Christopher Cashell

I came home from work today to discover that we have a new dog.

I have really mixed feelings about it right now, and I'm not quite sure what to think.

On the one hand, if I were to go out looking for a dog, the one they got is as good as I can imagine. She's about six months old, from the Humane Society, supposedly a stray. She's some kind of African breed, though at least a little mixed, and according to them, she should bark very little, if at all (we haven't heard her bark once, yet). She's extremely friendly, and I can't find any fault with her.

However, it's really weird, and almost uncomfortable seeing her. I have no doubt that I'll grow to love her, but I think I would have preferred waiting a little while longer before getting another dog.

UPDATE: For those wondering at the repeated references to "the dog" above, that's because we haven't yet named the puppy. If you have a suggestion, feel free to pass it along. We'll prolly get her named in the next day or so.

Well, I'm not entirely sure how to describe her. . . imagine a cross between a coyote and a small fox, and that's kinda like how she looks. She's not real big, but she does have a somewhat strong resemblance to a short haired coyote. She's fairly lean (actually, she's a little scrawny right now, likely on account of being a former stray, but even when she puts on a little weight, she looks to remain very lean), and very quick moving.

I think my brother took a picture of her. I'll try to get a copy of it and get it scanned in a few days.

Updated: I've found out what she is. She's a Basenji mix. A quote from basenji.com is as follows:

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone stopped me on the street and asked, "What kind of dog is that?" I'd probably have enough money to keep our basenjis in toys for the rest of their lives.

My stock answer has become, "It's a basenji, a barkless African hound dog." Of course, that's a little like summing up Gone with the Wind with, "It's a book about the civil war." True enough, but you're leaving all the juicy parts out.

You can see some pictures at basenji.com and basenji.org.