Franklin

Today on Kelly's Korner it's Show Us Your Life: Pets, so of course I have to join in and show off my sweet Franklin!

Paul gave me Franklin for my birthday in 2008, after we'd been married about 6 months. We debated a long time about what kind of dog to get ( I wanted little, he wanted big) and we see who won (hehe)! I told Paul I didn't really care too much what kind of dog we got as long as it was little. I looked in the classifides in The State newspaper and found  few different ads for small dogs from breeders and Paul picked a maltipoo from some people in Augusta. Franklin was Baby A (a shocker I'm sure for those who know him...he is DEFINITELY the oldest child!) and we got him in July 2008 when he was barely 6 weeks old. Franklin was 1 lb 6oz (or maybe 8oz...can't exactly remember) when we got him and we were told he would be 5-6lb...yeah...he's 11 lb!  Franklin is pretty muscular and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have an ounce of fat on him and he's super long.

 so tiny!

Franklin quickly won our hearts.  He's just so cute and fluffy and super sweet. The most impressive Franklin convert is my mom. She was SO, SO against our getting a dog. My mom is now one of Franklin's favorite people and I'm pretty sure Franklin is my mom's favorite puppy (see below for evidence of this).

I had always said I would never have a dog in my bed...yeah...that lasted until about December of 2008....but I really have a good excuse! Paul was working in Las Vegas for 3 months and Franklin's crate was in the den where he could see the front and back door.  He would bark when he was put in the crate for about 20 min and I was ok with that but then he would start back up with the barking about 30 min later and it really freaked me out since I was by myself...so I put my trusty guard dog in the bed with me and all was good. Paul's been telling Franklin for 2 1/2 years that "next week" he's going to have to start sleeping in the floor.
When Franklin was just under a year old he was attacked by another dog while I was walking him around the neighborhood. It was SO scary and I'm pretty sure it was more traumatic for me than it was for Franklin. On the way to the vet I was talking to my friend Abby, who was sweet enough to come meet me at the vet since Paul was out of town, and I was sobbing and she asked me how Franklin was doing - he was barking at the people in the other cars. Anyway, Franklin ended up with about 2 inches of stitches and had to wear the cone of shame for 2 very long weeks. He was so drugged up on pain medicine for most of those 2 weeks and would run into door frames and such...it was super pitiful.

you can tell he's in the zone by looking at his eyes...so drugged up poor baby.

The biggest upheavel in Franklin's life was DEFINITELY when our oldest daughter was born in Dec. 2009. I was really worried about how Franklin would do since he had always been the center of our universe. Franklin was so funny. My mom stayed with us the first week and would get up when Emmie woke up and change her and then come get me to feed Emmie. Franklin slept IN THE BED WITH MY MOM (the evidence of my mom's love for Franklin) and would get up and go through the whole routine with her. Well after a night or two of this he started coming to get me as soon as my mom got Emmie out of the bed. At first Franklin would stay up the whole time I was feeding Emmie but after a few days he decided he trusted me to take care of the baby and so once I started feeding her he would go back to bed WITH MY MOM.

Emmie's guard dog.

One of Franklin's favorite sleeping spots!

 (this is about as close as Franklin will get to Emmie unless they're playing...he's very weary about being petted by little hands...can't say I blame him!)

Franklin is such a good guard dog...he guards agains squirrels and birds and leaves blowing in the yard. Ha!

Seriously though, he is quite protective, especially if anyone gets too close to his girls. He was so funny the other day when we were at the Children's Garden. There were other people there and he was fine with them being there as long as they didn't come into the imaginary perimeter he'd outlined in his mind.  Once they crossed the line he barked like crazy. He's such a good puppy. If I put one of the girls in bed while he's not watching he'll go find them and make sure they're ok.

Franklin has been so good with the girls and for that I'm very grateful. I would have been so upset if we'd had to get rid of him....he really is my other baby. I think Emmie was born at the perfect time: Franklin was old enough that he was out of the "bad" puppy stage and he would listen well but he was still young enough that he adapted well to a new baby.

Loves: Peanut Butter, cheese, both of my uncles, all the grandparents, my sisters (although I'm careful not to get too close), walks, cuddling, sleeping on the back of the couch

Franklin's favorite way for the Giant to hold him.

Dislikes: SQUIRRELS, going to the vet, getting my nails clipped, strangers