Louie

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Hi, my name is Louie and I'm 18 months old. I'm part Doberman and part Pit Bull Terrier and I'm pretty big and very handsome as you can see from my photo. I used to be called Brodie, but when my Mom and Dad adopted me last October they thought I should have a new name to go with my new life. My Mom says I'm the smartest, most handsome boy and she is so happy that I've come to live with her.

In fact, my Mom and Dad said they fell in love with me the moment they first saw me at the shelter.

They brought me home with them and now I have a new family. I have a big brother and sister who like to take me outside and play. I can run really fast and I run in circles around them and they laugh and throw a ball for me to catch. Sometimes they try to chase me around the yard, but I'm too fast for them. Sometimes I chase them and they laugh at me because they say I'm so funny when I run and play.

I especially like playing in the snow, and one night I helped them when they made a snow fort. I ran inside and helped them dig and they thought it was very funny.

My Mom likes to take me for drives in the car, and I really love that. I watch out the front window and Mom laughs and says I'm a backseat driver. When we go to the store and my Mom goes inside, I climb into her seat and wait for her to come out. The storekeeper thinks it's very funny to see me sitting behind the steering wheel.

My Dad likes to spoil me by letting me up on the sofa to cuddle with him. I like that very much. He also lets me climb onto the bed when Mom's not looking. Mom doesn't really mind me being on the bed, but she says I'm so big it doesn't leave enough room for her to stretch her legs out. My Dad laughs at me when I sneak onto the bed after they go to sleep. He told my Mom that I go to his side of the bed and stare at his face to see if he's asleep and then I sneak up on the bed. Dad thinks it's very funny.

They love to cuddle with me and pat me. I really like it when they tell me what a good boy I am and how much they love me.

I also love it when they give me treats. They give me lots of things to chew on because I love to chew. I like it so much I accidentally chewed a couple of shoes. Mom wasn't very happy but she said that at least I didn't completely tear them apart and she could still wear them. She told me that I'm not supposed to chew shoes and then gave me lots of rawhide bones so now I don't chew shoes anymore. She tells me what a good boy I am when I chew on my bones so I understand that bones are the only things I'm supposed to chew on.

I also love my new house. It's in the country and I have lots of room to run and play. My Mom says I am part kitty cat because I like to find dead mice and bring them into the house. Usually they are pretty ripe by the time I find them, but my Mom and Dad understand that I am only trying to bring them presents to show how much I love them. Mom still doesn't like picking up the dead mice, though. She makes a funny face and holds her mouth.

Besides the family I live with, I also have a Grampa who I get to visit sometimes. I love going there because I get to play with Sam the Bassett Hound and my Grampa gives me lots of pats. He says I'm very smart, too, and he laughs when Sam and I play tug with Sam's toys. He also laughs when Sam hides his bones from me in the yard. Sam buries his bones, but I always find them and run off to hide them some place else and then Sam finds them and does the same. We like to play like this for hours and it makes Grampa smile.

I love my new home and family and they love me very much. Sometimes I get a little lonely when my Mom has to go out without me, but she doesn't do it very often and usually it's only for a little while. My Mom thinks maybe I need a little brother or sister to play with and keep me company. Maybe someday that will happen, but for now I'm just happy to have so many people who love me and spoil me a lot!