The new dog

So, as you probably know, we've been talking about getting a dog for several months now. We (and by "we" I really mean "I") researched countless breeds and interviewed dozens of dog groups and shelters on specific dogs as well as on how they test for things like food aggression and sociability.



When we first heard about Tina, I knew she was great on paper. A four-month-old, house-trained, social, submissive Walker Coonhound mix (a breed behind Pomeranians in a 24-year study tracking dog attack deaths and maimings in the U.S. and Canada) (thanks again, Akio!) taken from a rural Virginia shelter as a tiny puppy and fostered in a home with kids and other dogs. Even the name is a little perfect because Thea's going through a phase where she names everything Tina, Deena, Gina, etc. (Personally, I'd like to call her something else, but Thea is adamant about keeping "Tina". I've even tried giving her a last name, like Fey or Turner; no go.) But I was really surprised when, after I had been chasing Liam around the dog adoption show for what seemed like an inordinately long time, I found Todd saying with a big smile, "Great news! We can take her home today!"



I thought we were still in the interviewing stage, but okay.... This is one of the many reasons why Todd and I are perfect for each other: I do an obsessive amount of research, and before I can get mired in overthinking an issue, Todd says, "We have all the facts; let's do it!"



So far, Tina has been a really easy dog to live with. No accidents in the house, no aggressive tendencies apparent at all, no barking, and she sleeps quietly all night in her crate at the foot of our bed. We're enrolling her in basic obedience training in the next few days, both to train her on things like walking on a leash and to train us.



She's young and a little mouthy, so we gave her one of the kids' old teething toys to play with. It's a bunny with a squeaky head, crunchy ears, and a rattle inside the belly. I'm impressed; so far she hasn't disemboweled it.