Dog Parents

This is probably the 3rd time that I have discarded this post...then I come back.  I thought about waiting to make this announcement on Tuesday, but my mind is running widely with excitement and nervousness...so here we go.

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We are adopting a dog!!!

We finally did it, totally out of the blue.  Ok, let me explain it a little further.  Z and I have been wanting a dog for quite some time now.  None of us owned a dog before, but we always wondered about life with a dog.  We wanted to experience commitment other than to each other.  Before diving into true 'parenting', we were interested in learning more about patience and responsibilities of raising someone, or something.  We also thought a dog would allow us to be more active, otherwise continuing the tradition of laziness in the evenings and on the weekends.  Of course that's not all - we would simply love to have a dog in our life. 

Today, we just meant to look around.  We had just downloaded a book about choosing the right dog, and since it was a gorgeous day, we thought we would play around with some dogs to get a feel.  One thing led to another.  We did more research about different breeds and their personalities through talking with the volunteers and googling in the car.  I suggested that we go to an animal shelter or an adoption center to check more dogs out.  We always wanted to adopt a dog that is in need of love.  

We ended up at the BARC Shelter and Adoption Center.  It was housing unbelievable amount of dogs and cats - my heart was aching as I passed by sad looks, malnourished  and injured dogs.  They were all trying their best to get our attention; I just wanted to adopt them all.  We were looking for specific types - a dog that won't shed much, a small-sized, and well-mannered.  We hung out with a few dogs, and they were all wonderful, until we have met the one.  

We found Lilly shaking and hiding in the corner of her crate.  She didn't do anything to get our attention, but both of hearts went straight to her.  We took her outside for a walk, and we saw a glimpse of her energy and excitement.  She definitely liked to walk.  This well-mannered and adorable dog spent the next hour with us. We fell in love but kept our objectiveness and left, to go to another shelter.  It didn't last long though.  By 5pm, we came back to see her again.  

Z and I had a very intense discussion.  We didn't want to be one of those irrational new dog owners who were going to be clueless and irresponsible towards the new ownership.  Can we raise a dog?  Are we ready?  We realized that we would have much to learn, but it was a challenge we decided to take.  Lilly will most likely change our life, definitely when it comes to our lifestyle.  She is going to force us to have new responsibilities, but we are wholeheartedly willing.  

Lilly will officially join our household this Tuesday.  We can't wait to welcome her!