Doggies:

Our future puppy's father, Haans.

Haans on the left, and mother Gretchen on the right.

Dave and I are expecting....

...a puppy in December!

I grew up with dogs (Laborador retrievers), and I have been without a dog since graduating high school and going off to USNA in 1991 (geez, I am old). It's hard for someone who grew up with dogs to go without for so long. It's also hard for someone who has been without a dog for so long to again get used to the idea of having pet hair all over the house. I admit it. I have gone all soft. I have become prissy. I hate having pet hair on my sweaters.

A dog is a hugenormous responsibility, and I have never been in a position to commit to a dog, especially as a single gal who tends to be sort of on the move a lot. I've come close several times, but somehow I always managed to escape, pet free.

Dave did not grow up with dogs, but he did have a rabbit named beaner (as in carabiner), and his brother had and has dogs. Dave is great with them, and either he truly wants one, or he is kindly endulging my own need for one. As soon as I heard the word "yes" come out of his mouth, I plopped down the money required to reserve our first pick of boy puppies from a breeder in Buhl, Idaho, called Snake River Griffons. They have a good reputation for breeding Wirehaired Pointing Griffons with good confirmation and great temperaments.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD is a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon?" you might ask. Well, it is an upland hunting breed, a pointer, obviously, and they are thought of as sort of the "all-terrain" breed of the dog world. As previously mentioned, I have an aversion to dog hair all over the place, and any dog we own will be an indoor dog. He'll come and go, inside and outside, as any member of our family would. Well, WHPGs don't shed much at all. Even more importantly, griffs are ATHLETIC. That means they can RUN with me! And griffs also have webbed feet for swimming, like Labs and Newfoundlands. And they are SMART. By all accounts, they are easy to train and very eager to please. They are "people dogs," meaning they hate being alone and need to be around people.

Anyway, my mom discovered the breed a couple of years ago in Boise, while walking Bentley, their 140-lb Newfoundland. She met a very young girl griff who was so perfectly well behaved, and she knew immediately it was the breed for Dave and me. After much research, I agreed.

My parents went to visit our baby mamma last weekend, and they sent pics. My folks returned from that visit all excited about their future granddog. Dave and I are 90% sure his name will be Admiral Brillo von Korthals. Korthals is the name of the guy who created the breed. Admiral is a name Dave and I think is cool, and Brillo is a name I have had in my head since I was a kid. I think it suits a dog with a wirey coat, don't you think?

Anyway, I'm on duty, and I have to get back to doing what I do. Sooooooo....peace out!

Our baby daddy, Haans.

How cute is Haans???