Must love dogs

Whoever said that dog was "man's" best friend didn't have a one year old. Our dog Layla clearly prefers our little Owen and they have quickly become great buddies. She follows Owen around just waiting for the crumbs to fall off him. During mealtime she sits at his chair waiting for whatever comes her way. Most of the time this is accidental as the majority of the food from his plate ends up on the floor. Sometimes though he will reach over and give her whatever is in his hand at the time. He likes to share.

Ben is a little, OK a lot, louder than Owen and his sudden moves tend to make Layla (and me) a little nervous. Nevertheless, she still follows him around to see what type of trouble he is going to find.

I knew the boys would fall in love with her instantly but I am amazed at how quickly I became a "dog" person. I thought that I would be a little reserved when it came to the new addition but she is so easy to love. Layla is wonderful with the boys and lets them play rough with her and her toys. They crowd her, invade her personal space and don't yet know that you are supposed to let a sleeping dog lie. When she's had enough she just gets up and moves to another spot in the sun. When the boys go to bed, she curls up with me on the couch for a little quiet time-the only quiet time either of of gets all day.



It's a girl!

We have been thinking about getting a family pet for quite some time. In fact, we have doggie dishes that were purchased right after we got married-almost five years ago. I logged onto Craig's List yesterday just to browse the pet section and was stunned when I found the ad for Layla. She is a three year old puggle who's owners are downsizing and need to find a new home for her. I had Jeremy take a look at it and decided that it was meant to be. The only drawback for me about getting a dog was the house training business. I'm still cleaning up after the boys, I wasn't really looking forward to cleaning up after anyone else. Layla is spayed, house broken and crate trained. Too good to be true!I called the number posted on the ad was pleased when I spoke to Nicole. She seemed to really love Layla and was foremost concerned about finding her a good home. We set up a play date at our house this afternoon to meet Layla. I wanted to see how she interacted with the boys since there were no small children at their house. I made the mistake of telling Ben that a dog was coming over to visit. He could hardly contain his excitement the entire day. After we explained that she wouldn't be here until after his nap he decided that he should take his nap at 10:00 in the morning. He of course didn't stay in bed, but it was cute watching him try.
Layla came in and made herself at home by sniffing around and exploring while Nicole and I discussed her personality and preferences. It wasn't long before Ben was chasing Layla around the backyard. When Owen woke up from his nap he was surprised that we had company but was very comfortable around Layla. She seems to have a sweet temperament and isn't easily riled by all the "attention" she was getting from the boys.Nicole and I agreed to a trial run. If for any reason Layla doesn't seem to mesh with our family, they will come back to pick her up. It was hard for them to leave her, but I've promised to give them a call in the next few days to tell them how we're doing. I must admit, I'm excited to have another girl in the house.