Impulse

Impulse is a 10 year old Tibetan Spaniel (that is a breed guess, since she was sold to her owners as a Lhasa/Shih Tzu cross but her owners weren't convinced after viewing information on the Tibetan Spaniel) who lives up to her name.

When Impulse was a pup her mom happened to stop and "look at the cute puppies in the store window." After a few minutes of watching her through glass, she went in to say hi up close - and did the worst thing a window shopper at a pet store could do...she picked up the puppy. Her mom had no intention or pre-plan of getting a pup that day, but it was just before Christmas and well, the snuggles and kisses she got hooked her at hello. So, Impulse got her name because she was an "Impulse buy" for Christmas that year.

She lives up to her name, and while she very Impulsive and playful, she can also be obsessive. Maybe that is why some people who can't remember her name have called her "obsession". She can play for hours with her ball...which she l-o-v-e-s - to the point that her mom, in order to avoid repetitive strain injury on her shoulder, went out and bought a tennis racquet to hit the ball with so Impulse can play fetch.

She enjoys playing with her other toys (particularly when new visitors come over who don't know she can play for hours and are a captive audience). She loves all toys including stuffed, squeeky, fluffy and bouncy, however, when it comes to dressing her up, it takes some convincing. She is no "dog-model" that is for sure! 

She loves to play in the snow and make doggie snow angels - it must be in her blood - the love of the snow. She refuses to wear a winter jacket in the winter, and H-A-T-E-S putting on her boots. Her mom believes this to be due to the Tibetan Spaniel's lineage back to the monasteries high in the snow peaked mountains of Tibet where they were bred and lived. Historically, the Tibetan Spaniel's job was to alert the Mastifs, who were posted outside the monasteries, if anyone were approaching the monastery. She does this still. She is our little alert dog when people come to knock on the door...she figures we humans are her "Mastifs". Additionally, the Tibetan Spaniel was bred also to be beautiful and prized and rare - to be special gifts for royalty and important visitors to the monastery, and given by the monks as gifts. They were rare outside the walls of the monasteries in Tibet, long ago.

Impulse must know this piece of trivia about the Tibetan Spaniel's stature as a prized gift for royalty, because she often has the attitude of knowing she is special and should be treated like royalty herself, spending much of her day lying in bed (not "her" bed - the big king size human bed!) flat on her back with head on her mom's pillow legs spread eagle waiting for her belly rub and/or massage. All she needs is a little bell to call the butler! Hence her often used nickname, Queen of Sheba.

When she isn't taking up her mom's side of the bed, she is basking in the sunshine or looking over the balcony watching the world go by. While she lives up to her name, she often has wonderful moments where she is pensive and when her mom wishes she could know what Impulse is thinking, as she looks off into the sun, sniffs the air and lets out a big long sigh of contentment.