Meet Griffin!

From the time Jared and I were dating we talked about getting a dog someday.  I think our first real fight when we were dating was about whether a dog should be allowed inside the house or not.  You can see who won that argument!  We started talking about it some more in Amarillo once the possibility got a little closer.  We said when Luke was 7.  After we moved into our house, it was maybe this summer.  And then it was suddenly this week.

Here's how it all came about.  Two weeks ago I was browsing the shelter website and saw some super cute puppies.  I called Jared to look and he said, "Let's go look at one!" and he was totally serious.  But I wasn't ready for a puppy.  I don't know anything about training a puppy.  We didn't have anything for a puppy (bed, food, etc.) and plus it was Sunday.  But the next day I ordered a book about Puppy Training since it now seemed that we would very likely get a puppy pretty soon-- in my mind I bumped it up to Christmas.  I read what I thought were the most important chapters first:  picking the right puppy and potty training your puppy.  

My downfall was that I still browsed the website.  I soon realized that the cutest puppies last only a few days at most.  On Tuesday I saw this:

ISN'T HE THE CUTEST THING EVER?!?!

So that evening I ran the boys to Walmart where we picked up a bed, food, leash, crate, dog toys, food dish, carpet cleaner.  All the essentials.  Just to be READY when we found the right dog.  And I spent Wednesday looking at the sight over and over throughout the day.  When I showed Jared he said we should check it out.  I knew "Harry" as he was labeled would never last the weekend.  So on Thursday the boys and I (along with Cara and Libby Rae) went to check him out.  We didn't last 10 seconds before we were head over heels.  We couldn't bring him home that day because the shelter has a rule that a dog can't leave before it's fixed.  So Griffin had surgery Friday morning, and we picked him up Friday evening.   We all love him.  The boys run around and play with him and try to boss him around. They think having a dog is the best thing ever.  And so far I really like taking care of him.  It definitely feels like he is the perfect dog for our family.  Even Jared who swore dogs should never be in the house has taken to sneaking Griffin into his office.

Ignore the wee wee and check out the wink.

I don't know why all the pictures from my camera came out with his eyes looking a freakish blue.  They are black.  I need to learn how to edit.

So you may be asking, "How did you come up with Griffin?"  To be honest, I don't really know.  Luke wanted Steven which I just think is a ridiculous name for a dog.  Micah wanted Gus which I actually think is cool, but Luke was very much against.  (Originally Micah wanted "Sister Anderson," but I explained that the puppy was a boy.)  Jared didn't know what he wanted, but he knew he didn't want Steven.  So I just started throwing names out there.  Anything that came into my head I threw out as an option.  Boone?  The boys said no.  Rider?  The boys said no.  Bruno?  No.  Boots?  No.  And on and on.  Until... Griffin?  They both paused.  They tried it out, and the dog became Griffin.  His full name, according to Luke, is Griffin Steven Wilkerson.  Whatever.  Jared is actually not a huge fan of Griffin, but by the time Jared got home on Friday night the boys had been calling the puppy Griffin for 3 hours, and the name just wasn't going to change without a big fight.  So Griffin it it.  I think it fits.

You may also be thinking, "What kind of sissy dog is that?"  I once thought little dogs were sissy dogs, and Jared did too.  But our boys are interested but skittish around big dogs, so a little dog seemed a better fit for them.  Throw in our very little back yard and a novice dog trainer (me), and it seemed like a little dog was the way to go.

He is a sweet, sweet puppy.  He has barked maybe twice?  But he makes a really weird noise that sounds kind of like a duck.  We think that is pretty funny.  He loves to cuddle, and he follows us around.  He does jump up and has had a few accidents, but since the carpeted areas are gated off this isn't a big deal.  Yet.  If it continues a long time it will get to be a problem.  If we can't supervise he goes in his crate, and so far he hasn't been a bad whiner when he has to go in.  He might cry for a few minutes but he settles quickly.  He is already responding to "Come."  I think he's going to be a good dog.  We'll just have to be consistent, and I know he'll pick up quickly.

Anyway, comment away and tell me how cute he is.  Love him!