Life With Kiya

How this spunky little Dachshund came to me might not seem like a heartwarming story, or might even be considered boring, but it's a sweet story nonetheless. At least, that's what I think. Princess Kiya (pronounced like the car) was born on November 19, 2016, in Cheyenne, Wyoming to a litter of four. She is the second smallest of her litter. Both of her parents are pure-breed dachshunds, though only her father has papers. My boyfriend and I adopted her on January 21, 2017. It was a Saturday night, and she'd just turned nine weeks old that very day; I remember that much.

My boyfriend wanted me to have a dog so that I wouldn't be lonely while he was at work. I'd just moved in with him right before Christmas after living with my grandparents for around two years while I was college. I'd also gone to see my family in North Carolina for Christmas, so at the time we adopted Kiya I'd been living with him for a little over two weeks in Bushnell, Nebraska, which is about a 45-minute drive east of Cheyenne. So usually, on Saturdays, we'd go into town to get groceries and go to coffee with his friends. Before we did anything, he surprised me and took me the dog pound in Cheyenne. We of course wanted a small dog because we currently travel for his job, and having a larger dog in a camper isn't ideal. I was adamant on having dachshund after growing up with a miniature dachshund mix.

We unfortunately couldn't find one at the pound, so we went and had dinner at Wendy's and started looking online for a Dachshund puppy. Now, my boyfriend said that if I wanted a puppy, I had to A) pay for it, hence it would be my dog and B) it had to be $400 or less. I, of course, agreed. It was actually said boyfriend who found Kiya's litter on the Cheyenne Tribune Eagle that was within our price range. So we called, and the couple said that they had a short-haired, black and tan female. Now, personally, I've always enjoyed short-haired Dachshunds because they're easier to take care of. I also enjoy the black and tan patterns because it was what I grew up with. So when we found out that the then-unnamed puppy was what I was looking for, I was eager to meet her. So we drove to the couple's house and was introduced to this spunky little dog. Now, I had said to my boyfriend that no matter what, my heart is always big enough for a dog, and that hasn't been truer. That being said, when I first saw Kiya I of course fell in love and I knew that I had to get her. We got to meet her parents and a couple of other Dachshunds.

Now, at that point in time, I didn't have cash on my person, so we had to go to the bank and withdraw it while the couple got her things ready: some puppy food, a few puppy pads, her vet information which showed that she'd already had her first set of shots, a bell on a string, and a pink Dora the Explorer blanket that she loved. When we returned, I got the chance to bond with her in a relaxed environment before we took her with us. There, I also learned how much she loved to give kisses, which has stuck even to this day. I also got to see how playful she was, and how she bounced around the room. Once she'd calmed a little, we wrapped her in her Dora blanket, got her things, and said good-bye. The first few people she met was my boyfriend's family, and I know for a fact that she loved her new grandma immediately. She also got to meet some of my boyfriend's friends. It wouldn't be until the next day that she got to meet her new aunts, Ava and Lucky, a German Shepherd and a Border Collie. She was scared of them for a while, since they were larger dogs, but has since come to love them very much. Anyways, after we got Kiya, we went to Wal-Mart and bought her stuff like food and water bowls, a couple of toys, and some treats. But of all of her toys that she has since gotten, she loves to play with plastic bottles when given the chance.

Since we got Kiya, she has learned how to do some basic tricks and where not to go to the bathroom. My boyfriend and I have learned much about her as well, like how sweet and caring she is. We've learned how much she loves to bark, and how she thinks she's a bigger dog. She is stubborn, sassy, and charming. She still loves to play and give kisses and run around the camper, whether it be chasing the cat or a toy. She also loves to take naps and go for walks, especially if it's to a dog park. But most of all, she loves us, and we love her.