Hey Valli, one day I’d like a dog. Like a German Shepherd. That would be awesome, right?Maybe a year later we got married and I decided to bring it up again. That conversation went a lot differently than I had planned. Turns out Valli and I were polar opposites on nearly every aspect on dog ownership. I said when I get back from Afghanistan, she was thinking more like three or five years down the road. I was thinking keep the dog inside, she wants it outside. She wanted fixed, I wanted all natural. I wanted a purebred pup, she wanted an inexpensive or free/rescued full-grown dog that was already trained. I was thinking companion and family member, she was thinking security system. We were as far from the same page as we could imagine. We have never disagreed on anything as much as we have over the hypothetical dog.
Ok Honey.
But after discussing the subject again and again, after reading all the books, after digging up every concern, after lots of compromises (mostly on the part of my saintly wife of whom I am completely undeserving) and a firm understanding that I owe her big time! -we have reached a consensus.
And here it is.
This little guy, or one of his brothers, will be coming home with us in January. He's a German Shepherd. Mom and Dad are both 85 pound working dogs. The plan also entails that I will ensure he is trained to be prefectly behaved on his own and around children by the time I leave for the next (and last) deployment in about 2 years. Bonus points if he will "maul-slash-scare-the-urine-out-of" people when Valli decides they are threatening, bothersome, or especially annoying. He will be a full-time outside dog except for very special occasions. I will handle all fencing (before the wee one gets here), housing, and waste disposal issues. A Valli has been doing great at finding deals on the internet for pet crates, buried fences, and other neat dog items. There are still other details to iron out but on the whole we have reached a settlement. We are both looking forward to bringing him home.
Valli's thought's: "Looking forward to bringing Dave home soon."
10 comments:
Sorry Dave but I'm with Valli on this one. The whole purpose of a dog is for security, I only suggest one if you're having security problems. And I dont know how you can stand dog hair, its coarse and gross and it gets on everything. I'll tell you this, if this dog is causing any arguing that you can do without, then I would suggest no dog, but I'm sure you wont take my advice. Just remember, the bigger the dog, the bigger the poop. Cheers!
Laci- wow. You're missing out. Dogs are mans best friend. The "whole purpose" is a symbiotic relationship built on understanding, mutual respect and love. A little dog hair on clothing is a sign of happiness, you can't go swimming without getting wet. Poop is one of the unaviodable facts of life. AND someone with security problems needs an electronic alarm system and a gun. Dogs (or any animal)aren't slaves, disposable property, or accessories.
But I'm with you on your point about contention. We are proceeding with caution.
He will never be as cute (or sweet) as he is in that picture. What exactly does a working dog do? Gabby is a working dog and she's never done jack. I would also feel better about a real fence, not a cyber one because during the last wind storm, our neighbors dogs' collar shorted out and the dog was gone for a about 24hours before she came home. And she's a golden retreiver (read: harmless). I'm just flat out scared to death of German sheperds. Whose going to walk this beast? I'd recommend getting the runt of the litter. But these are the joys of marriage.
So, these are the joys! Wow, I was way off.
So you are going to stay in the little house (read last post)with the little yard, but you are still going to get the big dog. Something about this picture does not fit. To quote a famous blues song lyric I see in your future, "My baby's turning cold and the forecast calls for pain."
coolmom: We have both. Chain link to keep him in the yard, and hopefully eveything else out (that never works). The electric inground is for redundancy and partitioning off small areas we dont want the dog having access to.
valli: I love you.
cooldad: Robert Cray never had anything positive to sing about. Except "Playing with my Friends", and that was BB's song anyway. So there. The yard was always big enough for a dog.
Who else wants some?
Haha! I loved the RC comment. Just promise he won't bite me.
Dave, you know we love you!!!!
dave...THAT THING LOOKS LIKE A PIG....just had to say it.
loves<3
lanisha
We tried a puppy last year, after it peed on all the surfaces of our new carpet,(you puppies pee when they get excited) and didn't wait at the door to tell us he had to go, well we found a good home for him. I hate to see you guys go through that right away. You are finally home Dave. Family bonding is the most important thing right now. Love Ya Both, alaska_mom
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