How much is that doggie in the window?

I have wanted a dog for quite awhile, but was never in a place that I could have one - I either lived in an apartment or had a job that required many hours and/or travel. Over the years, X and I have gone through the considerations of whether we were ready to commit to a dog or not. Yet again, we are that juncture of Doggie Do or Doggie Don’t. I want a dog SO BAD. I have always been slightly resentful when people refer to me as a Cat Person...... Åu Contraire Mon Frere...... I am a PET person. I grew up with all sorts of animals -- dogs, cats, geese, ducks, fish, turtles, ringnecks (when I could catch ‘em). I can’t imagine my own children growing up without a dog - they are such a different pet than cats. To say cats are better than dogs (or vice versa) is such a silly argument that I have never understood. A dog is a DOG and a cat is a CAT. No comparison. Anyway , for sure, we will certainly get a dog - it’s just the timing we haven’t worked out. We thought we would wait until Arun was 3 years old, but it didn’t help that last weekend while Arun was playing with our neighbor’s dog he started giggling hysterically - deep, belly-rocking giggles. Only at bathtime had we witnessed such giggling. Our hearts just melted watching that.......

Currently, we are in a good place for a dog - we have a house, a fenced-in backyard and since I stay home full-time, I could be dedicated to proper training. We are looking into different breeds, although we won’t do pet stores or purebreds, we’d like to know what sort of mix we should get considering our personalities and lifestyle. I am partial to huskies and terriers - we had Alaskan Malmamutes, a Siberian and Cairn Terriers when I was a kid. However, we lived on 40 acres when I was a kid - I don’t think a husky or a terrier would fit my lifestyle now. X is partial to Labrador Retrievers - his roommate in college had one. I am not sold on Labs, but I can’t put my finger on it. We both ADORE Border Collies, but don’t think our lifestyle is conducive to a dog with herding instincts - working dogs just don’t do well cooped up in the ‘burbs. Soooo.....pondering, debating, researching ........

The other night, Arun and I were sitting on our front steps enjoying the weather and watching the sun set. A girl walks by with 2 dogs - or rather, they were walking HER. One of them stoops to poop and the girl whips out a bag to scoop it up. And then it hit me like a flash. I live in a house where only 2 of the 6 occupants are toilet-trained which leaves Yours Truly to dutifully tote loads and loads of fresh poo on a weekly basis out for the trash. Maybe we SHOULD wait until at least Arun is toilet-trained or even better, when HE can help with scooping.

Savvy Site: Check out Turn Here ( Short Films, Cool Places). They feature little film clips of places around the world. It’s still in Beta, so the choices are limited, but still - it has some potential. I will be keeping an eye on this.