Rio

We got a dog...



Weston's preschool teacher had seen my facebook post about possibly getting a puppy for Christmas. She found a dog at the local shelter and told me I could go with her to look at it. She is a dog person and goes there a lot so I trusted her judgement and suggestions. She also said that she sometimes fosters dogs from there and if we chose to get one before Christmas she would foster it for us until Christmas so it could be a Christmas present.

Side note: Abby has begged for a dog pretty much since she learned to talk. My parents have always had a dog as well as my older brother, and my younger brother got one a couple years ago as well. We had told her when she turned 8 we could get one. But the closer it came, the more she begged, and I figured I usually was about to be having another baby around now, so instead of a baby this time (since we are done having those) we could get a dog. And instead of her getting it for her birthday and being only hers, we thought it would be better to get one for Christmas and make it a family gift.

So we went to the shelter the next day and I (not being such a dog person anymore) fell in love with him. And Joe met us there too and he liked him too. My friend seemed to think that if we left him there, he may be gone soon b/c he was such a good find. She had already been to visit him once before. So we bought him right then and she took him home with her after we stopped to get him a few things.  I have seen him a few times since then and made sure he had food, and treats, and all, but other than that, we just knew he was being taken care of.

Sunday night we got a phone call from my friend saying that her dogs were being really mean to Rio and she thought it would be best if we came and got him that night. So we thought fast and tried to figure out how to make it a Christmas present still and a surprise.

I think me and Joe have not been great at not talking about it or bringing up dogs around the kids and maybe Abby had been listening (I still forget, we need to be careful talking about certain things around them). So after getting off the phone, I asked the kids if they wanted to open an early Christmas present that night. Of course they wanted to, but I made sure to let them know this was a "big" present and so they might not get much on Christmas morning. (At first this was all we were  getting them, but I'm not so good at that, so luckily, they will have some stuff to open still) They were excited and kept asking when they could open it. And Abby kept asking if it was a family gift and if it was a certain amount of money, because she knew how much the dogs cost after visiting the shelter. So I had to throw her off. We had a couple hours before we could go get him so we just tried to have them watch a Christmas show, while we figured out what we were going to do. And then I remembered I had bought a brush for him, the only thing I had for a dog, since I wasn't planning on getting him for another 2 weeks. So I hurried and wrapped it, while Joe went to pick up Rio. I brought it out while he was gone but didn't let them open it until right before Joe came walking in the door. As soon as I brought it out, I could tell Abby was disappointed because it was no dog. They complained that it wasn't big like I said and just wanted to open it. And then they kept asking who got to open it, so I said they could all open it at the same time. When Joe told me he was getting close and about to pull in, this is what happened...


Not great video-ing I know, but I was having a hard time holding still b/c I was cracking up and then when Joe walked in I thought about videoing him and turned and then thought, I should video the kids instead. Anyway...Hannah did not get it at all and that was the funniest part. Abby wasn't sure what to think. Weston just wanted to dance in front of the camera, and Audrey was too busy looking through the kids' yearly books and saying, "cheese" for the camera...

He is getting more adjusted everyday. He slept great in the laundry room the first 2 nights, and then the last 2, which Joe has been out of town for, he has been absolutely horrible crying and barking...

After taking him to the vet, we found out he is just a little over a year old and an Australian Shepherd mix (as opposed to 2 and a sheltie/golden retriever mix that we were told). We also found out that he got a parasite from the shelter, so hopefully that is cleared up now...not exactly what we were hoping for but hopefully it was an easy fix. Abby is completely in love with him and loves being with him or doing anything for him. She loves taking him for walks, helping train him to like his crate, and even wants to help out and clean up his poop. So hopefully that doesn't wear off and she continues to be so responsible with him. The other kids love him too, but don't really help with any of the responsibilities. He's pretty mellow and is awesome with the kids, which I am so grateful for. We have been having a little problem with chewing, and trying to dig everywhere out of our backyard and would love to hear suggestions on what to do, since I'm clueless. Other than that he has been great! And maybe it's good we got him early, so he can be better adjusted by Christmas when we may have 2 other dogs visiting here too.

(please don't mind Weston's botched haircut...I got desperate and did it myself...my mom has not been here in too long, we need her here ASAP, and he moved in the middle of it and so there went his hair)