Katie was born January 13, 2007.  She is a Shorkie Tsu (1/2 Yorkie and 1/2 Shih Tsu).  I got her for my mother when I was traveling a lot so she would have some companionship; however, I'm the one who does all of Katie's basic care (brushing, bathing, feeding, walking) so of course the little poop bonded with me.  Fortunately I don't travel nearly as much as I used to so I get to spend much more time with her.  And I love it.  She has dozens of little idiosyncrasies, which convinces me she wouldn't be happy anywhere else. 

Cute as she is, she isn't a cuddly dog.  She has to be in the mood to be picked up and snuggled.  If you notice the little head tilt, it's because she broke her inner ear when she was five months old.  It healed, but the vet said she would always have the tilt.  I assume it is compensation for her balance; I'm not sure.  But I'm convinced it has affected her eyesight just enough to make her leery of reaching hands and sudden movements.  To this day, as close as we are, she will still flinch back when we reach for her.  She doesn't like other people reaching either.  We got her when she was 4 months old and she was a bit shy even then.  I think hand movements and large bodies simply spook her.  But if I get down on the floor, she'll come straight to me.  And lord does she love to play.  She'll chase any available ball (I keep only small ones so she can get them in her little mouth), but she doesn't fetch.  The best game to her is 'run with the ball and have mommy chase her all around the furniture'.  Her tail never stops wagging when we do that.  She also loves to walk, especially around a local lake where there are ducks, a lot of natural landscape, and other people walking their dogs.  She gets to sniff to her hearts content and chase her ball some.

In the photo at the right (above) she is peering from under my desk.  When I worked at home she always laid under there, waiting for me stop working and play.  I'm not working out of home any more and we both miss that arrangement.

This is how Katie looked about a month after we got her (before that she had floppy ears).  Notice her little head is still straight here.             I think the tilt gives her character; she always looks curious, and as if she's listening intently to whatever is said.  She is a force onto herself, and I think if she could speak she would say "Tilt heads of the world Unite!"