Hello

Oh, the saga of my arm and my hunt for the perfect small dog! It all began in 2018 when I broke my arm. Seven weeks in a cast later, it was clear I'd taken my determination to keep going to a whole new level – the bone shifted and was now worse than before! So, they sent me in for surgery, added a plate, and gave me a new acronym to memorize: CRPS, or Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. Trust me, it's a party in pain! On the pain scale, it's a whopping 42 out of 50 – that's higher than childbirth, folks!

Now, here's where the canine caper comes in. I'm a die-hard lab lover, but with my arm in shambles, I couldn't even hold a week-old lab pup without wincing. That's when I embarked on a quest to find a smaller, less arm-straining doggo. I started my research journey, Googling phrases like

"Quiet small breed Dogs," and wouldn't you know it, they were #2 on the list.

"Best small companion dog," yep, #2 again.

"Best first-time small family dogs," still #2!

I even Googled "Easiest dogs to own," and guess what? They were #2 there too.

Labs, my first love, were always sitting pretty at #1, and Cavaliers are in the top 10 at #7.

So, it didn't take a rocket scientist (or an arm doctor) to figure out the pattern here. I decided enough was enough and welcomed my little bundle of joy, Oliver, into my life. He might be small, but he's got a heart as big as a lab's – and thankfully, he's not too heavy to hold. His need for cuddles gave me the time I needed for my arm to heal!

Kelli Clark