Introducing Hank the Re-gifted Puppeh

About a year ago I started thinking that it might be time for our family to have a dog. John had always been very adamant about no dog messes and we'd moved a lot until fairly recently so a dog had just never really been in the cards. I wasn't in any real hurry since I figured that getting a dog fell under the category of "important decisions best not made within a year of a loss", but the idea was in the back of my mind.

Last summer I finally told the kids what I was thinking and that probably I'd look in earnest after Christmas. The kids were surprisingly uncertain, particularly Middlest Kidlet who likes her grandparents dogs but isn't fond of dogs in general and a certain neighborhood dog in the specific. Over time they warmed to the idea and this fall Littlest Kidlet was telling her Sunday School teachers that we were in the beginnings of a dog search when they told her that our search was over. Their high-school senior had a dog they'd gotten from a shelter a couple of years ago. They all liked him a lot but between school, work, and the volunteer fire department their son just couldn't do justice to the attention needs of such an affectionate puppeh.

In a remarkably short time we had a "getting to know you" visit and by the end of it dog nervous Middlest Kidlet was asking if we could take him home, and Hank was asking if he could stay with us. In a couple of days he came to our house, with bed crate, food and all necessary supplies which were certainly a big selling point. Now I'm typing one handed as I scratch his chin so it's pretty clear he's fitting in well.

ETA: picture is courtesy of Son who, along with Eldest Kidlet, has been growing his photographic, video, and computer knowledge immensely the last couple of months.