We've toyed with the idea of getting a dog for months now. My husband and I have some differences of opinion when it comes to dogs, though. He does not want a fence; I do not want to pick up the poo. He wants a cute little dog like a dachshund; I want a big family dog like a lab. He wants an indoor dog and would even allow it to sleep with us (ew!); I want an outdoor dog that doesn't set foot in the bedroom.
The timing is another thing. We'd both like a dog when we have kids. I don't so much need one when we have babies. Haven't you heard the horror stories of dogs getting jealous and turning on the infant when they no longer have their master's undivided attention? And yet, my husband the scientist is convinced that we need a dog before we even get pregnant, as it would impart some sort of super-immunity to our child in utero, staving off allergies and even diseases.
Luckily, we haven't really had to settle these differences, as my father-in-law has the final say (it is his house, after all), and his say so far has been "no." Even when a dog miraculously appeared at our front door, he did not give in.
And even if he ever did change his mind, I have a strict list of requirements the mutt must meet. Short hair that doesn't shed, medium-sized or larger, child-friendly, easily-trained, no yip-yipping, a female that's preferably not been fixed. Since my husband is going to be a softie, it's clearly up to me to be the bad cop here.
And yet... For all my tough talk, when I see a puppy, I melt.
So when my husband's uncle mentioned they might be getting rid of one of their dogs (pictured above), we jumped. And my FIL actually said that, provided she doesn't ruin the new kitchen cabinets, we can get her. She's a two year old beagle. She's an outside dog trained to hunt, but isn't the best at it. My husband's hoping that whatever makes her a bad hunting dog would make her a good indoor dog. His uncle's coming to town tonight and we're going to quiz him on the details about this dog. If we do end up getting her, it probably wouldn't be 'til late January, as we're going to be in and out of town. I keep trying to think critically about this decision, but I know if we visit her I'm going to be sold.
"Isn't it funny," I said to my husband. "Most people get a dog without thinking much and yet have to think long and hard about whether they're ready for children; we know we're ready for children, but have to think long and hard about whether we're ready for a dog!"
He just shook his head and replied, "We're ready for both."