So, we’ve finally decided to adopt another dog. At first, I really wasn’t ready – I actually went to an animal shelter and left in tears – but now I’m there. I told myself two things:
(1) I’m not replacing Bear, because no one can replace her. Like ever ever.
And (2) Hank would really do better with a friend. He’s never been an only dog.
One night at dinner, I asked the kids what they thought about adopting another dog. True to form, here’s what they said:
D, my thoughtful son: “It should be a dog that’s no bigger than Hank. I don’t really care what breed, but retrievers are nice. And it should want to play with toys and a tennis ball and be nice to Hank. Maybe even be in charge so that he feels better.”
My thinker, that one.
M, my daughter who gets right to the point: “I don’t really care. Let’s just make sure we don’t adopt a fat dog.”
Got it.
I’m pretty sure she meant that we need a dog who can go on daily walks with Hank and play ball with us. I’m certain that’s what she meant.
Anyhoo…
We do have some “real” requirements:
(1) The dog must be rescued – from a rescue group or from a shelter. There are too many homeless dogs out there not to give one a good home.
(2) The dog has to get along with Hank and the kiddos.
(3) No puppies. I prefer more adult-ish dogs – ages 1-6 would be perfect – so that you generally skip the “chewing on everything, potty-training, all up in Hank’s grill” phase. Plus, puppies generally get adopted quickly because everyone loves puppies. I would rather save a dog with a little wisdom under his collar, if you know what I mean.
I’m hoping there’s going to be a sign – something that tells me that we’ve found the right dog. That definitely happened with Bear – it was totally fate (as explained in this post). And we have a bunch of friends helping us look, so that definitely helps.
So here we go. Looking for a new friend and member of our family. I’ll keep you posted.
Can’t stand the suspense? Meet our new dog HERE!
Dogs Don't Eat Pizza 
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