Ms. Dahlia, Detroit/Cleveland
Age and Occupation: 24, PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, IT System Administrator
Engagement Date: December 31, 2006
Wedding Date: May 2008
Blogging Since: September 19, 2007
Venue: United Methodist Cathedral & historic downtown hotel in Cleveland
About Me: I enjoy cooking, dancing and swimming. I am a geek and apply game theory to my everyday life. Winter is my favorite time of year, especially when spent curled up with good coffee and a book by Madeleine L'Engle.
The Next Big Thing
April 25th, 2008 @ 2:49 pm by Ms. Dahlia
Although our wedding is looming ever closer, Mr. Dahlia and I have found that instead of being preoccupied with the remaining details (like finalizing the song for the soloist, or putting together the program, or anyone of a number of things left to be taken care of), we are focusing on life after the wedding. And not just the honeymoon- although I do find myself daydreaming about it quite a bit.
No, it’s the rest of life after the wedding, when we don’t have to spend our evenings calling vendors and running wedding errands. Life that might include a house with a yard, and a dog (which Mr. Dahlia really wants. Me, I’m ambivalent about it- except I don’t want a dog that sheds much. Nor one that is too big. Anyone want to suggest a favorite breed?) And walks after dinner, perhaps to get ice cream.
Basically, as cliched as it is, both of us are looking forward to settling down a bit.
What are you looking forward to after the wedding?
39 Responses to “The Next Big Thing”
I am partial to cocker spaniels and beagles. They are great start up dogs for young families. And they are just so darn cute!
my guy and i are planning on getting a dachshund. we even have a name for him already - winston. haha, we talk about him as if he already exists (ie: “winston will love this.” “wherever we live, we need a yard for winston.” etc)
dachshund’s don’t shed, and they’re small. they can be pretty yappy/loud, though.
I feel ya!! I am so excited for house hunting, and just relaxing this summer after the wedding! As for the dog….I suggest getting a Havanese!! I have one, and he is just the best dog in the world! He is just 6 lbs, doesn’t shed but still plays fetch and trys to be a big dog (to keep the fiance happy :))
I have a papillon, and I absolutely adore him. His personality is great, and he only weighs 6 lbs, my FMIL has one also and hers weighs 13lbs. So they don’t get very big!
Our wedding is only 4 months away and after that, I cannot wait for the house hunting, kids, my/our business taking off and of course children. Yes, I did say children. I know he will be the most perfect father and I cannot wait to share in the joys of parenthood with him. I wouldn’t mind a cute, small, non-shedding dog either! Oh, and of course a nice size fish tank! Wow! I’ve got a lot to look forward too!
I’m looking forward to all those things too … which is why I’m trying not to go too crazy with the wedding!
There are a few dog breeds that don’t shed … Yorkshire terriers maybe? And I love beagles and dachshunds.
One word of warning though - small dogs can be very yappy and have quite the Napoleon complex. I actually think larger dogs are less high maintenance - they tend to be less aggressive.
My unsolicited 2 cents: Please get a dog from a shelter, not a breeder. Here are my two rescue cuties (albeit with funny looks on their faces):
http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/oErjPhSHKLiIy0OEzhFLQA/l
I’d highly recommend not getting a dog unless you’re totally into it. Having a dog is like halfway to having kids - one of my dogs happens to be very sensitive and high-maintenance (skin allergies in particular are a PITA) and I’ve spend thousands of dollars in vet bills in the last three years just on her. The other one is the easiest, least-demanding animal in the world. You never know what you’re going to end up with.
I have a Maltese! I love him to death and he has such a good personality. They don’t shed. I don’t know if it’s because of his personality or a common characteristic of the breed but he is pretty quiet. He doesn’t bark too much at all.
I have a Lhasa Poo. She is a great family dog, small, and doesn’t shed. Cute as a button too!
I have a beagle!
We already live together with a baby and a dog, so the hard part has been taking time out of my already full, and content life to plan a wedding.
I completely agree with Maude– rescue a dog from a shelter if you can!
But I disagree a little about needing to be completely into it (at least in my experience, everyone’s different, of course). As a kid, I was really phobic of dogs, which lessened into a strong discomfort as I got older. When I saw how badly FI wanted one, I decided to give it a shot, and I’m SO GLAD I did. Rescuing our dog from the humane society was by far one of the best choices I’ve ever made. It was kind of a leap of faith for me, but I can’t even tell you how much love he’s brought into our lives– and we saved his!!!
p.s. he sheds, but we just got a Roomba as a wedding gift– score!
Schnauzers! Duncan does not shed 
Look forward to? Having money!
(not getting monetary gifts, but just not having to make another wedding payment)
another vote for saving a life of a dog at a shelter. surprisingly you can find pure breeds at a shelter. i highly recommend using petfinder.com to lead ya in the right direction. personally my favorite breed is the staffordshire terrier/ boxer. unfortunately they get such a bad rap because of the “pit bull” mixture…but they are the most sweetest loving dogs. and the best thing about the shelter is that they work very hard to make sure the dog is socialized or find the right type of home.
Not always thinking about what needs to get done for the wedding, what I need to spend money on, who I need to talk to about a,b,c,etc. I can’t wait to get back to not thinking at the end of the day.
I have a spanish water dog. Rare breed, but small (between 30-40 lbs, kinda the size of a springer spaniel). She’s great for the city, not too big, but big enough for me to feel safe walking her late at night.
I agree with Lou, that small dogs tend to be hyper, and could be harder to train. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your research before getting a dog. Each breed has a particular characteristic that could make training/living/adjusting to a dog different in each case.
Some dog books I suggest is The Other End of the Leash -Patricia McConnelly and Culture Clash -Jean Donaldson. Excellent for first time dog owners.
Lastly, do NOT get a dog from a pet shop. Best 2 places are a breeder (especially a reputable one) or a shelter. Adult dogs in shelters will be MUCH easier t crate & house train. And you can find reputable breeders from any dog owner association. Google’s your best friend.
I’ll add onto the pile of pro-shelter enthusiasts — and also petfinder.com if you do decide to get a dog (HUGE committment, can really cramp your travel style…but I wouldn’t give my two up for the world!).
But if you get set on having a pure breed (they are at least more predictable than a shelter or rescuedog in terms of size, coat, temperment), go through a GOOD breeder who does health screenings, has only a few litters a year, shows their dogs, and is involved in breed rescue. An interview with a good breeder feels like an interview to adopt a child, and that’s a good thing!
Whatever you do, PLEASE don’t go to a pet store. The parents of those puppies live in unbearable agony, kept in cages with no love or affection, never having a single toy their whole lives, so they can keep the commercial market supplied, and dumped or killed when they can’t produce any more.
First step to find a good breeder? Go to a local AKC dog show or contact your state chapter of the AKC [Breed] Club.
I’m looking forward to living together! Coming home to each other, not having to shuttle back and forth to each other’s apartments, etc. And using the word “husband” to describe him.
may i suggest the shih tzu. i wanted a dog badly and my fi was just as ambivalent. Hersh is only 11 lbs. barely a foot tall and never sheds. he’s perfection on 4 little legs!
i definitely feel you. i have found myself daydreaming about taking walks with my FH as the weather has warmed up. it would just be soooo nice……..
just scanned a few comments above…….shih-tzu are far from hyper. dont have that anoying high bark. and are fairly quiet for the most part.
mine just loves being a lap dog and he’s only a year and a half!
if you’re looking for a small affectionate lapdog, then shih tzu are definitely worth a serious look.
if you don’t want shedding, pick something with softer hair - something like a poodle or a spaniel, as opposed to a lab. also pick something without a thick undercoat - german shepherds and huskies have thick undercoats, for example. those thick undercoats, boy howdy. when they blow out at the season changes, it’s messy!! it literally comes out in clumps.
beagles are a nice size (not too big, not too small) but they have that coarse hair that’s not so great when it falls out everywhere. i’d try something in the spaniel family - a cocker or a springer. they’re going to be around 30-40 pounds, won’t shed as much, and won’t be as yappy as a small dog.
i used to work at a dog boarding facility, and my favorite breeds were the dachshunds, golden retrievers, and the mutts.
oh, and we’re looking forward to being in one place, together! right now we have stuff at my parents’ house, his parents’ house, a storage unit, and two apartments… we can’t wait to consolidate into one place that’s just ours!
I am so totally in agreement with Maude…it is so so so important to get a dog from a shelter. I have had so many friends get a dog from a breeder, only to have them die less than 10 years later, for complications with the breed. Not to mention one of my best friend’s mom works at a shelter and she can’t handle how many dogs there are that stay in the shelter for more than two years.
That being said, we got a black lab mix from the pound and she is the apple of our eye. I agree with other posters, she is our child. A fabulous way to see how you will deal with you children, because some of the same things you will value in a dog sadly tend to be the things you will want to impart to your children. Also the disciplining roles tend to stay the same (or so I have heard).
I would recommend the book “Marley and Me” HIGHLY as a fun story and as an idea of what you may be getting yourself into
My husband got me a Maltepoo (half Maltese, half poodle) for Valentine’s Day and I absolutely adore her. She is almost 7 months old and weighs between 6 and 7 pounds. She shedded some when she still had her puppy fur but doesn’t anymore. She is super playful and very sweet. She loves to cuddle and is a joy to have around. She is also a quick learner. I would definitely recommend one, if you can find them.
We have an italian greyhound mix - they are the perfect size (ours is a fully grown 16 lbs) and the sweetest dogs on earth. Our little Dash also doesn’t shed much at all.
You can see some pics of him in our engagement photos: http://mattfloreen.com/view/jaredandinna/
I would just stalk petfinder.com until the perfect mutt comes along. There is nothing better than rescuing a doggie.
definitely a shelter dog! our white lab mix is a rescue dog and is the most wonderful pet, even if she does shed like crazy. there are plenty of options available and mixes tend to have fewer health issues than purebreds anyway (of course, I’m a bit biased).
on the post-wedding front, I’m very much looking forward to watching movies and thinking about all things non-wedding. I had no idea there were so many things to think about, even though I knew it would be a lot of work. it’s going to be such a huge relief to have our weekends and weeknights to ourselves to enjoy the wonderfulness of being married!
I have a cavachon (cavalier king charles spaniel/Bichon Frise mix) - the bichon in him makes him non-shedding AND hypo-allergenic (so people won’t be allergic to him). He’s 16 pounds and sturdy enough to wrestle with and small enough to pick up with one hand. He’s a muppet, and I love him. I highly recommend this mix for a small, mellow and sweet doggie.
I have two maltese- a girl and a boy. They are great! The dogs are very small usually around 5-8 lbs and don’t shed. They are also hypoallergenic and have the sweetest attitudes. I’ve owned a lab, cocker spaniel, and my maltese, and I’d never go back to any other breed.
Get a yorkie!! Here’s Ollie
http://flickr.com/photos/knudsonwedding/2440978643/in/photostream/
He doesn’t shed, he’s 8 lbs, and he’s full of personality.
As for what I’m looking forward to after the wedding - Having my house back! not having every surface covered in wedding paraphenalia. I find it’s only gotten worse as time passed, and now, with only weeks left, it’s downright ridiculous.
Also, having time to fix up our house, or read a book, or do anything not wedding related.
I would suggest a West Higland Terrier (they look like Scotties but they’re white - the Ceasar dog food dog). My family currently has 2 boys and we had a girl Westie growning up. They are super cute, people loving dogs and they don’t get any bigger than 25 lbs - and that is rare.
Cairn Terrier, it’s Toto, how could you go wrong! But West Highland Terriers are great too!
Good luck with the dog search!
I just got a goldendoodle. they are a golden retreiver / poodle cross and look like big teddybears.
She is 6 months and weighs about 30 lbs and will stop growing at about 40 lbs.
she’s non shedding and has the lazy retreiver characteristics and the very smart poodle traits.
this isn’t my dog but this is what they look like depending on what generation you get:
http://www.diamonddoodles.com/f1bgoldendoodlefamil.html
Remodeling the basement!!
Like most people, I’m going to skip the “life after” issue to weigh in on DOGS! We are crazy about our Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog). She’s our 2nd, and by this point we’d never consider another breed.
I first discovered the breed through a library book about the traits of various dog types. It described Shelties as intelligent, easy to housebreak and train, non-destructive, devoted to their people, good with kids, low-shedding (just a few long hairs, not at all like short-coated breeds), and not requiring too much exercise…. Basically, everything I could ask in a dog, and it all turned out to be true! And they’re a good apartment size without being too tiny — about 14″ high and 20 pounds. The downsides are a tendency toward herding things (bossy yappiness — can be controlled, but you have to stay on top of it) and the fact that such smart dogs tend to need more human interaction or toys to keep them from getting bored.
I’m looking forward to life after the wedding. No money pinching pennies. No more deciding about colors or worrying about what color dress someone else is going to wear.
I look forward to sushi on tuesday nights, vacations, and calling him my husband
Cocker spaniels! The most amazing dogs in the world… energetic when you want to be, more than happy to veg out… and stunningly beautiful.
weighing in on the dog issue, westies (westminster terriers) are great dogs!
ahem. pardon me, reading (finally) through the comments– i meant a west highland. no more studying and typing for me!!
Poodles. Smart, they don’t shed, require little in the way of grooming (unless you like that crazy naked poodle torture haircut the dpg shows love) and hey…any 15lb dog who trained to close the door behind them when they come into the house deserves a mention!
