I have been wanting a dog for a few years now and am happy to announce that we will be getting a puppy in May!! I haven't been this excited since the wedding! I am so ready to be a puppy mom! I can't imagine my life without a dog and am looking forward to this new chapter in our lives!
The first dog I remember in my life was a boxer named Ribbons. I loved that dog even though my memories of her are hazy since we had her in my early years of life. She grew up to be a big and strong boxer who knocked me over all the time. I would cry and cry but still loved that dog as much as a little girl knew how to love a dog. I remember the day my parents told Javan and I that Ribbons wouldn't be with us anymore. They said she was too big for us to keep and they gave her away to a nice family who owned a ranch so she had plenty of room to play with the other dogs. I missed Ribbons greatly and as I grew older I began to wonder if she was really on a ranch somewhere or if she was in heaven. I've never asked my parents because honestly I don't really want to know. I still want to be that little 5 year old girl who believes she is on a farm running through the field with the wind in her ears.
We went a few years sans doggie until I was in the third grade. We decided to get a smaller dog this time so we went to the pound and I got to pick one out. I remember thinking there was no way I was ever going to decide which was the perfect one! I picked up a few different dogs and played with them but hadn't found the right one yet. I picked up a little mut who was so sweet and calm in my arms and when my family pointed out that she had put her paw in the pocket of my overalls (yes overalls...I'm sure you all can vividly remember the overalls days), my heart melted. I looked down and sure enough her paw was in my pocket as if to say, "Okay I'm ready...take me home now!" We knew she was the one so Brittany became our faithful house dog. She loved to swim in our pool and run in the back yard and at first I thought she was mine all mine. That changed over the course of a few months. Over time she favored my brother over me. I was heartbroken but accepted it. She was the family dog overall and Javan was her favorite. As long as we had a dog in the house I could live with it. Brittany was our faithful family dog from the time I was in the third grade until she was put to sleep in 2008 due to kidney failure from her cancer. She was buried in a special place and will always be remembered.
When I was in the 6th grade, the summer olympics were in Atlanta, Georgia. My mom and brother traveld with our church for a mission trip while my dad and I stayed in Abilene. I remember like it was yesterday when, while watching the opening ceremony, my dad asked me if I would like another dog. He said I could pick her out and hopefully she would be "my" dog. I was SO excited!! We went to a pet rescue facility this time and I found a little black lap puppy that I just had to have! We brought her home and I decided to name her Atlanta Georgia Townsend in honor of the time we got her. I called her "Attie" for short and felt like a proud momma when my mom and brother returned home to see this new puppy! She was mine all mine and I had never felt such love from an animal before. Ribbons loved me but couldn't show it in an acceptable way since she knocked my to the ground whenever she tried. I know deep down that Brittany loved me too but her devotion was to Javan. Attie loved me above all others and I will never forget the day my dad told me that the backyard gate had been left open and Brittany and Attie had run loose. I wasn't too worried though because Brittany had gotten out before and found her way home so I was confident they would return. We went out searching anyway and got worried when neither could be found. We came home to find Brittany on the front porch waiting for us as always and my heart skipped a beat until I realize that Attie wasn't with her. Attie never came home and my heart still breaks thinking about it.
So on to a new kanine chapter. I am so ready to have a dog in the Harris household. Hunter and I aren't quite ready for children yet and we feel that after almost a year of marriage, a dog is the next step. I've been pressuring him for a dog for a while now and we've decided this summer is the perfect time for a puppy so I can train and play with her before I go back to school in August. She will be a great companion to both of us at home and can also be Hunter's hunting dog until he gets one of his own! I always imagined my next dog would be another Attie. I wanted a black lab and Hunter was fine with that since they are great hunting dogs. In 2008 we attended Fort Worth's first Friends of the River event which was outside and dog friendly and I saw the most beautiful dog I think I've ever seen! She was a silver lab! I was instantly in love and decided that was what our next dog would be. Since 2008, I have been set on finding a silver lab. They aren't easy to find and are even a bit controversial! Last May, Hunter's brother bought a german shorthaired pointer and I fell in love all over again. He is a beautiful all liver gsp and looks similar to a lab if you saw him from far enough away. I have spent the past year getting to know TR and decided I want a female version of him. So I've researched both silver labs and german shorthaired pointers and ultimately decided on the gsp. We found a breeder expecting an all liver litter and reserved a female. The litter was born just yesterday! How cute are they! One of those little females will be ours in May! I will update pictures as I get them.
I am currently taking name suggestions!! My top choices at the moment are: Bella, Milly, Ainsley and Bess. I'd be happy to take suggesstions or let you vote on which name you like the best for our little puppy!
