"It was a long three years since the passing of my last Yorkie, Libby. Libby was the daughter of our other Yorkie Hershey. He too had passed two years before Libby. My husband stated he wanted no more dogs. Their passing was very heartbreaking, but I always expressed the many happy years out weighted their end of days. At some point I just said I was going to find me another Yorkie. Unfortunately, my search resulted in just missing the dog or was out of my price range.  

One day while doing an event for Mon Valley Paws at Pet Supplies Plus, a woman came into the store with the cutest little dog who captured my heart. She told me it was a Shih Tsu and guess what? The breeder was local. My next question was “Did it shed”?  Considering I was highly allergic to pet dander, I was delighted that it did not. Upon calling the breeder, she stated the next litter would be born in January and be ready to bring home in March. Almost immediately I started purchasing dog paraphernalia. Two weeks after the litter was born, I was permitted to visit the household and select my puppy. I choose the almost white one with golden brown spots because I never had a white dog previously. My weekly visits allowed me to watch the progression of her development.  Researching a name on the internet was the next mission. On a native American website, I selected Kaiah meaning little but wise. The little part befits her but stubborn comes to mind more so than wise. Being stubborn is her wise way of making me work harder at training her. 

A notable aspect of having a small, spirited dog is how she has bonded with my elderly Aunt. She looks forward to being woken up and greeted with wet kisses. Kaiah motivates her to move about the house and play by tossing her toys about the room. She is a therapy dog for my aunt and has filled the void in both our houses of being dogless. She is extremely energetic and loving. Here is hoping for many years of a fun-loving companionship. P.S., I am still searching for a Yorkie playmate for Kaiah. Don’t tell my husband. He won’t admit it but he plays with her too!"