I’ve known I’d get another puppy after Toodles for years. My heart was set on another female long-haired Chihuahua puppy. I was going to name her Toodles II and call her Tutu (Too2).

After looking online for a few days, I revised my criteria. Maybe I didn’t have to have a Chihuahua. After all, purebreds are notorious for health issues. I wanted a healthy female puppy (8 weeks to 6 months) small enough to use the existing dog door. Avoiding puppy mills was a priority.

I dropped by area shelters (we have two in Athens). Nearly all the available ups were big dogs. The exception was 12-week-old puppies believed to be a Chihuahua/dachshund mix. They were cute, but already too big for the doggie door and twice the size of full-grown Toodles.

PetFinder was extremely helpful. I applied to adopt a Chihuahua from a shelter in South Georgia but I was too late. The next day, an ad appeared for Abalone, an 8-week-old chi-weenie who was unlikely to exceed ten pounds. I sent my application in right away.

Not even an hour later, I got a text message telling me to check my email about the status of my application. Assuming both parties were satisfied after meeting, she was mine. I checked with my ride (thanks, Tony!) and set up an appointment to meet at 11 the next day (Tuesday, August 9).

I ain’t gonna lie. Tears came to my eyes when I saw her. We clicked right away. Within seconds, she was resting her head in the palm of my hand. That was it. Ever since, I’ve been totally puppy-whipped.

I decided to name her Tootsie — a nod to Toodles with space for her own identity. She looks like a dachshund with a shorter snout and longer legs. She’s 8 weeks old and weighs a tad less than three pounds in the pics below. Full grown, she should weigh less than ten pounds.

The day after she was born (according to the shelter), she and 39 other dogs were rescued from a hoarder. A volunteer fostered Tootsie, her mother, and three litter mates in her home. The adoption fee was about what I paid for Toodles — and unlike her, had been spayed, received her first round of shots, and was free of fleas.

She’s really smart, super alert, and very curious. She runs everywhere she goes. I’ve had her for a week now and she tinkled inside once — within an hour of getting home. Since then, she runs to the door when she needs to go out and has had ZERO accidents.

She has totally disrupted my routine and made clear who is in charge. Ignoring her is not an option. She is extremely vocal, insistent and persistent. I wouldn’t have it any other way.