Dog Days of Summer
Last week in the Chicagoland area, we were blessed with about four days of blissful, summeresque heat and sun. (True to Chicago form, however, this was followed by a weekend of rain and near-freezing temperatures.) On the first hot, sunny day, I drove into our apartment complex parking lot and saw so many people outside, taking their cute dogs on leisurely strolls. And it dawned on me: I need a dog.
Now, Tim and I have actually been talking about getting a dog for a while now. When we moved in together in July, we wanted a dog, but thought it better to wait until after the wedding. After the wedding, we wanted a dog, but were recovering for quite some time. After we recovered from the wedding, we were both coaching (or, in my case, “coaching”) so we decided to wait. While we were coaching, we decided that it would be best to wait for a house with a yard so the dog could go outside and play. Then, we decided to wait a year to save more money before we bought a house, and that’s where the conversation pretty much stopped.
But, seeing those dog walkers so happy on that beautiful, summery day solidified it for me. I needed a dog. Tim, fortunately, agreed. He needed a dog, too.
This wasn’t just a fleeting desire for a dog. This was a need. We needed a dog to play with, to walk, to give us some incentive to get off the couch and put the potato chips away after school, to give us something furry to dote on. And, true to form, we needed to adopt one from a shelter.
So we took a few days and researched all the local shelters online. Then we visited one and didn’t find a dog that fit our lifestyle (or our lease – pitbulls and pitbull mixes are not allowed, even though they’re very sweet dogs). On a whim, the next day, Tim and I met at another local shelter after work. When I got there, he had already played with a dog that he liked. We took her out again, played with her some more, and our decision was made.
We took the night to “sleep on it,” which actually meant go to PetSmart and spend about a bajillion dollars on dog stuff, and picked her up on Saturday. So, everyone, meet Penelope Sam-Rob (yup, her last name is hyphenated 🙂 )! We call her Penny for short. Click on the images to enlarge.
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- She fell asleep on my lap her first night home.
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- We watch TV together on the couch.
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- Everyone says she looks big in this picture, but she’s small! Only about 20 pounds.
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- Isn’t she the cutest??
She’s adorable!! I can’t wait to meet her. And btw, for future reference – dogs are always, always welcome at our house. Don’t even need to ask, just feel free to bring her over any time!!
Congratulations on dog ownership! You can be assured that you will have unconditional love, friendship, fun, and a teensy bit of headache. 🙂 Oliver approves!
I LOVE HER!!!! Congratulations! 🙂