Yay!  You had an epiphany!

You're on the right path, P.  We both are.  And you've helped me more than you know.

I think that a Jack Russell would be perfect for you.  A lot of personality in a little body....they're awesome little dogs. 

Be safe on the trip home....

Love you!

D

Yay! You had an epiphany!

Is that what it's called? Well cool! Hmm yeah it's been a huge weekend for me.. Seems like it has been for you as well!

Chat soon.

I hope that things continue to improve for you. I'll keep you in my prayers. I think that a dog would be great for you! I'm biased, but I think Maltese are the best (my older girl was actually born in Australia!), but I also think that a Jack Russel would be a great choice. In addition to great spirit, they are extremely intelligent. And very good companions.

Birthday on the horizon, eh? Me too (2 Dec). I'm finding that we have more and more in common the more I get to learn about you. Take care of yourself and have a safe trip home.

It's good to have goals. I hope you manage to reach yours.

I think that a dog would be great for you! I'm biased, but I think Maltese are the best (my older girl was actually born in Australia!), but I also think that a Jack Russel would be a great choice. In addition to great spirit, they are extremely intelligent. And very good companions.

Hey Chip.. Thankyou! .. Tell me more about Maltese pups.. what kind of temprement do they have? are they high maintanence?

Birthday on the horizon, eh

Yeah mine is on the 18th.. Im going to be 32..

I'm finding that we have more and more in common the more I get to learn about you

Yeah im finding that as well.. It's great to know about you and what you have been through with your life Chip.. I dont always comment in your blog but I always read it. Your one of my favs!. I always look forward to your comments I find them very valuable. So thanks again.

It's good to have goals

Thanks Danny... much appreciated.

Hey Chip.. Thankyou! .. Tell me more about Maltese pups.. what kind of temprement do they have? are they high maintanence?

Well, I've found that maltese can be a bit yappy, but I think that comes from the people they are around. The male we had in Hawaii did not like men. It was an entire week after he came to our house before I could go about my normal day without him following me around and barking at me until he grew hoarse. But after that, he was my best friend. Just took a little getting used to me. He didn't really like male visitors but he was all talk. The easiest way to calm him was to pick him up and have the visiting man hold him. He calmed right down after that.

As for my girls, they are great. They don't like other dogs very much, but they love people. Umji takes after her father a little and barks at new people sometimes, but she usually quits fairly quickly. Their coats are fairly high maintanence. You either have to brush them daily or plan on a trip to the groomers every 6-8 weeks to keep them cut short. We opt for the frequent haircuts. They are always ready to play or go for a walk, but they are quite happy to lay down with me while I watch TV. They travel well, too. At their size, we can carry them easily in the car. They are also pretty easy to get into hotels on long trips. We also have the option of putting them in small carriers and taking them into the cabin of an aircraft as a carrry on (my sister did this when she flew out to visit us with her maltese). They are truly great companions.

The downsides that I've seen are that they can be quite expensive. Aji was over $1200. We actually financed her! We paid the loan off almost immediately but we didn't have the money at the time we chose her! The puppies we sold went between $500 and $600 each. And that was without registration papers! Another downside is that if they do go outside, they get dirty really easily, as you can probably guess from the white coats. So, baths are frequent. They also get ear infections if you don't keep up with cleaning the ears. You have to pluck ear hair out and they hate that.

All in all, they are great. They are very loyal companions and a true joy to have. I recommend the breed very highly. There's a lot of good info and history here - http://www.malteseonly.com/. I go there a lot to check on stuff. Even if you don't decide on a maltese, there's a lot of good info there that's good for any breed.

Hey Chip Great info!!! Thank you so much! Ill check out the website .. and let you know how I go in choosing. Thanks again mate!