Emma

Scott mentioned Emma in his post, so for those of you who do not know Emma, I thought I should explain.

Emma is the dog from Hell. She is a two year old Boxer/Boston Terrier Mix (FYI, this is the recipe for a dog from Hell). She's 40 lbs of pure muscle. She's stubborn, destructive, and has far too much energy for my little condo.

I knew when I decided to get a dog that there would be expenses involved. Food, vet bills, toys, treats, etc. Below is a list of the unexpected expenses I have encountered in the last 2 years:

8 pairs of sunglasses

2 pairs of prescription glasses (about $150 each)

6 pairs of earphones for the iPod

4 bed pillows

2 feather throw pillows for the couch (see picture above)

2 bathroom rugs

7 or 8 bras

2 pairs of shoes

1 sofa cover

1 soft down throw

2 shirts

2 plastic chairs for the balcony (and their cushions)

several plants

A pair of my mom's shoes

Mom's gardening pad

4 leashes

1 broom

1 snow shovel

New carpet throughout the condo

Several tubes of lipstick

4 combs

1 curling iron (she chewed the cord and I electrocuted myself)

3 of my nephew's basketballs/baseballs/tennis balls, etc.

countless dog beds.

Now, you're probably thinking, "Why isn't the dog supervised??" She is. The damage would be 10 times worse if she weren't.

Thankfully, she's outgrown most of the destructive behavior. I'm not sure Scott would marry me if she hadn't. In an effort to bond, Scott took Emmy back to obedience school (her second round.)

On the plus side, she's the most affectionate dog you'll ever meet. She's a snuggler. She's gentle with kids, tolerant of ear-pinching and tail-pulling. She's protective of me. And protective of the kids (won't let them swim alone.) And every time Scott walks in the door, she does what we call "The Daddy Dance". Her bum starts wiggling, she picks up her leash, and she "dances" on her back legs. She knows she's not supposed to jump on him, so she just prances around with her front legs in the air. She loves other dogs, cats, and strangely, pigs.

Emma just needs a yard and lots of exercise. I'm as excited for her to have a yard as I am for myself. And my darling Scott is unbelievably tolerant.