How to fall in love with a puggle

I was a cat owner. I was the owner of multiple cats. I am pretty sure now that was a mistake. I felt that when I realized that I was not the best caretaker in that darker period of my life, that I would never be fit to have pets ever again. In the next years that followed, I turned my life around and in that process, returned the cats to a shelter. A year later, I made serious and intentional amends to the animal shelter. That was then, this is now.
After a little time and a lot more faith, I considered getting a dog. I researched the most appropriate dog for my size condo and came up with pug or English bulldog.I enlisted myself on rescue breed waiting lists. I started looking on websites and found a dog that happened to be at a rescue shelter. I called them as soon as they opened on the Friday right before Memorial day 2008.
I went right down to the shelter and met a dog that was more puggle than pug. The man from the shelter deposited an adorable puggle into my cubicle and the puppy proceeded to immediately pee right in the middle of our assigned little box. The man kindly cleaned the mess up and directed us to the next cubicle-and there it happened. This dog licked me constantly and deposited tan fur on my black teeshirt for the next 45 minutes. The man came back and asked me "what do you think?". I told him I fell in love. I fell deeply in love with Max, the puggle. I spent 10-15 minutes completing paperwork and made a plan to pick up my new puppy after Memorial day. Tuesday he was to undergo his neuter surgery and I was to pick him up Tuesday afternoon. I immediately contacted my friend Shireen who generously donated a portion of her Saturday to help me prepare for my newest pet.
Saturday, Shireen instructed me to get things for Max I had not even thought of as well as the obvious puppy paraphenalia: poop bags, Kongs (ultimate toy), healthy food (yes, dogs have junk food too, apparently) and a kennel (to crate train-Max came to love this-no torture intended or endured). She helped me pick out the things that would bring Max ultimate comfort. Thanks Shireen!!
I picked up Max and a three day supply of carprofen for his pain/discomfort and headed home. That night and endless (well, okay, about a week) nights after, Max cried and cried. I doubted if I was doing the right thing. I continued to ask my dog owner friends if I was even doing this pet thing right; they assured me I was. Even when the dog humped his bed in the middle of my bookclub, I loved my Max. Even when he chewed up my Grandma's afghan blanket, I loved the puggle. Much to my surprise, the vet told me I may have gotten a puppy instead of a dog "around 1 year old" as advertised. Longer to love Max, I figured.
Now, more than a year later, Max does not fail to give me unconditional support, love, neverending licks and tons of nudges in the right direction. It's contagious....my husband has fallen in love with him too!