After a few weeks of considering and a couple more looking, I got a dog.
Yes, the above picture is the dog my new Pup and not a picture of a random horse. He is my 111 pound Labrador.
I know, I'm a horrible person, I changed his name. But in the short time I was there visiting I called him Stryper, Skyler, Skyper, Brownie (You may not all get the Brownie reference, My Foolish Father will) and it at least 6 times. The name change had to happen. He is not named after the "neighbor Charlie" as Scout would most likely assume. I'd looked at so many other dogs in the past weeks. One who's was name Charlie. He was a yellow lab and $300. Out of my price range! I said that day, no matter the dog, the name Charlie stuck. You have to admit, he looks like a Charlie. So he's not wearing crocs.. But the bandana, that's something a Charlie would wear.
Jesse promised me, if I came home without the dog that night and slept on the idea of having such a huge responsibility in my life, he would take me back up there. I held him to that. Just two days later, we took the ride back up to Skowvegas. We learned a little more about Skyper Charlie that night. Like, that his favorite food was Chinese, (maybe this is why I own a horse/giant dog.) that he can't jump into vehicles (just imagine lifting a dog at 111 pounds into your truck) and that dogs who eat Chinese and ride in vehicles they cant jump into, don't mix. It was a long, smelly ride home. I haven't ever laughed as much as I did that night. Jesse didn't find as much humor in this as me. Maybe it was because it was his vehicle and not mine or maybe it was because he had just finished a double beef sandwich from Arby's. We were both happy when we finally reached his driveway. Not solely based on the fact that we couldn't wait to breath fresh air, but Charlie became my dog that night.
In just two short weeks Charlie has learned so much. He is learning to eat dog food, much to his dismay. He is learning that he will never ever have Chinese or any human food again. He finally learned how to fetch just last night. I was really concerned that I had the only lab in the world that wasn't neurotic about a game of fetch. He has learned he doesn't need to jump on people who come to say hi to him, he cant just sit still and enjoy it. He has learned how to run and play with other dogs (many other dogs). He was a little socially awkward at first.
I still have so much to teach him. I will eventually try to get him to walk calmly on a leash, he does so well running along side me without one I haven't tried the leash much. Not to mention I'm a little afraid of what a untrained 111 pound dog would do to my hand on a leash.
I will update my blog in two months with a picture of him at 75 pounds!
