Most people get married and get a dog. Then a few years later, they have kids. We skipped the dog part and went straight to the kids. As our boys grew, they asked and asked us for a dog. I always told them when Aaron was 5, we'd look into it. Aaron turns 5 this spring, so ta-da! Time to think about getting a dog!!!
As we look at all the details that need to come together, I'm a bit overwhelmed. This dog will be an outdoor dog, so that adds a whole new dimension to our planning. Yep, that is a requirement. Derek will let us have a dog, but it has to live outside. (This idea has taken me YEARS to get used to, by the way. I grew up with a dog in the house.) So--do we housetrain the puppy, even though she will live outside? I say yes, because when she needs to come in, for whatever reason (like a tornado), then she will know what to do. We need some type of fence--underground or privacy fence? And where do we put her when we go on vacation? It's not like a baby that goes wherever we go. Auuuggghhhh! We are putting more planning into this than we did with ANY of our children! How can this be? CrAzY! Speaking of children, I can potty train a little boy. I don't know how to potty train a dog!
Thankfully, we are not planning on bringing our new puppy home until late spring/early summer. That way the kids aren't in school and I can "raise" our newest addition without the stresses of schools and schedules. She will be an 8 week old German Shepherd, and we will fall in love with her at first sight. Like raising our boys, I guess we will take things one step at a time. And even though the boys promise me they'll take care of her, this mom is wise to their ways. I know she will become MY dog, because like Kaleb's parakeet, I'm the one who will keep her fed and watered. But as payback for diapering those 3 boys for years and years, they will be the ones in charge of the pooper-scooper. Hah! :)
1 comment:
Congrats on getting a puppy! It'll be lots of fun! Any particular reason why the pup has to be an outside dog? What will you do when it's the middle of winter and absolutely freezing? Dogs are supposed to be nice and toasty with the loved ones! :) Personally, I would get a real fence, not an underground one. The electric ones keep the dog in, but don't keep other dogs/animals out. Plus, chasing things is awfully tempting and the dog might be tough enough to cross the invisible line.
These are just some of my thoughts and personal preferences/convictions. The boys will love having a dog though as it teaches such responsibility! Good luck!
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