Kramer

On Valentine's Day, I received a text from Al asking if I "wanted to come check out a dog." Now, this wasn't totally crazy - we had been talking about getting one for a while. We had not, however, decided on a breed or size or anything like that. Well, apparently earlier that day, Al became aware of a dog that needed a good home - the family was struggling to deal with a hyper 10-month-old puppy as well as two other dogs and their three kids. (Yikes!) In fact, the father was going to deploy this summer and the puppy was going to be too much when they were down to one parent. They told Al they wouldn't even charge us so long as we promised to give him a good home. 

He came home with us that night. 

He isn't at all what I expected to get. He's part lab, part Pitt (and full of all the piss and vinegar that implies) and is a full-grown, very active dog. On the flip side, he is already kenneled trained, housebroken, and responds to commands. Obviously, that will take some adjustment while he learns we are boss and gets used to his new home.

We are still deciding what his boundaries are: kennel at night or sleep in our room, couch or no couch, people food or dog food. I'm a pretty strict dog-momma (and Al is a total sucker.) It is surprisingly a pretty good indicator of the type of parents we are going to me. Which brings me to my next point: we have started calling each other momma and daddy. It was not a conscious decision but it happened. I will look at the dog and say, "Kramer, did dad feed you yet?" Of course, Al is the one who responds, but still... 

Let's be brutally honest here - this is totally a no-baby-band-aid - so it makes sense that we've taken on the role of puppy-parents in total stride. I have never seen Al so happy.

Kramer took to his side instantly and still won't let him leave the room. Al takes him for a run every morning and other walks throughout the week. He has only been in our life for three days, but Al has become dog-dad-of-the-year. 

My transition has been harder. I'm used to less-energetic dogs. I wanted a dog that was happy but calm and would get along with everyone. I wanted a medium-sized dog that couldn't overpower me. Kramer is a little crazier and much bigger than I wanted. But this dog is Al's side-kick (and my protector, I've already seen that response) and he's well-trained. I am working on patience and staying calm during the training process and he is responding with handshakes and wet kisses.

At the end of the day, he is a great dog. He is good for Al and great for our home. He stays out of trouble and wants nothing more than a piece of ham and to lay at our feet. Ultimately, Kramer is our family and he's certainly not going anywhere!