Dog

I've known we'd eventually get a dog.  Hans and I discussed it exhaustively and yet, even though we know the timing is so very, very wrong, we are now the proud owners of a dog.  I suppose my obsessive searching/researching didn't make waiting until we moved a real prospect.  Seeing pictures of dogs needing homes through craigslist and various shelters gave me a better idea of what we were wanting in appearance and had me researching breeds. 

Saturday morning had us checking out a dog who was just not right for us.  She was adorable, but she didn't seem all that interested in us.  The lady at the Alternative Humane Society of Whatcom County mentioned later that she thought the kids just weren't into the puppy, but she doesn't know my kids.  Besides, examining a dog in a busy parking lot at lunch time isn't the best way to get to know an animal, especially when it's a highly distractable puppy with no concept of its name and little to no training.  I have enough training to do with Pip! 

The kids were disappointed when I said I really didn't think the female was right for our family.  Abby was so sure she was...but she's been sure with every dog we've checked out, not that there has been too many.  When we were home, Mom starts checking out adopt-a-pet dogs.  I show her the NOAH site I'd been regularly watching (NOAH is this great no-kill shelter not far from here in competition for a $100,000 grant and has to adopt out 1,000 animals or something between August 1 and October 31).  Mom said she wanted to see one I thought looked interesting when I saw him the night before.  When she saw his face, she started squealing how we needed to go meet him (she squawked even more when I confirmed the shelter was on her way back to PDX.  Papa and I both were trying to get her to bring it down a notch or twenty).
 
So we went.  It's hard to say 'no' to Mom when she squeaks like that.  The dog, dubbed 'Bear', was at a Petco for an adoption event.  By the time I walked into the store, Mom was already on the floor hugging the little boy.  She was completely in love with him ages before the kids or I could even get close enough to see what he looked like in person.  Papa took his picture to send Hans and I was already pretty sure he was coming home us.  Papa finally looked at me and said, "If you don't get him, I will."  That did it.  'Bear' licked cats, loved the kids and just leaned on Mom.  I really couldn't ask for a much sweeter dog.  Even if he is a boy, although the NOAH guy pointed out that since he's neutered, he's not really a boy anymore...

'Bear' is now Harvey Tiberius Weber.  He's a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon mix (or not a mix), about a year old.  Did Oma just not know of this breed?  I would have had one years ago if I had known about them.