So... when we met, I had a yellow lab who was about 14 years old, and my husband had a springer spaniel.

Both avowed dog people, we bonded over our respective admiration and adoration of our pups.

As it turned out, his springer had a bit of a rage issue that made her unfit for infant company (she subsequently went to live with a friend on a large child free farm) and my lab had only another year or so to live before arthritis and minor strokes brought us to a meeting at the local vet hospital.

Dog free for the first time, we have concentrated on our kids, and haggled about when/if another canine would join the family. As primary caretaker, up until now, I have felt very overburdened, and not willing to take on another creature who needs attention. But after preschool, and successful potty training, it was either now or next spring. I am the one who found the post on petfinder.com and to be honest with myself, if I had no interest in getting another dog, what was I doing weekly trolling petfinder? I was so crushed after losing my own dog, I couldn't imagine having another, and I was also as shocked when I realized how much work babies are - I mean - there just is no explaining it beforehand is there? So I have done a lot of foot dragging, stalling and complaining... and yet, Saturday we went out to meet a dog - a 2 year old - my own pick, to avoid house training....

The morning before we went to meet her, I lay in bed imagining how every aspect of what was going on would change with a dog... I envisioned the kids getting their toys chewed, fighting for space on our bed, the cat fleeing in horror...
well.. we met this dog, a rescue up from NC, and she is so CHILL.... I mean, I had a lab, and she was a doozy of a lab - chewed everything, jumped up - the whole 9 - but this dog - so far she is housetrained, crate trained, super calm, great with the kids, doesn't go for their toys and listens to what I tell her, eager to please and has these sad eyes that you just want to get a spark back into. I am a worrier by nature - but I think I love her. It's a new challenge, convincing a new creature taht this place can be her home, that we can be her pack - different from just having a puppy who believes from the start - but it's a good challenge, it forces me to back my own play, to acknowledge the home I have made here and to see it in a new and a very welcoming light.