It's puppy time! My parents bought a puppy this past weekend - she's a West Highland White Terrier that they've named Molly. She's the first small dog they've ever owned (she weighs less than five pounds at the moment); the last four were all German Shepherds. They still have Mujo, a male shepherd that is about 13 years old now and is strictly an outdoor dog (he has a coat like a bear so he'd be too warm, plus he doesn't exactly smell like a flower). His long-time buddy Max, with whom he shared some excellent adventures, passed away last year. Before that there was Indy and before her Luger, both of whom were female and very bright. I remember Luger being indoors and sleeping on my bed when I was a kid (and letting me use her for a pillow when I watched TV on the floor), but other than that they've all been mainly outdoor dogs. My Jazzy, while a big dog (80 lbs.) is mainly an indoor pup, but she's so well behaved that it's like living with a person in a dog suit (and a very nice person at that). The problem with dogs is that you know you are almost always going to outlive them, so the story will have a sad ending. That is why my Mom has advised me not to read Marley & Me, even though the dog on the cover is so cute that the inside pages of the book could be blank and it would still sell well.