Well, if you’ve talked to me anytime in the last month or so you probably saw it coming… I’ve been really mulling over the idea of getting a dog. The kids have been asking for a dog since they could talk really, but I knew getting a dog was WAY out of my league until the past year. But the last several months I’ve really started to want a doggie, I know it is a HUGE step, but I just feel ready. Plus the boys and I have talked through it over and over, and the responsibilities are something I think everyone is really ready for. We’ve even slowly but surely dragged g over into the camp of “lets get a dog!”
This week, I finally stopped just talking, and started actually looking. Finding shelters, sorting through the zillions of animals that were listed, and trying to decide what the best plan was for us. I’ve always been a dog person, and specifically a “big” dog person. I’ve known a few little yappy annoying mini dogs and I didn’t really want a little terror on my hands, you know? The only problem with that is that we are a big family in a tiny house. Moving is one the “maybe someday” list but I realize it is going to take a while for us to get to that place, especially with the way the market is (we have to be able to SELL this one, so we have to bide our time). So, I have been agonizing over whether we could get a bigger dog, how that would work in this house and if not, what would it mean to have a little dog… I was hesitant about what dog would be right for us.
After driving the entire family insane with all of my agonizing, this Saturday, Gareth and I decided to visit a few shelters an do some “research.” I was pretty sure we would not come home with a dog, as I reminded poor Gareth about 800 times. On top of that, I was like 90% sure we would not come home with a small dog. We did the rounds: Humane society, and every petsmart/petco in Vancouver, we saw some really sweet dogs, and man, it just breaks my heart to know that so many of those doggies won’t find a home! I put a little doggie on my “hmm, maybe” list, but we really didn’t find one that we HAD to take home.
…until we drive down to SE Portland and visit a no kill shelter called Family Dogs New Life, and into our little visiting room comes “Buster”. (this is the shelter photo they had for him)
Unlike any little doggie I’ve met before, buster didn’t yap, or jump on us, he didn’t even run circles around us, instead I knelt down and he came right up, gently stuck his adorable little nose in my hand and snuggled right into my lap. He was unbelievably sweet, just really affectionate and snuggly, he was also pretty much the cutest doggie I’d ever seen. Gareth had been in-love with this specific dog since we found him online and so when we met our Guster, Gareth looked right at me and said “see! I told you this was our dog!” And he was right I was pretty much instantly sure.
We went to get the rest of the family and brought them down to see how this little ball of snuggles would feel about 4 very excited, giggling little boys. The gal at the shelter said it really was a match made in heaven. He sniffed them, accepted their pets and giggles and kind of love that 4 excited little boys might give a little doggie with out reservation or fear, and with out completely flipping out and running wild!! I still have yet to see Guster flinch at the hububaloo around here. We had to have that doggie!!
Upon adoption we tweaked his name from “buster” to Guster (yes as in Burton Guster for any of you Psych fans!). He is like the size of a puppy, but at 2 years old he’s really not a baby anymore. He is part Jack Russell Terrier, which I know have a reputation of being crazy active and energetic, but let me tell you he has really surprised us by being more interested in being loved on and sleeping right next to us on the couch, than he has been in running amok and causing trouble. I think probably the poor puppy was a little loved starved, plus, he is also Welsh Corgi, and from reading about them, I tend to think that mellows him out quite a bit.
We are all still ready for the craziness that ensues with the addition of a new dog, but so far he has just blended right in, the perfect little bundle of dog for our little family! He’s somewhat crate trained and so far house breaking hasn’t gone too bad, I get the feeling that he’s done all of this before. I am really committed to doing what it takes to train him, he is obviously smart, and wonderfully sweet – I’m so excited to see him be all the little doggie he can be!
So with out further ado, I’m happy to introduce you to the newest, and the furriest member of the Clingerman family, our little Guster. I’ve never really been a huge “take a picture of your dog” person, but -uh- since childhood I’ve never really had my very own dog… and how much fun are these!?!
I really do think he’s perfect, and g has moved completely from the “ok, i guess we can get a dog” camp to the “this is the best dog ever” in no time flat. We all love our little guy!
So, don’t judge, I we all know this is a huge step! But it was the right one, and little Guster and the rest of our family will surely be better for it!
