Full disclosure: I had a totally different blog post planned for today but then something happened that was more important to share. I got a dog! Well, we (Brandon and I) got a dog!
Everyone: meet Scout! She’s a six month old Patterdale Terrier mix–that’s a guess from the shelter where we adopted her but I think you’ll agree once you Google image search the breed. Apparently Animal Control found this little pup wandering around Southeast DC as a stray and brought her in to the shelter to find her a home. And she found us!
We’ve been looking for a dog for a while (and talking about it for even longer) and had settled on adopting one from the Humane Rescue Alliance here in DC. Now I’ve only been to two other animal shelters before but Humane Rescue Alliance was great. The facilities are so nice–both for the animals and the visitors–and the dogs look as happy as I think is possible for being in a shelter. They talked us through everything, let us meet her and play with her before we made our decision, and weren’t pushy at all. They really wanted to make sure that it was a good fit for everyone involved. And there are great perks as a dog owner if you adopt through HRA–discounts at certain vets, discounts on their training classes, etc. Overall, 10/10 would recommend.
As for Scout, she seems to be settling in well! She’s very smart (already learning how to sit), and seems to be the perfect balance between playful and sweet. Right now she’s cuddled up on the couch sleeping quietly–much like in the picture above. She LOVES to cuddle. You can’t sit down on the couch without her scooting over to you so she can put her head in your lap and roll over to get her belly rubbed. And don’t worry about her conehead! She got spayed the week before we picked her up so it’s just a routine thing for her protection, she’s definitely not sick. The cone should come off later this week so I’ll post more pictures when she’s all healed up and ready to hit you with that full cuteness.
She’s already being spoiled rotten–we went to Petsmart as soon as we got her to grab some essentials (and some toys and training treats) and then yesterday she was spoiled even more by one of her aunts coming over with all kinds of swag and bougie treats. We already know this little pup is a Democrat like her parents because she devoured her Dem donkey cookie right away. (Plus Lara also brought us a car magnet that says “my dog is a Democrat” in case you’re wondering what kind of dog owners we’re going to be–get ready.) Looking forward to taking Scout on hikes and to outdoor restaurants once she has a bit more training to tone down her puppy excitement!
Stay tuned for lots of updates as we navigate puppy training and adjusting to life with a new family member.
oooh that's such a good idea thank you!