Our Dory

 We haven't even officially had her two weeks yet, and sweet Dory has already become a part of our family.

I don't mean to insult you other dog owners out there, but I'm pretty sure we've got the best dog on the planet!

She is SO sweet, and so calm! Yet she comes alive when you take her for walks or really get down on the floor and play with her.

She loves to cuddle...

She's been SO gentle with the kids. And the kids have been SO gentle with her! The day we brought her home we had a long talk with Abbey and Luke about how they would need to be very gentle with Dory, and how she might be nervous in her new home. We made the laundry room "Dory's Room", and told the kids that when she goes in there, they need to leave her alone, that way she has a safe spot to get some respite from two crazy toddlers, should she see the need =). We talked with them a lot about not jumping around her or running towards her, as it might make her scared. I've been SO impressed with how seriously both kids have taken these orders. The first couple days, they literally tip-toed up to her =). 

So far, Dory seems pretty unflappable. She doesn't seem to be jumpy around the kids, even as they relax around her a little. She loves to give them kisses and roll over so they can scratch her belly.

So why get a dog when we have twin two-year-olds? Well, we'd been talking about getting a dog for a long time, but just couldn't decide when the "right" time would be. We'd been considering getting a Chinook, like my Aunt Kay, as those seem like GREAT dogs, and it'd be nice to have an expert on the breed in the family =).  But after we took a visit to some friends house and watched our kids love up on their dogs, we knew we'd be getting a dog sooner rather than later.

That weekend we took a trip to the Humane Society "just to look", and ended up leaving with a dog and all the gear a dog requires. =).

From the minute we met Dory, she seemed like she'd be a great fit for our family. She's five years old, already fixed and caught up on shots, and has a mircochip implanted (that now has our info on it) in case she is ever lost. 

Plus, the Humane Society had already named her Dory, and we're pretty big Finding Nemo fans around here =).

We knew we weren't looking for a puppy, as we just didn't think we could handle that kind of excitement and activity level in our home. Also, we haven't even potty trained our toddlers yet, so why would we want to potty train a dog?? 

She loves going for walks and playing outside, but is also content to hang around the house. Dave's been taking her for runs in the morning, and the kids have loved all the family walks we've been going on lately.

The cats have adjusted pretty well too...so far. They are predominately outdoor cats during the summer, so we'll see if they have any adjustment issues when the weather changes and they are inside more.

I never had a dog growing up, and always wanted one. Dave did have dogs and loved it. I feel like it's a great gift we can give our children. Luke and Abbey have had so much fun getting to know their new dog. They are still so excited every morning to see her =).

And I'm happy for the entertainment she provides!