After moving, having a baby, starting homeschool, and then moving again (among a slew of other daily life things), we bought a dog. Right before Christmas. December 11, to be exact.
And when I say dog, I mean puppy. We bought a puppy! And boy, is he cute.
I had been checking on an animal rescue shelter website daily, even multiple times a day. I wanted a dog soooo much. One day I was driving through Walmart's parking lot on the way back from pickup, when I spotted a couple in a dirt area selling a handful of puppies. I stopped, asked questions, pet a few, took some pictures, got back in the van, and called Jayze.
"I thought we decided we would wait until spring to get a dog..."
"I know, but...they're so cute...looks like a good opportunity...I bet we could make it work..."
"Hmmm..."
We went back and forth, and Jayze said if he came home to a dog, that would be okay. I told him I was still on the fence. Then I texted, "But if we don't get a dog right now, then I'm buying a parakeet."
A few hours later, he shows up, takes me into our bedroom, and says, "I want a dog."
He drove back to Walmart, but they were gone! So he drove to a town 30 minutes away, looked at some puppies at the animal shelter, and picked one out - a soft, black and white Anatolian Shepherd mix. We named him Strider (any "Lord of the Rings" fans out there??).
Merry Christmas to us!
It seems as simple as that, but boy it's been a learning curve. It was pretty hit and miss there for awhile, and we even debated on whether we had made the right decision. Puppies are HARD work. I binge-watched dog training videos on YouTube any chance I could and incorporated my rookie knowledge the best I could. Thankfully, Anatolian Shepherds are smart and have low energy, which has made the training doable and relatively fast. There's still more work to do, but I think (a few months later) we're through the hardest part.
The kids have all reacted differently to him, some good and some bad, but mostly good. The only bad is that we still have to watch him 24/7, and take turns taking him out, playing with him, and training him. We're all excited to get a fence up soon and for warmer weather so he can spend more unsupervised time outside.
However, the most fun to watch has been Porter with Strider. He'll use Strider as a pillow, will randomly go up and fiercely hug him in the way only toddlers do, and tell him in his cute, toddler voice, "No, Strider," or, "Good job, Strider!"
I marvel at this puppy's patience with our three-year-old, rambunctious, cutie boy.
It's reminded me of the scriptures Moses 2:26:
And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten...Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. And I, God said: Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
It's been amazing to watch the relationship between us and Strider grow - he really is a soul, a living creature. And for some reason, it's just miraculous to see another form of life living in our home, interacting with us, and bringing us joy. I hope we bring him joy, too.
Also, it's fitting that Porter and Strider's bond is so strong because toddlers gotta stick together. And roll around on the floor. And be potty trained. And jump and pounce and run. And make us laugh.
And love with all their heart.
Welcome to the family, Strider.
