Our family took a big step and got a puppy! We really had no intention of ever getting a dog as we felt the time and energy in having a dog was not something we wanted to do.
One day I suggested to Claire that I take her to The Puppy Barn to look around for fun. I told her that we were not interested in getting a dog, but it might be fun to look at the puppies. She said, "Oh! I've never seen a puppy before! Well, in pictures or shows I have-but not in person."
When I told Austin about this, it got us thinking about our children and what having a pet would mean to them. They've asked about getting a dog throughout the years and we've always said "no".
At this point we pretty much decided that our family was ready to take the step of getting a puppy--we just had to decide on the type. We decided on a labradoodle--and started watching the ads for labradoodles on sale. We knew that we couldn't get one until after our family vacation.
During our vacation and until we go the puppy Austin and I talked extra vocally about not wanting a dog ever and how people that have dogs are foolish :)
After our vacation, I saw an ad with a picture of a 8 week old litter of labradoodles and Austin said it was up to me on the timing as I would be home with the puppy the most until the girls were out of school. I decided to do it!
Austin and I had a plan that the girls would open 3 presents that all had to do with a dog -- a leash, a food bowl, and some dog bones-- then we would bring the puppy inside.
Shellie and I went to pick out the puppy and when we got home Austin called the girls into the front room and we gave them the presents. When they opened them, they didn't know what to think. You could tell that they wanted to believe what the presents meant, but afraid to really come to that conclusion.
Shellie brought the puppy inside and Eve just broke into tears! She cried for about 45 minutes. The girls couldn't believe and were overjoyed!
We ended up naming the puppy Biscuit and have had her for 2 months now. She's been A LOT of work. At first I was more sleep deprived than when I had a newborn! We've been working on training, biting, jumping, fetch, walking, house training etc! It's been hard and fun but if we end up with a good dog (which we will) it will be worth it!
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| Bringing the puppy home! |
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| Meeting Biscuit - 8 weeks old. |
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| Biscuit used to always sleep on my feet. |
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| She liked to lay on her back and still does. |
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| We had to put up a barrier to keep her in the kitchen. |
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| When she was little, she would sometimes have her tongue stick out. |
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| Cute puppy. |
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| 12 weeks |
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| Dirty after playing outside! |
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| If you zoom in, you'll see ants all over her muzzle. |
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| Hanging out with us. |
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| Helping me plant strawberries. |
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| After Megan's Run. |
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| After a walk. |
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| At the dog park. |
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| Biscuit made a bed on my legs while I was kneeling. |
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| 16 weeks. |
