Lights Along The Way: Whoever said you can't buy happiness...

It's not Friday, but I'm in love. With this handsome little guy:

He just turned three. I know this because he's more like a human than a dog. Ask anyone that knows Hudson (yes people know him, he's got quite the little social life). He has no idea he's a dog, and neither do we, actually. So he has a birthday, and I know when it is.

Even when he wasn't three, he was really stinking cute:

Even a little cuter.

But I was in the process of potty training him then, which involved getting up every two hours (yes, just like with a baby) for potty breaks and teaching him to sleep in his kennel. Which may or may not have involved my sleeping on the floor with my fingers through the door.

So the tired/slightly annoyed that puppy pee is running my life feeling balance out the so SO cute factor.

But I swore (and persuaded Brent with the fact) that I'd never EVER have a dog that wasn't totally house-trained. So, I did what I had to do.

Now he's totally trained (and so our we) and the cute level is about equal. Granted the New Puppy Ah factor is long gone, but now this dog's got a place in our family and a much-bigger-than-life-as-a-dog personality.

Unless you've ever trained, lived with and loved a dog, this post probably will seem completely out there to you. But this little dog saved me.

We were in the process of learning and dealing with the fact that having children might not be an option for us. I was also running my photography business from home and it was going through a major crescendo, which was wonderful, but equated to lots of hours in an empty house in front of the computer.

Not good for my anxious OCD personality :)

So I decided a puppy was the answer. And begged and pleaded and tried to convince Brent of that too. He finally caved from an adamant no way never to whatever, but i don't love the idea.

I spent hours HOURS on the internet, in people's homes, etc. etc. trying to learn all about getting, raising and having a dog. I was determined to do it right if I was going to do it.

I bought and returned/re-sold three puppies. Not even joking. For some reason I'd get them home and have serious anxiety. I wish I would have written in my journal about it because now it seems so so silly to me. But for some reason at that time, it was a big deal, and really hard for me. It may have been the commitment factor. Who knows. All I know is that every time that happened, I got more and more determined not to let the Hyde side of me rule my life. So I continued to scour the web, KSL ads and forums.

Then I found this little guy. I'm pretty sure I was at the owners' house for two hours. She probably wanted to kick me out. I'm sure she hadn't had such a drilling interview as the one I gave her. I asked her about training, about her dogs, because she owned the mom and dad, about dogs and kids (in case it ever actually worked out), about leaving them, about biting...every question under the sun. No joke.

AND I was analyzing every tiny thing about the parent dogs and each little puppy, trying to decide which one I wanted. Some were feisty, some were female (which from my newly acquired depth of puppy knowledge I knew I did not want) and some were just plain lazy. Hudson (his name was Fudge then) was the laziest. Finally the owner told me there was probably nothing I could do to tick that dog off.

So I took him.

And called Brent with the "I bought a puppy" notice for the 4th time. He wasn't thrilled, but got everything set up.

And I didn't feel sick with anxiety like before. I just instantly fell in love with this little dog.

Say what you want, but he was a little blessing sent just to earth for me. I know it. I truly think it was something I had to do, and part of me believes I would have had a much harder time adjusting to parenthood in general, when that time finally came, if I hadn't had Hudsy. (Yeah, he has nicknames, too.)

Here are a few Hudon facts:

He's smart. Way WAY too smart. So he's been easy to teach and train.
He doesn't shed but shakes all the way to Emily's to be groomed
He knows when you need him to snuggle with ya.
He tolerates Adi. Barely.
He wants to be where we are.
He likes to play.
He thought he was one of our chickens. And refrained from eating them.

He's way too good for dog food. And can even get steak from my Grandpa Hess.
He barks at the Schwann man (I would too if I could.)
He has play dates with his doggy friends.
Brent spoils him way more than I ever have.
He's way over-the-top loyal. And doesn't hold a grudge.
If we're gone for five minutes, he greets us like it's been 5 years.
He'll walk with you anywhere, but running any distance over 1 mile is pushing it.
He walked home once from Brent's parents' because the fireworks freaked him out.
He naps with us. He thinks it's absolutely essential that he sleep right next to me.
We have to SPELL OUT things we don't want him to hear/know. Like Chris (my brother) and ride and treat and walk.
He comes running when he hears a string cheese package open.
And we love him, and he loves us. He's part of our little family.