Isabella Delilah Hartley-Sprenkel, aka Bella, Boo Boo, Bubby, Puppy (OGP).

Isabella is a Havanese, the national dog of Cuba. The breed developed from the now extinct Blanquito de la Habana. The Blanquito descended from the also now-extinct Bichón Tenerife. Isabella was born December 22, 2013 and came home in March 2014. It’s hard to believe she just turned 10 years old.  When the breeder brought her to us, the first thing she did was run to me where I sat on the floor waiting for her and then promptly peed and pooped on the living room Karastan.  Sophie was 5 when Bella came home, and I wasn’t sure how she’d react, but Bella was great for Sophie and helped her to be less fearful of people.

She was so naughty as a puppy that we called her the honey badger. She literally ate any underwear, socks, or nightgowns she could get. To this day, I can’t give her any toy with a squeaky because she will rip it apart and eat stuffing, plastic, and/or fabric in the process.

As she got older, she became a love badger and calmed down considerably after Tilly came home. Always snuggled with me after dinner on the recliner when I sat there and has her special spot next to me on the couch. If I am anywhere other than my office, she is by my side or on my lap and sleeps on the pillow next to my head. She is a barker, that’s for sure, and lets us know if someone is at the door, or walking by, or even if she thinks the wind is blowing.

The squirrel is Bella’s nemesis and natural enemy. Unfortunately, she has caught a few over the years with and without Sophie’s help.  She is always on patrol and would sit under trees in the yard for hours at a time if I let her.  When she’s sleepy and doesn’t want to go out at night, we tell her “the nighttime squirrel’s out there!” which always gets her moving.  Thankfully the Pennsylvania squirrels are faster and less clumsy than the ones in Maryland and therefore harder to catch.

Bella’s favorite thing (aside from the squeaky toys she’s no longer allowed to have) is the big red ball.  When we are in the yard, all I have to do is say “ball,” and she barks at me and takes me to the closest one.

The last time I was away on business Ben found a coconut in the yard. Bella thought it was a ball and insisted he throw it for her!

She tolerates the puppies and plays with them occasionally, but she is like Sophie in that she’s more of a people dog than a dog dog, and I’m her person. Ben calls her a mama’s baby, and that’s okay by me.