Welcome to the Family, Buster!

We had a dog (our wonderful Lucky girl) for 10 years. Right after getting Carson's referral in 2007, we gave Lucky to my sister, Debbie...fearing that Carson might be afraid of dogs when he arrived from China (we were SO right, by the way). I honestly didn't struggle to get rid of Lucky. Never have been a "dog person" anyway, and we only had Lucky because Kevin wanted to have a dog. Since we started our paperchase for Molly 10 months after bringing Carson home, we got busy and forgot all about the dog issue...until lately.

Lately, I've been rethinking the whole "dog person" scene. So many of our friends and relatives have dogs and talk about their unconditional love and companionship. Dogs always gravitate to me for some reason and it used to bug me...only it doesn't bug me so much anymore. The Littles have been begging for a puppy (at Daddy's insistent urging, of course)...and my resistance to the idea was waning. Was it because the Littles asked? Not really, but it did plant the seed in my brain. I started doing a little leisurely Internet searching in my (copious) free time.

My friend, Brittney, had a dog named Buster and posted his picture on Facebook a few weeks ago, stating they needed to find him a new home. (Her husband is horribly allergic to him.) The dog was big...not sure of the breed, but she stated he was a "sweet boy." It piqued my interest...but I reluctantly let it pass. I made an off-hand comment soon after that to Kevin that, if we ever got another dog, I wanted it to be a big dog like a Golden Retriever. Kevin's ears perked up and he headed right to the Internet to seek out breeders. Uh-oh, I thought, what have I gotten myself into?

Unfortunately, the large dog breeds we looked into were crazy expensive from breeders. Rescues were very affordable, but the local ones required a home visit to prove the house had a fenced-in yard...and our yard is not fenced. Oh, well...guess it's not time for us to get a dog after all. We stopped talking about it...but my casual Internet searches continued. What was UP with me?!

Yesterday, I wondered if Brittney had ever found a home for that big dog of hers. Hours later, I checked Facebook and she had again posted his picture with a plea for someone to help her find him a home.

I sent her a message immediately. This just felt right. First of all, look at this face...
...and tell me you wouldn't have fallen immediately in love!

I got home late from work last night and immediately showed Kevin the pics and asked him what he thought. Do it! was his answer. So we made arrangements with Brittney (through Facebook and texting...probably would have been easier to pick up the phone and have a conversation, huh?) that I was going to meet Buster this morning, after dropping the Littles off at the bus stop.

I figured, if this typically anti-dog person could spend a few minutes with this "sweet boy" and it felt OK, then maybe this was meant to be. I walked into Brittney's house this morning...and, man, that dog was BIG! He was all wound up seeing a new person in the house and was bouncing around like a (humongous) puppy, barking loudly. Uh-oh. Was this really gonna work out?

However, I started talking to him, and petting him, and I was sunk...I had fallen head over heels for this sweet, sweet dog! The more Brittney and I talked (about routines, etc.), I could tell she was fighting back tears. While it made me feel awful on one hand, it also made me feel better that she wasn't getting rid of him because he was a hassle or a pain...this puppy (who had a rough start and had to be rescued from his first owner due to neglectful conditions) was a beloved family member and Brittney was trusting us to love him.

I got him in the van (probably leaving Brittney in a puddle of her own tears) and struggled to get home. Thankfully, it was only a few minutes because he was a bit wigged out by the ride. But I had done it. I had wrestled a big, strong 65-pound dog into my van and brought him home...alone. And I wasn't scared or intimidated or uncomfortable. I was actually HAPPY! He settled in quickly, chewing on his rawhide bone...
...and, in no time, was napping under my desk while I worked on the computer.

Meggie came home from XU to meet him. She is incredibly afraid of large dogs and didn't want Saturday to be their first meeting...she is babysitting the Littles for us and wanted to be comfortable in the house with the Littles and this "big scary dog." It took literal minutes for her to also get hooked on this sweet boy of ours. (However, when he barks, Meggie tends to involuntarily scream in response. In her defense, his bark is ridiculously loud.)
So far, so good. Now it was time to see if the Littles could tolerate him. Meggie knew about Buster's arrival, but we didn't tell the Littles for fear that I would chicken out this morning. When they got home from school, they both look petrified. Seriously petrified.

They hesitated to walk into the kitchen from the garage (I had Buster firmly by his collar so that they could come to him at their own pace). Buster started getting a bit antsy. Then he started to bark. I told them if they petted Buster, he would calm down. Carson reached out to pet Buster's head...and he was so, so hooked on this sweet dog!
And not even a little bit afraid! I was truly impressed with the way Carson handled himself!
Molly, on the other hand, is seriously petrified of all dogs, so we knew she was gonna be a tougher sell. She never cried, but whenever Buster would look in her direction, she would jump backward. Of course, Buster thought that meant, "Hey, get excited, jump, and bark!" It didn't take long for my smart girl to figure out she could control that outcome. Within minutes, Molly was not only tolerating this big baby boy...
...but she was sitting near him on the floor...
...and petting him...
...but notice that Carson is always in control of Buster's head. (What a good big brother, huh?) Didn't take long, and Molly was comfortable standing alone and allowing Buster to wander around the room. She even tried to teach him tricks with Carson...
...and I didn't have the heart to tell them he already knows the commands for "sit" and "stay." (They were so proud of themselves, thinking they had taught him!)

And in case you were wondering what Kevin thinks of the newest boy in the family...
...I'm fairly certain that my dear husband could NOT be happier!

I had to head to XU for my evening classes and wondered how the adjustments were going in my absence. When I got home, Buster jumped up and started barking at the door as I entered the kitchen. It was a little shocking (his bark REALLY carries!), but I honestly was not afraid of him. He calmed down when he saw it was me. That made me smile! As I was putting down my purse and keys, the Littles jumped up to play with Buster, and I could NOT believe what I saw...
...as they shared the brushing duties and Molly actually laid down on the floor next to Buster, without Carson there as a buffer! That, my friends, is completely amazing!!

So what the heck has changed in me? Why am I, the famously anti-dog person, suddenly enamoured of a gangly 16-month old puppy?? At first it made no sense to me (and I know it makes no sense to those who know me), but I think I figured it out.

When we had Lucky, we only had Meggie in the house. One perfectly well-behaved, quiet, low-key kid. The house was always clean and organized and I saw Lucky as just another chore. I tolerated her but never really fell in love with her.

Now we have Carson and Molly. They are loud, and messy, and destructible...and I'm learning to live with it. No, I'm not pleased my house is loud, messy, and destroyed, but I have begun to realize that life isn't about a clean and organized house and perfectly well-behaved children. Life is about laughing too loud, snuggling at every opportunity, reading books, and spending time -- real, quality time -- with my kids and husband. So, contrary to popular belief, I didn't agree to adopt Buster because the Littles wanted a dog. I agreed to adopt Buster because I realized I needed the unconditional love and companionship of a big, sweet dog...
...along with whatever life lessons this relationship brings to me. I cannot believe how fiercely I love this big ball-of-fur already...and we've had him less than a day.

Carson wanted Buster to sleep in his room. We tried that...Buster wasn't having it. I think he views Carson (already) as a play buddy and he wanted Carson to get out of bed and play. Buster whined. And cried. And barked loudly. So, reluctantly, we moved Buster's humongous crate into our bedroom...
...and my sweet Buster immediately settled down and fell asleep. And I think that's OK. Didn't originally want the dog in our room, but I LOVE the fact that he feels secure enough with us to settle down immediately...once he realized that this is now his home.

Brittney, Brad, and kids...we are so sorry things didn't work out with Buster in your house and we feel badly that you guys had to give him up. But please know that we adore this dog and will do everything we can to be sure he lives a happy and wonderful life in our family. (And, don't forget, you only live minutes away...feel free to come visit whenever you need your Buster "fix.")