That's a Good Boy!

In May my husband brought home a black lab, though he knew I didn't want a dog. Not yet anyway. I love dogs, don't get me wrong. We used to have Abby:


Abby was MY first dog. Not the first dog I've ever had, but MY first dog. Some friends of ours had a Westie named Squirmmer and I loved that dog from the get-go! Funny thing is, I'm not a small dog person!

Well, the Febrauary before we had MacKenzy, Jason decided that we should just go ahead and get one. We found a breeder and a pup, and on Feburary 10, 2004 we brought home Abby!

Abby was awesome, and by WAS I mean she is no longer with us....she's still alive, just not living in OUR house. Abby loved MacKenzy, but didn't take to well to us giving the baby more attention than her. She didn't take it out on MacKenzy, but on Jason. No, not even me. He'd take her out to pee and she'd run off or she would just walk around and pee once they got back in the house.
Finally, on Christmas morning she signed her walking papers....she pee'd on the couch! We were all gathered around opening gifts and she jumped up on the couch like she was going to lay next to me, and instead she popped a squat! By December 30th she had a new home, but not without a lot of crying. Luckily we were able to give her to some friends of ours, so I still get to see her now and again. They absolutely SPOIL her and love her to death...that dog is in doggy heaven!

So with that said, I'm sure it explains my apprehension in getting another dog. To train a puppy is hard enough, but now I have a two year-old to think of too!

The rule was he couldn't get a dog until our sod was down. We were told we'd have it by the beginning of May so he found a litter that would be ready in mid-May. Well, mid-May came and our lot was still dirt. He couldn't very well back out on the dog...and I couldn't very well force him to...so the puppy came home. Jason knew I wasn't happy about it, but knew that I was "dealing with it."
I was not happy about having to help house break a dog while in the midst of potty training a child. I was not happy about a puppy peeing on our NEW carpet. I was not happy about having to be on top of a puppy to keep him from chewing on everything! And I wasn't happy about having to hear that damn thing BARK!

Ozzy has yet to grow on me and it has a lot to do with his barking. Up until maybe THIS WEEK (and he's 6 months old) he would start whining and barking every morning anywhere between 4am and 5:30am. Jason is forced to deal with it when he was home...but when he's on shift I'd have to...and have I mentioned that I'm NOT a morning person?

You couldn't just take him out to go pee, you had to feed him too....oh and then take him out again to do his business. Just when I'd fall back asleep, it was time to get up! UGH!

"Barking is that noise that the devil makes and is telling you to strangle your dog! " -me.

Well the last few nights have been noticably different...in a good way! Ozzy has figured out that I don't like getting up that early and that I'd prefer to feed him once I've decided to get up; not when HE decides its time!

If and when I get a picture of Ozzy that turns out I'll be sure to post it. It's hard to take a picture of something that is all black...your lucky if you can make out the eyes! Some day we'll be successful!

9/18/2006 Okay, Jason and Ozzy went hunting yesterday and Jason managed to get some shots of Ozzy... here: