We have a new family member! !

And he is 4 years old.
His name is Gus!
I know, I know. All you out there who know me have your jaws sitting on the ground. What was I thinking?
Dad went into the hospital for a second time this summer, only a week and a half after his first visit. Had surgery. The last year, he has not been able to do much with Gus. His friends were actively looking for a new home for him. Dad has been asking me for the last couple of years if we would like to have Gus.
We have tried to have dogs. We have learned we are pet-sitting kind of people.
But a week at my dad's and I fell in love.
Gus has all the criteria, I have kept secretly to myself should we ever seriously consider having a dog.
The criteria:
We are no longer potty training children (we have been done with that for a 1 1/2 years now)
Children are old enough to completely take responsibility.
NOT a puppy...no more potty training for me!
Leash manners
Not a chewer
Good with the kids

Well Gus is good with the kids. Has a strong protective instict. He even tried to protect us from the Big O Daddy O. He got between kids, me and the Dad. But when we hugged on Dad and talked with him, he warmed up to the Big O Daddy O after about 10 minutes. He has to know the person is okay. He runs on the leash with Fun Mom and Hockey Player really well. Now they have a body guard when they go to do their miles or two.
He woke me the other night. I went to put him in the garage because of the barking. Turned out, he was barking because there was some not so friendly visitors at the neighbors. As we struggled at the gate to get to the garage, they were startled and took off. Police believe they were getting ready to rob our neighbors' garage. He has not tried to jump our fence once as of yet. Super gently with the kids.

My favorite first memory... He won't get into the cage in the suburban. So we ask Flutter Nutter to hop in so Gus will follow. FN got real indignant and told me he didn't want to ride in the cage. No, No, you are not going to ride in the cage, just get Gus to follow you in and then you get out. Well it worked, Gus hopped in right after Flutter Nutter! Flutter Nutter hopped out and he was caught! However, he is one smart pooch. The rest of the trip home, he would not fall for that trick at all. We had to help him into the cage by showing his haunches up to the back of the suburban. The last stop, he finally got the picutres and hopped in all by himself. I think he figured, he might as well, make it easy for us.

I must admit it was hard to seprate a man from his dog. I think I was a bit more emotional for me than the others in that regard. Hard to see my dad aging to the point he can't keep up with having a dog. He told me the cats are a perfect for him now. They don't require as much from him. But sweet Daddy's Buddy was quick to tell Grandpa he could come and visit as much as he wanted.