu is highly intelligent, but he doesn't necessarily want to do what you want him to do. You may have to make him think obedience is his idea. For best results, it's important to work with a trainer who understands the breed's independence.This is a smart breed, but training a Shiba Inu isn't like training a Golden Retreiver. While a Golden is delighted to come when called, the Shiba Inu will come when he feels like it--or not. He's been described as stubborn, but freethinking is probably a more positive way to characterize him.

One quirk to the Shiba Inu's personality is his dislike of being restrained, even though it's required for his own safety. He doesn't like wearing a collar or being leashed. Leash training this breed takes time and patience, but is a must.

Despite all of this, the Shiba Inu is a good family dog--he is loyal and devoted--and does well with children as long as he is properly socialized and trained, and the children treat him kindly and respectfully.

So many of the things I read really does fit Morpheus. I think Sean and I should really look into some sorta obedience or puppy training classes. We just have to wait till he is fully vaccinated. Stay tuned to our puppy adventures : )

Gamez Puppy!

Welcome to our first blog. I'll start with sharing with you the journey of us getting our puppy. We have both had animals in our homes growing up and found what a joy they can be. Sean had a Cocker Spaniel, Tessa, growing up and I had "daisy dog" and three cats. With Christmas coming up we thought it would be a great idea for us not to give one another gifts but to buy a puppy. What a great present I must say. Now that is a gift that keeps giving and giving. The photo to the left is what Morpheus will look like when he reaches adulthood. Quite handsome I must say!

After much researching we found a breed and breeder. We chose a male Shiba Inu. Sean and I had already picked out a dog name before we ever got married. We wanted to have a dog named "Morpheus". Many of you may recognize the name from The Matrix movie. Just so happens our niece name is Trinity, also a name from the movie. So if Sean and I get pregnant we'll have to get creative :)

The breeder was from Kress Texas(panhandle area) and he was willing to meet us 1/2 way in Abilene. We set a date and time to pick up the little guy. Leading up to the date of which we would get him (12/15/07) I went into mommy mode and started really researching through the Internet and books on how to raise a puppy. I was asking as many people as I could t get some feedback on puppy training and what we need for him. I just wanted to make his transition into our family as comfortable as possible. I am getting teary just thinking about it. He is such a blessed gift to us.

Our first trip to Petsmart was insane. We looked so lost, Sean and I, looking around for the necessities for our pup. Do we get this for him, do you think he'll need this, should we buy this? It was also a fun trip, it was pleasing to see how excited Sean was getting for the arrival. He took great pride at picking out the puppies toys, it was special.

Many evenings we would be discussing how excited we were and how things would change with us. In a way we were becoming parents to this little guy. No longer were we able to just think about ourselves. We would have to stay close to home the first few months with him. We couldn't just decide on a whim to just leave and come back whenever we wanted. Though we knew our parents would help out when asked.

Fast forward to Dec.15th(get on with it right) in Abilene,TX. We shared a morning breakfast at IHOP, a last meal as just Sean and I. Once, we were to pick up our puppy we would become a family. I was extremely nervous and Sean was as cool as a cat. As soon as we saw him we fell in love. Mike, the breeder, handed the puppy to me first, and he was so little and beautiful. I held onto him a few moments and started to talk to Mike about the puppy. I turned around to look at Sean and he had this look of pure happiness. I handed Morpheus to his daddy and Sean finally had his puppy in his arms. On the drive back to Austin, we switched off driving to be able to hold the puppy. He didn't whimper or cry, he just slept and slept and slept in our arms.

Sean locking eyes with Morpheus for the first time.

Finally at home, but all he wants to do is sleep.

Morpheus Gamez

Hi, my name is morpheus!