The Gosslings: February 2009

In January we got a dog. Jones is his name, and this is his story. We had been looking for a dog for several months. We wanted a Labradoodle, but always found them to be way too expensive. We were regularly checking Craigslist and the local animal shelters for a dog that fit what we wanted. We wanted a dog that is great with kids, a bigger dog that likes to run and be active, a non-barker (we have too many of these in the neighborhood), and one that was hypoallergenic (Erick is terribly allergic to animal dander). That being said, we thought that we might never find the dog for us. January also turned out to be a very hectic month due to some medical problems that I had. On Monday we were looking on the shelter websites and found 2 Labradoodle puppies, that were brothers. We decided that we would go to the shelter the next day as soon as Erick got off work. Well Tuesday morning, after taking Abbie to school, I decided to make a quick trip to the shelter with Emma, just to check things out. The first thing that you notice is the smell. The second thing that you notice is the noise (all the barking). Emma and I walked through the shelter and really didn't see any dogs that we were interested in. On the way out I asked if they still had the Labradoodles and she said that there was one left. He was in the first kennel, I just didn't see him. I was able to take him out on the lawn. All he did was snuggle in close to me, he wouldn't leave. I knew right then that he was a keeper. I took him home right then and there, and surprised the kids when they got home from school. He has been the sweetest dog that you could ask for. He lets the kids (Emma) maul him. He is about 6 months old, and is 45 pounds, so we expect him to get quite a bit bigger. We love our big boy, he really is the sweetest thing.