PEPPER!
According to Ryder her full name is Fuzzy Pepperoni, but we agreed to call her Pepper because it’s a liiittle easier.
We welcomed Pepper into our family on Sunday afternoon. Ryan drove two hours to South Carolina to pick her up from Upstate SC Hearts for Paws Animal Rescue and then drove the two hours back home with our new girl so she could officially meet her new family!
I first found out about Pepper right before Thanksgiving. I subscribed to a vizsla rescue email list about a month after Sadie died. We were nowhere near ready for another dog but I also felt like it wouldn’t hurt to see if any vizslas needed a home and might be a good fit for our family when the time was right. Apparently vizslas are coveted on the adoption front because for over a year, we never saw one pop up to rescue in North Carolina and the dogs we saw available for adoption in other Southeastern states were scooped up quickly (which is an absolutely wonderful thing).
Occasionally, when a vizsla adoption email would come through, I’d find myself clicking the links and looking at other sweet dogs who needed homes. The timing was never right as we’ll have lived in four homes by the end of the year, but now that we’re just a couple of weeks away from our big, final move, a dog felt like something we could do again.
I’ve always gravitated toward medium or large dogs but then one day Ryder saw a teeny little chihuahua in the passenger’s seat of a car and was so obsessed with that little thing. It sparked something inside of me and made me think maybe a little dog might mesh well with our family in this stage of life. Our boys adore animals and loved playing with Sadie so much. I knew they’d love any dog we brought home but a spunky little dog they could cuddle and gently carry? Well, I had a feeling that would be heaven on four furry legs for them.
I mentioned the idea to Ryan a few months ago and he was fully on board. We still very much hope to have a vizsla again one day but began to look at breeds outside of vizslas to adopt.
Adopting a dog has a million and one benefits beyond providing a wonderful animal with a safe and loving home. So many amazing rescues and dog foster families out there can help match you with a dog that fits your family and it was so incredibly helpful to me as a mom of three young boys to have more information about a dog before welcoming a pet we will have for years and years into our family. The information Upstate SC Hearts for Paws Animal Rescue shared about Pepper made me think she might be the perfect fit for us. They described her as sweet, loving and affectionate and great around kids and people. They said she didn’t bark much at all (something I worried a little might make Rhett nervous) and was not aggressive. She was very quickly checking so many of our boxes!
When I expressed my interest in Pepper, I was asked to fill out a detailed adoption form which I did within 10 minutes because I felt myself becoming more and more attached to Pepper from afar. The next day the rescue checked in with the vet we used when we had Sadie as a reference point (something I LOVE that they do!) and we talked on the phone for a bit. When we were told Pepper could be ours pending an in-person meeting, we were thrilled! Ryan and I kept all of this quiet from the boys. As wonderful as Pepper seemed from the rescue’s description we still didn’t want to mention anything until we were able to meet her in person.
Ryan said it was clear immediately that Pepper would mesh well with our crew. She was spunky and loving, a little shy at first but clearly a very affectionate dog. Once I heard this from Ryan, I told the boys Dad was on his way home with a very special surprise. They had no idea what was coming their way and were beyond thrilled when teeny Pepper came running into the living room.
So how’s it going so far? Really, really well!!! It was very clear the first day that Pepper was a little nervous in her new home. She really wanted to be right up against us if we were seated but was skittish and would want to run behind us when we were walking around. She’s not great on a leash at the moment and Ryan and I had major flashbacks to walking Sadie on a leash at first when she’d just sit down in the grass and we’d have to encourage her and gently pull her along. Pepper will get there!
Pepper is about 5 months old (we think) and was already crate trained at the rescue which was not something we were familiar with since Ryan and I majorly failed at crate training Sadie. (Sadie cried the first night and we let her sleep with us and all was over from there.) We wanted to make Pepper’s transition into life with our family as smooth as possible so we bought her a crate, dog bed and a couple toys. I also unboxed the things we saved from Sadie and found one of Sadie’s old blankets to include in her crate as well. (Truth time: I didn’t wash Sadie’s blankets after she died because I wanted them to retain her smell. Fast forward 1.5 years later and I opened the box of her things and it smelled awful. Like a mix of old animal and plastic and I felt a giant wash of sadness that I truly will never smell Sadie’s comforting scent again.)
Pepper is a fairly quiet dog and didn’t whine or bark much at all the first day we had her but when we put her in her crate at night she cried a bit so Ryan and I let her sleep with us. It was a restless night and she seemed to pop up at every little thing which made us think she truly would be more comfortable and less stressed in her own space in her crate. I reached out to the rescue for some tips and did more research on crate training. I’m happy to report Pepper’s second night went a million times better so here’s hoping we can stick to it, as I think having her crate with us in the rental house and then our new house will help with continuity for Pepper and make our upcoming move a little easier for her. (I also just ordered her the Snuggle Puppy heartbeat toy that’s supposed to help with comforting dogs in their crate since she was used to sleeping in a crate surrounded by other crated dogs. TBD on whether it not it helps!) Are we a little crazy for getting a dog two(ish) weeks before we move into our new house? Maybe! But Pepper needed a home and we felt a strong desire to give her a loving one.
Pepper is a tiny little thing — about 6 pounds! — and is currently happiest curled up in our laps or against our legs on the couch. She’s been absolutely fantastic with the boys. She will rest in their laps for hours, falls asleep right up against them and seems to absolutely relish the attention and love they give her. I’m taking it as a great sign that she stays curled up against the big kids in their room when they’re reading together even after Ryan and I leave the room and the door is wide open.
Once we welcomed Pepper into our home, naming her became a top priority! We tossed around a bunch of different names (Gigi, Phoebe, Lucy, Cici) but when Chase said Pepper, we knew it was the one! Ryder insisted her full name really be “Fuzzy Pepperoni” so that’s where we landed.
We are so happy to have Fuzzy Pepperoni — “Pepper” — as the newest member of our family! Welcome home, Pepper! We already love you tons!
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Congratulations!!! Thank you for rescuing. <3
Oh, I love this post! She is adorable, and what a blessing that you can give her a loving home. We are close to adopting a lab and cannot wait. Our last dog died when my son was 18 months; he’s now 4 and we are all so ready to have a dog in the home again. Congrats on Pepper!
I love labs!!!! They are so darn sweet and such wonderful dogs for families. We adore my sister’s family’s chocolate lab. Enjoy your sweet dog!!! I’m sure your son will be in heaven!
Congratulations! She sounds like a wonderful addition to your family! A totally different dog then I ever thought your family would get!
We used to sleep with our dogs, but crate training was a sleep saver for ever. Plus they have their little safe cave they can go in when they need time out. We are teaching our Grandson that if they go in their kennel, they want a rest and we can’t bug them.
Haha!! Oh yes she definitely was verrrry different from what we thought we’d get as well but she already feels like exactly what we needed right now! <3 And that's actually something we liked about the idea of crate training as well -- giving her a place she knows she can always go to rest. We think that's important for her, especially with young kids who want to be with her 24/7 right now.
FUZZY PEPPERONI! I love it. My kids named one of our cats Ziggy Starbucks so at this point I feel kids should be in charge of naming everything!
100 percent! All the names they came up with put our suggestions to shame 😂
Awwww! She’s absolutely perfect. So cute and she fits right in with you all.
Welcome Pepper. 🙂
I follow Rachel Fusaro ~ she has helped me a lot with her tips with my first dog (now 17 months old). She’s on YT, IG, FB & TT.
Rachel Fusaro is a great resource for training dogs. I know her personally; she used to work with my husband. She is the real deal and is deeply passionate about the care and training of dogs. This is a great recommendation.
Oh gosh…. that’s awesome. I refer everyone to her. I sure wished she lived close, my Sammie Jo could still use a little help. Ha!!
Omg, she is just adorable. I love that you went with your instinct and brought home a little dog you were not looking for! We always rescue and after one of ours (we’ve had a few!) dogs passed away, we decided to wait for a bit and find an older dog who needed a home since seniors can be hard to place. Well after a random meeting with an older lady who had a puppy she could no longer care for, we decided to take him home. We did NOT want a puppy, but he needed us and we were able to provide for him — 4 years and a few headaches later, and we’re all still going strong together 🙂 Sometimes it just fits!
Yes!!! Honestly, for the past year or so we were really hoping to rescue an older vizsla. It just never worked out but now Pepper is here and she already feels like a great fit for us!
I’m so happy for Pepper and your family! I cried tears of sadness when Sadie died, and today I’m crying tears of joy! Thank you so much for rescuing Pepper. Rescue dogs are the best; they bring so much love to your life. I can’t wait to read future posts about Pepper’s adventures with your beautiful family!
yay pepper and yay rescuing! my rescue pup is the love of my life. crate training is great – a safe space for them when they need it (though blanca sleeps in the bed with us every night….). wishing you all happiness and luck on this new journey! we will still love sadie forever.
Oh I love this and love that she is a rescue. I can’t wait for all the hilarious stories of Pepper!
I am so happy for you and your family Julie! We just adopted a 7 Month old puppy 2 weeks ago and it has just been the best!! She is absolutely adorable❤️
So awesome! Pepper is adorable and I am sure will adapt very nicely.
Congrats! I love this so much! After our 14 year old lab passed a few years ago, we also adopted an older chihuahua mix. They look very similar! Ours is named French Fry and he’s been an amazing addition to our family. It took him many months (almost a year to be honest) before he quit following us everywhere around the house at all times and finally felt comfortable here. He was 7 though when we got home and had been bounced around between a few homes.
Congrats on your newest addition, I can’t wait to see more pics in the future.
Oh my gosh that name is AMAZING!!! Isn’t going from a bigger dog to a little dog such a change!? I feel like Pepper is a little hamster — haha!
Welcome home Pepper! We just fostered a chihuahua and LOVED it. It sounds like Pepper is already a very human-attached pup, and will do great growing up with her big brothers. Give the crate a little time – a lot of pups love having a cozy spot to sleep. We got a donut dog bed and put it in our bedroom with a blankie and it took no time for our pup to learn it was his safe spot – he would stare at us and wait at night to go up to bed. This can also help as you’ll be changing houses, but keeping the cozy sleep spot consistent. Can’t wait to watch them grow up together!
Thanks for the insight and encouragement, J!! A huge part of why we really want crate training to stick for Pepper is for consistency + a place of safety/comfort that’s all her own. Last night was already so much better so I am very hopeful she’s beginning to feel security in her crate.
Pepper you are the cutest and really lucked out with this family!! Congratulations!!
This post touched my heart so much! I hurt with you when you lost Sadie, as we love our furry girls so very much. I loved seeing the pictures of Pepper snuggled up with your family! Congratulations on your new special family member!
Thank you, Soozi! We still miss Sadie so much. She was such an incredible dog and it admittedly feels really, really nice to have a furry member of our family again. <3
Absolutely precious dog – love the ears!
My dog used a heartbeat toy for sleep as a baby and it was a game changer for us.
Also, might I suggest a harness for your pup. It’s more secure (little necks can’t slip out of it) and better for the dog as less pressure on the neck when walking. We started with a collar with our dog but are so much happier with our harness. Something to think about!
Thank you!!! I had someone else suggest the same thing on Instagram and I completely forgot about that! The harness worked sooo much better with Sadie so we will look into this for sure!!
I am so so so thrilled for you! I am a longtime reader and loved Sadie so much. I am thrilled you and Pepper found each other, and thank you x 1,000,000 for adopting!
Congratulations, Fagans! Pepper is so cute and how fun to change it up from a big dog to a small one. I would LOVE to adopt but we have an electric fence not a physical one and it’s a deal breaker for animal shelters in our area. Curious if you had that obstacle as well?
I would look beyond local shelters and reach out to rescue organizations as well – they can sometimes be more flexible on items like this.. though sometimes they can also be more strict or might require an in-home visit to check everything out with you first!
It’s so different from Sadie!! It feels like Pepper is a little hamster or something — haha!! She’s such a fun little lady!
And we won’t have an electric fence in the new house so I’m not sure about those regulations!
Pepper hit the lottery of love!
Welcome Pepper! I love that you got her before your move into the new house. Now the family can all move in together!
My nieces & nephews named their new puppy Chicken Finger! I guess kids are focused on food!
Haha!! Such a good name!! Kids should officially name everything 😆
I honestly have chills reading this! I know how much you have missed your precious Sadie!
What a blessing Fuzzy Pepperoni will be!
We feel so lucky to have her! She’s been exactly what we were hoping she’d be 💗
This post made me cry such happy tears! Things always happen for a reason, even if we don’t always know/understand the reason, and Pepper was meant to find your family. Thank you for adopting ♡♡♡
Thank you Shelby! She’s so different than the kind of dog we initially thought we would bring home but she’s just so loving and so wonderful 🥰
Our Peaches is actually Peaches Penelope Proctor Pole Cousineau so I feel your pain 😂😂
Curly is Smelly Cat Stinky Breath one train car short of a caboose Cousineau…
Most of all WELCOME PEPPER🥰😍😘
Hahaha! This is so so fantastic!
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Pepper is seriously the cutest thing ever and is going to have the best life with her three big brothers.
Sadie and your love for her inspired me to get my first dog (ever) 6 years ago. I am so glad that you invited another wonderful pup into your life.
Aw I love hearing this 💗💗 there’s something extra special about that first dog love ❤️
Congrats! She’s such cute, little girl! I think that growing up with animals is wonderful. By rescuing her, you saved more than one dog. You guys are wonderful!
Congratulations and thank you for rescuing!! I’ve got 3 rescues and there truly is nothing like the love and appreciation from a rescue dog. Kudos on sticking with the crate training – you may get to the point where you can leave the door open so if she wants to leave the crate and sleep elsewhere she can! That’s what we did with one of our rescues (we also failed at crate training our first dog but tried harder with the second lol). She can come and go as she pleases from her crate but it is definitely her safe place! Just wait until Pepper fully decompresses and lets her full personality shine – I’m betting she’s got a bit of spunk you haven’t seen yet! Our first rescue was an owner surrender at about a year old – we had him for about 2 months before he ever growled while playing or barked really but wowww he’s got some personality and sass now!! Rescue pups are the best <3 can’t wait to see her grow up with your boys!!
I am so excited to see her continue to feel comfortable enough to show her true personality! She’s so darn sweet but still a little ball of nervous energy and rather quiet and just loves cuddles above all. Love that you have three rescues!!!
Congratulations!!! Pepper has found an amazing furever home 🙂 Wonder what she thinks of Lucky! 😀
Congratulations!! She looks adorable and fun!
So much fun!! One thing we did when we were crate training our dog is we would randomly leave treats in it throughout the day. That way she would walk by, notice the treat, and start to build a more positive association with that space. She ended up loving her crate as her safe space!
Congrats on your adorable new addition, Pepper!!! She has such a cute baby face & is blessed to have found a great home!!!! I love your column & look forward to reading more!! 🎄🐶
I always loved reading about Sadie and your love for her. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing your (and your family’s) love blossom for sweet Pepper. Please, please, please give us alllllll the updates! 🥰
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! She looks like such a sweet little girl and I love that you rescued!
I absolutely love this! I grew up with Labs and never thought I would like small dogs. Originally as an adult we had a lab mix rescue that lived 17 years and was amazing. I swore off pet owning for awhile, but moved away from family and decided on a dog again. A smaller dog was best at the time for our living situation and we adopted a terrier mix. He made me fall in love all over again with having a dog and my boys, also big dog lovers, too fell in love with our little terrier. Fast forward a few years and I am up to four rescues, two of which are chihuahuas. I had a lot of eye rolls when I adopted my first chihuahua. She is only 6 pounds. She does bark some, but she is BY FAR the favorite when everyone meets her. All the chihuahua naysayers can’t get enough of her. Congratulations to your family. Pepper has hit the jackpot!
Hahaha! I feel this!!! I legit texted my family and was like, “I know we’re not little dog people, but I’m going to need you to make an exception for this little lady.” She’s impossible not to love!
I am on my second vizsla after losing our first (yes, that is how I started following you). I started with Brady in the crate to sleep and used a heartbeat dog and it helped a lot!! He lasted a month sleeping in the crate at night, then he was in our bed in true vizsla form. But I continued to use Harry the heartbeat dog when we left him during the day. He literally still loves that toy and brings it everywhere, including outside in the yard to play!
Aw love this!! yesss Sadie loved nothing more than sleeping with us. Does Brady also stand at the top of the bed until you let him under the covers? Sadie cracked us up bc she loved to sleep under the sheets until she’d get too hot, freak out and then sleep on top of them for the rest of the night.
YES!! You wake up and he is just staring at you to get under the covers. It’s all night long, under, over, under over. HA HA
You will quickly see (as you already have) that rescuing a dog is the BEST THING EVER! So happy for you all!!! We ONLY rescue and it is the BEST. I LOVE PEPPER TOO!
Oh Julie so happy for you and your family and Pepper too! We have 3 chihuahua/terriers. We love them so much. We’ve learned to be careful where we sit, walk and lay down. They like to bury themselves under the blanket and when we’re up they’re constantly at our feet lol. Angel is the mom that was a stray and newly pregnant. She’s all black. Miracle is the son of Angel and he’s tan. Then there’s Kiwi we got which is the daughter of one of Angel’s daughters. So we have the mom, son and granddaughter lol. We’ve had Angel and Miracle almost 6 years now and Kiwi around 3 1/2 years. Have fun with your new furry friend and enjoy all the wonderful memories you will make and share together.
This is amazing!!! What a wonderful crew you have!!
The right dog will come along, even if it’s not the dog you expected!
I’ve always had adult labs, GSDs, etc. The first dog my husband and I adopted, Olive, grew to 65 lbs once she had the proper nutrition for her needs. We recently adopted a second little monster because Olive clearly wanted a dog friend, and at 25 lbs this new rescue Hazel is the smallest dog I’ve ever had. It’s wild to be able to pick her up, that’s never been an option.
I also would have never sought out a husky/golden/chow or a chihuahua/pit/dalmation (we did DNA tests), but they’re just perfect for each other and perfect for us.
Congratulations!! Welcome to the fam, Pepper. <3
Oh Julie, I am SO SO SO HAPPY FOR ALL OF YOU. Pepper is absolutely precious. Here’s a lifetime of love and happiness together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been following you for many years and I know the love you have for Sadie and how devastating losing her was for all of you. My heart is bursting with happiness for you!
You guys are the best! Thank you for being an advocate and voice for these rescue dogs! They are truly the best and hopefully will become more of the wave of the future! Without rescues and people adopting, these dogs could otherwise be euthanized! We’ve been a foster family since 2010 and I am always so happy when I see another dog adopted! I’ve always loved following you and have been a follower for years but could not be more proud and happy to support you!
What a cute little nugget!! I’m sure your boys are in heaven!
Sometimes I feel like it’s harder to name a dog than a child!! We used to have two Chihuahuas and they were great with our kids, Their names were Cracker and Spike (Spike came with his name). Our current dogs names are Ripp and Mac – short for Macaroni and Cheese and they are labs so we went from little dogs to big which is also and adjustment. Lots of fun adventures ahead for your family!
Congrats!!! I am soooo happy for your family! <3 Growing up, our family always had medium to big dogs until one day we fell in love with a little dog (just like you!). Dogs of all sizes are amazing, but we fell HARD for our little dog and have had little dogs ever since. Now I'm adult and have a two-year old little guy at home and he is just the sweetest – I love that I can travel on planes with him, pick him up with ease and bath time is a breeze because he is so small! Enjoy every minute loving on your sweet Pepper – I'm sure Sadie is smiling down from doggy heaven that her family is complete again. 🙂