It all began a few years ago after Ross asked when he could get a dog. The answer, "Not till were living in the country". That day, a deal was made that Ross would get two dogs when he turned 9. We'd certainly be living in the country by then and besides, Mike was 9 when he got his beloved Panda dog, therefore 9 would be a good age for Ross to take on that same responsibility.
Have I mentioned Ross has a memory of steel?
As we get closer and closer to country living, the dog topic has reared it's head. Last week as Molly was coming down from her Triaminic high, we became aware of 2 ten-month-old border collie/lab pups who needed a home in the country. I was cautious yet willing to entertain the possibility. However, Mike's beloved Panda dog was a border collie and the moment he saw pictures of the 2 pups, he was a goner. On the other hand, I wasn't so sure. It's really not the right time. We're not even living in the country yet. Ross hasn't turn 9 yet. Lets wait until spring. Spring would be better.
Mike called the owners to arrange a meeting with the pups. The dogs were living inside and their only outside time consisted of being tied to a rope. When we arrived, the dogs were hyper, jumping, barking, humping Ross' leg, basically leaving me convinced this was the last thing we needed to deal with. Meanwhile, Mike was rolling around in the grass, laughing and playing with the dogs as though it was the best thing to ever happen to him. Crap.
Suddenly, I was in a pickle. As we walked home, I tried to explain the dogs were not going to be a good fit. Don't we have enough going on as it is? The kids are not big or strong enough for these high-energy dogs. No. The answer is No.
Ross told me he hated me as Mikes face fell. The battle ensued for nearly a week. Eventually, Mike sat me down and explained how his parents agreed to keep the dogs at their place until we moved in. He told me the dogs were the perfect breed for us. He told me Ross had his heart set on these dogs and we'd made that 9th birthday deal. He told me he'd take them to classes and have them trained. He told me they would calm down. He told me he'd take full responsibility for them. He told me we'd give these pups a really great life by bringing them to the country. I sat there, shaking my head and doing my best to avoid eye contact. That's when he looked at me. Damn him. Turns out he's got puppy dog eyes of his own. Eyes, which he knows turn me to goo. Add a touch of desperate glossiness to those eyes and I'm dead meat. With his heart on his sleeve, he told me he wanted those pups even more than our boy did.
So with that being said,
Meet Maverick
and his brother, Goose.
We didn't tell Ross right away because we wanted him to suffer a bit. We made him write a contract, outlining his responsibilities to the dogs. He would have to read the contract to the dog owners and ask them to sign it before he could bring the dogs home.
He was nervous... but he did it.
We've discovered they're not nearly as crazy as we first thought. They're just puppies and they needed space to run. They only seem to bark when one can't find the other. They're tight like that.
Welcome to heaven boys.
Lets just say, my 4 boys couldn't be happier.
You had me at Maverick and Goose. LOVE IT! :)
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