21 May Happy Tail for Kirby
Greetings! On July 31, 2009 our family adopted Kirby, a shih-tzu mix, from 4LuvofDog. His original name was Butch, but when we saw him, he looked like a Kirby to us. We named him Kirby after Kirby Puckett, as we are huge fans of the Minnesota Twins.
When Kirby first came home to our family, he was a very shy, quiet, and timid dog, almost keeping to himself most of the time. At first he knew how to fetch, but didn’t know any other tricks. As of right now, in the last year we have taught him to sit, shake, stay, dance, speak, and his newest is rolling over!
The youngest child, Paige, who is nine, loves watching dog shows on animal planet, and has taught Kirby most of his tricks that he does today. She spends hours with him, playing with him, cuddling with him, and teaching him new things/refreshing his mind with his old tricks.
When we first got him, he never ever barked—didn’t even make a sound. He was not playful at first, and very afraid. Now he loves to nibble on your hands and growl playfully when you play with him! He still never barks, unless it’s our neighbor or a rabbit, or if we tell him to speak! When he first started to come out of his shell, his bark was very week and high—now it’s loud and deep!
It is so amazing how much he has come out of his shell—our family is just amazed at how much he has evolved into his own unique personality, and how well he fits into our family! Without Kirby, we don’t know what our family would be like! He is always there to cuddle on your lap, or give you kisses, and always is ready to play, as he most always has a toy in his mouth! He loves to exercise and run freely on grandma’s farm—he is a very active dog!
We are so thankful to have Kirby in our family, because like I said before, it just feels weird if he is gone at the vet or something like that! Thank you, 4LuvofDog for giving us such a cute little fluffy blessing in our life! We are so thankful to have him, and will love him until the end! Thanks again, 4LuvofDog! ~ Brian and kids – Michelle, Aaron, Paige, and Kirby