Okay, okay ... some more puppy updates

Here is a photo of my new puppy with his dad. Yes, my new puppy is a boy! And yes, I'm going to try to answer all the questions you have asked about him.

What you going to name it?
I currently don't have a name for my new puppy since I have only known about him for all of 2 days. We have some ideas but haven't finalized a name yet. We'll probably stick with an "artistic" name since our birds have been: Monet, Chaucer, and Twaine(tte). Any "artistic" suggestions? Tara, I liked your idea of a Nigerian name! Not bad. I'm going to mention that to JB. Although I think we have to save the name Lauretta gave us for a child. As Funky pointed out, birds do count as pets!

Why a dog?
In the last two weeks, I have brought up the idea of a dog to JB numerous times. I actually read it in one of my infertility books. They suggested that while a dog doesn't replace a chiId, it can help ease the loneliness. I also have a dear friend who was in my support group in Minnesota who also does not have children. She and her husband bought a dog, and she told me it was one of the best things she did.

In the last two weeks, I have not been bored at all. I've been quite busy. However, our house is very quiet. Other than the occasional jets and our chirping bird, it's eerily quiet. This is due to the fact that the houses on all sides of us are currently vacant and the fact that these houses are so solid, I cannot even hear the rain from inside the house! (I think I am going to start cracking a window so I can hear it. Who doesn't like to hear rain?)

I guess I say all this to say that I've been lonely and more aware than ever that while the majority of my friends are home with their children, I'm home by myself. Yes, we are adopting, but that is probably over two years away. So what could I do to not be quite so lonely, especially when JB is doing his two weeks of night shifts (one of which starts next week)?

"Unbeknowest" to me, JB had already thought of this! He bought this dog a month ago -- two weeks before I ever suggested it to him.

Why a Dalmatian?
Yes, I have always wanted a Dalmatian. If you knew me in high school, my bedroom was coated with them. I found this picture from me in 1994. This is actually an old friend, D.J., who I haven't seen in a decade. The guy on the right? John's younger brother Ray!

Can you see the Dalmatian blanket to the right of Ray? The polka dotted photo album? And the Dalmatian bags on the wall?

However, truthfully, I never really thought I'd get a Dalmatian. JB had heard that they were mean and dumb and had convinced me of this.

So when John got online a month ago to try to pick a dog for me, he wasn't even thinking Dalmatian. He did all these online quizzes to try to find the "perfect fit". He wanted a dog that would keep me company, be good with children, go on jogs with me, and also be a "guard dog" of sorts. Every single search engine listed Dalmatian in the top three!

He did some more research and realized that Dalmatians are actually not mean OR dumb. The mean "rumor" comes from the fact that when the two Dalmatian movies came out, people started mass producing the dogs and people who weren't serious about having a dog began to buy them. You ended up with a bunch of dogs no one could take care of and a thus some mean dogs. In addition, the "dumb" rumor is also not true. It stems from the fact that Dalmatians are one of the only dogs who don't respond to punishment! John informs me that you have to distract if they are bad, praise if they are good. But punishing doesn't work for them.

In addition, boy Dalmatians are apparently more friendly for girls. JB had a choice between two boys and a girl, and he picked this one.

Who is going to train the dog?
I am! Actually, if you know JB well, you know that he had a black lab in high school -- Bronte -- who still lives with his parents today. John trained Bronte amazingly! You could throw a slab of meat in front of her and she'd leave it there. John is going to walk me through it, and he says if I follow the rules, in a few months, I'll have a wonderful, house-broken puppy!

When is he arriving?
He actually flies in to the Fort Walton Beach Airport tomorrow at 2:00!!!! We'll get him then. He was raised by a family in Delaware and is eight weeks old! The family has a bunch of kids so he is used to being around kids and families and other dogs.

Are you excited?
I am so excited folks! John was just going to surprise me and bring the dog home. However, I had had a really hard "I'm still childless" day, and he wanted to do something so he decided to tell me the news! I think this will be a great distraction for me while we wait for our daughter to arrive. I'm thrilled. When he showed me the video, I first started crying. Then I said, "Did you call Sarah?"

Sarah is my cousin who is terribly allergic to dogs. She can't be in a house with them for more than a short period. Right after he told me, I called Sarah. She understood completely. They can still come to visit. We'll get them a hotel on base but because this is Florida, we'll be able to open up the sliding glass door and hang out on the porch away from the dog if it is bothering her. Apparently though, Dalmatians are one of the most hypo-allergenic dogs so it might be better!

I'll be sure to update you tomorrow once we bring him home.