I always have 2 dogs. a male and a female. I think it is almost criminal for dog owners to have just one. Two makes both lives so much fuller and it really doesn't burden the owner times 2 at all. They become a unit. With all eyes and devotion to us. We really don't deserve such devotion do we. They are amazing creatures and if one really pays attention, they show us how to live inside our heads don't they? It's all about the now. Enlightenment is a canine trait. They don't even know what they know. lol! Anyways, I had 2 Decker Rat Terrriers , the male is 4 and the female is 16! and still going strong enough. My male needs more stimulation at home than this old owner can give him and so I knew it was time to bring in the next female as Bella maybe has a year and some months if we are lucky. So I drove down to socal 2 months ago to purchase my newest female and she is quite the dickens. Her name is Perris, after the city I picked her up in, and this breed never ceases to amaze me with their instincts, general happiness, and intelligence. She is now 12 weeks old and has my heart, which I have to be careful for, because dogs have one of our deadly sins in spades, jealousy. And I have to make a point of constantly lettting my 16 year old girl Bella know that she is still and always number one. It's a balancing act, but today I can finally say mission accomplished, because the whole purpose of the new pup was to give my 4 year old male Timber, a little sister to play with. It was distressing the first 2 weeks after we brought her home as they both treated her like an illegal alien. But today my Perris is 12 weeks old and already runs and jumps like the wind and Timber has finally taken to her with relish. I shed tears sometimes watching their interactions. Of course as I hold close to me my Bella. The best female I ever owned. My shadow. Literally.