Raspberry Iced M

In the spirit of sharing not-so-vague things about myself, I offer photographs of the two entities in my life who force a routine – my dogs.

Ozmond Gatsby a/k/a Ozzy was born on July 19, 2025. He came to live with me in early September. He is 1/2 ShihTzu and 1/2 Toy Poodle – or – a “Shih-poo.” He has the squished nose and underbite of a ShihTzu and the curly hair of a Toy Poodle.

And he is so smart. Needy. Playful. Hyper. And handsome. He is not a fan of car rides or the groomer. But he loves treats and fetch and – for some odd reason – The Vampire Diaries. He’s Team Stephen.

As Ozzy grew, I realized that his breed (or the combination therein) is very sociable. ShihTzus and Toy Poodles function best with other dogs. My heart sort of hurt for him and I wondered if he was lonely…

…so I found Ozzy a baby brother.

Enter Bennett Grisham a/k/a Benny. He is also a Shih-poo, mixed a little differently. Benny’s dad is 100% Toy Poodle. Benny’s mom is 1/2 ShihTzu and 1/2 Toy Poodle. So I guess that makes Benny 1/4 ShihTzu and 3/4 Toy Poodle.

Benny was born on March 26, 2026, and he became part of our family in the middle of May. He has reddish brown, curly hair like a Toy Poodle. Green eyes, a pointier nose, and the anxiety of a squirrel caught in a bird feeder. He became attached to me immediately, and now, I cannot go pee without an audience.

Benny’s brain has not yet caught up with the length of his long legs, and he tends to lose his footing on occasion. He is still very young and tiny, weighing in at the vet last week at 2.8 pounds. We are currently working diligently on potty training. Benny loves Honey Nut Cheerios, sleeping directly on top of my head at night, and whining any time he cannot physically see me.

I remember imprinting on Ozzy immediately upon seeing his picture posted by his seller. I will also admit that I assumed Benny would act a lot like Ozzy, given their similarities in breed. So I was a little surprised to realize that I did not “feel” as attached to Benny from the start – or at least not in the way I was attached to Ozzy. I was also surprised to realize that Ozzy and Benny did not immediately bond, as I thought, for certain, Ozzy needed a playmate.

That has all changed, though. In two weeks, Benny has really come out of his anxious shell. He still cries when I leave the room, but he and Ozzy run after each other and pull each other’s ears and steal each other’s treats and toys. They no longer compete for parental attention. And their personalities are different enough that they each hold their own space in the house…and in the bed.

My co-workers. My secret keepers. My snuggle bugs.

The addition of Benny has doubled the dog treat bill, the groomer bill, the vet bill, and the doggy hotel bill. It has also decreased the amount of time between puppy pad changes, water bowl refills, and potty breaks.

But these two are a fun pair. And I sure do love ’em.