Ah, the Comfort Era. I turned back to Petz to help me through the long hours of being stuck at my desk for grad school (2014 - 2016), as well the second big wave in my chronic illness (2017 - 2019).

If you spend even two minutes in the Petz community, you'll find that a great many players are called back to it during difficult times.

Like all dogz in my original family tree, these families are naturally raised. ♥

October & Haunt
Focus years: 2007 - 2019

Although October and Haunt had their first puppies back in my Old-School Era, my strongest memories of them and their kids are actually from 2014, when I was spending my after-work evenings buried in graduate studies with Petz 4 running on a second monitor.

I spent a lot of time at my computer in 2014. A lot. I was slowly making my way toward a master's degree in Library Information Science while also working nearly full-time, doing volunteer work for a video game music podcast, and co-hosting a show of my own. At some point I realized that Petz 4 would be the perfect companion as I did my nightly research and compiled episode playlists. It was a really joyful thing to turn all that necessary focus time into an excuse to also play with my pups on the side.

There are two things of particular significance about this pair. The first is that they were the first couple I matched up due to their similarly-themed names; Haunt was a single adoption from the internet whose name I hadn't changed, and he and my dog October were clearly meant to be soulmates. The second bit is that Haunt actually turned out to be the son of Harlie, one of my other Old-School Era adoptions! I thought that was pretty wild when I realized it.

Although these two were matched for a theme, I hadn't yet started the habit of naming litters based on themes. That would come later, in the next generation.

Autumn & Bear
Focus years: 2007 - 2015

Autumn and Bear are another pair whose eldest pups were born in the Old-School Era but who didn't get played with much until my big 2014 grad school revival. Their trait combinations in Icecap and Temple produced a look I've been in love with ever since.

Autumn and Bear were a bit of a cheesy meta-match, as my husband loves bears and I associate with the fall. I had always wanted to see what kind of chunky pups Bear would produce, so this simplest of connections was all I needed to pair him up.

I was absolutely delighted when Icecap was born. Her stocky frame is incredible -- she somehow found a way to enhance her father's cuddly proportions, not just carry them -- and that white coat with one mutt ear was just striking. Her sister Temple was thrilling too (those FEETS), but instead of holding out for a third sibling of their mold, I decided to focus on the next generation and move forward by matching the two sisters with their own mates instead.

Back when all this was happening I wasn't aware of selective breeding as a Petz pursuit. Now that I am, I'm inspired to create my own breed that locks in these purportions and markings.

Icecap & Pumpkin
Focus years: 2014 - 2019

The pairing of Icecap and Pumpkin was one of the matches that resulted from my breedfile collecting spree of 2007. In the earlier 2000s I'd either not been aware of player-made breeds or hadn't been particularly interested. That changed when I returned to the game in college and began adopting singles from custom breeds with really intriguing styles, like Foxes and Catalouha Dogs.

I do remember playing with Pumpkin and his sister Hotaru quite a bit in my dorm room in college, but I'm realizing now why most of my other Petz memories are missing from those specific years (2007 - 2008): my chronic illness had just begun its first precipitous worsening. I remember 2006 just fine, and also 2009... but in between? Not so much.

But now it was years later, I was super eager to pair Icecap up and create some lookalike children, and mixing in fox genes seemed like a cool idea. But because of my hopeful expectations, I got discouraged quickly. Captain is a super cute bundle of mini sheepdog, but I was initially confused by his facial proportions -- and Monogatari not only seemed very similar to her brother, but was unsettlingly huge! My interest clearly stuck with other pairs, like Slate and Harlie and October and Haunt, who were showing more nuanced combinations in their offspring.

I think there's a lesson to be learned here too, which is that I'm usually happier with the results when I pick mates for my home-grown dogz from internet adoptions instead of the Adoption Center. I think it's partly the more complicated genetics that are involved, and partly the sentimental attachment that's formed earlier on through the serendipity of browsing a forum and getting your heart stolen by a random pup.