Great post Wood. Isn't that what family is all about? Making another's needs and wants your own. Dogs are so special and can really become a member of the family. You are offically a dog person! Can't wait to see more pictures of him, especially with Juniper.
I will say that Wendell is not the kind of dog I would have thought Dutch would end up with, I pictured one more sleek and modern to match your furniture. (What that is, I don't know.) Wendell is such a traditional, country life, flannel, sleep by the fire, L.L. Bean, looking sort of dog. I myself have a fondness for hound looking dogs, and he is a real cutie.
I would love to hear a recording of Juniper saying "Wendell." Such a great name for a toddler to play with.
Also, is he big enough for a saddle?
When I met my husband he was a total cat person. He didn't understand how I could love my dog Maia so much. When I brought her over to meet him for the first time he couldn't stand her because she had so much energy and wanted to jump up and kiss him.
We moved in together a short time later and his first rule was no dog on the bed. It is now 6 years later and we have added 1 more dog to our family. Both of them sleep on the bed, eat most of his dinner, and ride in the car all of the time. It only takes a short time to be won over by a dog, and looking at the pictures of yours it won't take long.
I think you were right to stick to your guns about no new dogs during maternity leave. And I'm willing to bet that within a month's time, you won't be able to imagine life without Wendell. He is a cutie. Enjoy!
awwww... what cute stories. I agree that I would have expected a more "sleek, modern" dog... but Wendell is the cutest thing ever (Juniper excepted, of course) and pound puppies are the best kind. congrats 
Congrats on your new family memeber! I'm so excited for you guys. Wood, trust me, you're a dog person you just didn't know it yet. I am sure that you will come to realize that you didn't adopt Wendell,he adopted you. I think it is such a special thing for a child to grow up with a dog, it can teach them so much about life, compassion, empathy, etc...What a great gift to give to Juniper and to yourselves and Wendell.
I may have to go have a mocha in celebration for you. 
I became a dog owner by marriage -- reluctantly and annoyed, wishing all the while that the smelly creature lived elsewhere and telling her so. But as time passed the dog and I learned to tolerate, enjoy and eventually love each other. Now she's my dog too and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've been surprised by the rewards of dog ownership and hope that you will too.
Congratulations to you all.
Good Luck Wood - two babies under one roof, both in need of an understanding of toilet manners. The fun will abound.
Seriously, it's a great thing living with a dog - canines, they have hearts so big they can carry you when you need it and so loyal they'll never desert you. It's fantastic.
Also. so sorry about Dolly. That, unfortunately is the downside of pet ownership. Better to have loved and all. My heart goes out to Dutch's folks.
I was never "a dog person" either. Until, a year and a half ago, I bought my husband a Saint Bernard puppy for his birthday. Shortly after that we adopted a stray that a friend found running in traffic at Mack and Altar.
Now, I can't imagine my life without these 2 balls of fir, and I am most definitely "a dog person".
I can't wait to see some pictures of Juniper with the puppy.
Good luck!
i still miss my dog from when i was a kid- we were such buddies, he was such a great boy. every kid needs a dog. i hope that someday my husband will be as open and understanding when it's the right time to add a pooch to our family, too. enjoy your sweet new addition.
Pets will always provide you with new and unusual (read: unspeakable) challenges, but the rewards are always worth it. You know what they say, nothing that comes easy is worth having. Congratulations, again.
I've been a dog person all my life, and when my first OWN dog (not family dog) died when I was 3 months pregnant, I pestered my husband until we adopted another one. A month before the baby was born.
In retrospect, maybe not the greatest idea, but it's all worked out great now. And the baby LOVES him. Is obsessed by him. Stares at him more than he stares at us.
You guys are gonna have fun.
I could not believe how fast I became a 'dog person' - I was always okay about dogs and cats but they often seemed a bit unsure about me. Once I became a dog owner (like you, because my boyfriend has always had dogs) I could suddenly relate much better to every other dog I met.
Also, Wendell is a cutie.
I understand Dutch - I'm THAT much of a dog person, too. Right now I have two - Hubby did NOT want #2 and he is a pill (the puppy, not Hubby) but has grown to love him as much as I do (well, almost).
Welcome home, Wendell!
This is another wonderful post. I can understand the doubt Dutch may have had with your dog comfort level but now he will know for sure that Wendell is a welcome member of the family.
Well, Dutch, all I can say is that if Wood held out until now, and she obviously knows how much having a dog would mean to you and would add to your life, she obviously must be ready now. And I don't think she's just saying that.
When people love each other as much as you guys clearly do, I think it is natural to do our best to accommodates the hopes and dreams and desires of the other person. It's not always possible to do this and remain happy (i.e. during the end of pregnancy, she didn't want a dog way more than you wanted one). But now that you have him, give her space to just adjust. If things annoy her about the dog, as they possibly will, let her work it out with Wendell, rather than taking that on yourself as something you have to make up for. They'll develop their own sweet and special relationship!
I love this post and am glad Wendell found a good home. I'm in Dutch's waiting situation now. I live alone and travel too much for work to feel comfortable having a new dog. But I sure do have the yard for one. We shall see...
Help!
Am I posting in the right spot? I want to know who the photographer is!!!!!!!!! My god the pictures of Juniper are great! If no Photographer, please let me know what kind of camera you have!
J
you guys are so cute.
welcome wendell!
once it warms up you can explore dog parks - http://www.detroitdogparks.com/
This morning my 2-yr old asked our husky to sit before giving him his treat. He used the hand signal and everything, and Jake sat, which I thought was sweet.
hope the transition is relatively smooth, I'm sure Wendell will pick up the skills for his new life quickly
I wasn't a dog person until we had Bella. And now I can't pass a dog and not pet it. I'm willing to bet money you become one.
There is never a "good" time to have a dog, just like there's never a "good" time to have a kid. Sometimes, you just have to know that the feeling in your heart is big enough to overcome all the obstacles and make all the sacrifices.
I'm so happy for you guys! We can't have dogs due to where we live, but thank goodness I'm on the board of the animal rescue--I really get my dog fix then! And it's even better since I help find them homes.
Congratulations to you all, and yeah for *adopting* Wendall. Dogs that get adopted show you unparalleled levels of love you could only imagine.
Good for you, Dutch. Your love for each other is inspiring.
You don't need to be a dog person to love a dog. You just need a good heart, and patience, and from what I know of you, you have both in spades.
Your stories made me cry a little. My grandparents are like that with their dogs, my Pop pop especially.
It's funny that some of you mention expecting a modern, sophisticated dog. The first thing I thought when I saw the pic was how great Wendell would look lounging in an Eames recliner.
I am still baffled at the idea that dogs come in sleek and modern. I guess I haven't been reading enough DoggyTypes.
yeah, seriously, what IS a sleek and modern dog? A whippet maybe?
I just want to echo the others before me that it's so great that you adopted a pound puppy - honestly, there are no better dogs. And 10 months is a great age, too - he is still so young and trainable and yet out of the needle-teeth, pee-every-hour puppy stage.
Wood, I am as sure as you are that Wendell will win you over, and in a few months' time you won't remember life without him. Can't wait to see pictures of him with Juniper!
Okay, okay, I can't think of a sleek and modern looking breed either (perhaps a whippet or a greyhound, old breeds but modern looking). I love hounds myself (we have a beagle). I'm too am not up on Doggy Times.
He is a great looking dog, no offense was intended.
before i got pregnant and had my now-16-month old girl, i was a dog person who thought we should wait until after having a baby to get a dog and my husband was a dog person who really wanted to get a dog as soon as possible. i guess maybe i shared the idea behind dutch's proposition that it wouldn't be too difficult or too much of a compromise to our relatively carefree lifestyle to take on the responsibility of a dog if we were already taking care of a kid. although i'm pretty sure i would not have thought of adopting a puppy while at the same time learning to take care of a newborn! long story short, my husband won and we adopted a dog before the baby. having a dog and a kid really is like having two babies - lots more work but lots more fun. good luck with everything!
Mr. Wendell sounds like he's in for a treat.
Dogs rule.
I'm thinking a Weimaraner may be a modern dog. They are tall, thin, and have that wonderful blue/gray color.
What a sweet post Wood.
So happy for the four of you!
I didn't get past the 2nd paragraph and I knew I had to leave a comment. My husband had stated the same thing to me and I'm not even pregnant yet. We had to put our beloved Daisy down a year ago. Several months later we started talking about getting another dog and having a baby at the same time. He seemed to think it would be a brilliant idea for me to be home with a newborn baby and a puppy. I believe I looked at him told him he was crazy and that I would never have a puppy and a newborn at the same time. By the way, Wendell is simply beautiful.
Brian didn't have dogs as a kid, but I did. I managed to talk him into getting Holly before Miles. He told people he agreed to get a dog in order to buy time to delay having a kid.
Then, whenever we had a fight about something, he would bring up that he never wanted a dog and I made him get one. Thing is, he loves that dog as much, if not more, than me. So I finally told him the statute of limitations had run on the Resentment About Dog Adoption being introduced as evidence that I was wrong about whatever it was we were arguing about. He agreed.
Sometimes Holly will be outside barking, and Miles will open the back door and yell "Holly, NO!" with the same exact tone of annoyance in his voice that we use. I think p-man calls this the Voice of Authority. So worth getting a dog to hear it.
I'm the dog person in our relationship - at the time I met my husband I used my sweet golden retriever as a test for potential boyfriends: like me, like my dog.
I wanted to give my sympathies to Dutch and his dad on Dolly - one of the hardest things I've ever had to do is help my dad bury his dog after a terrible accident killed her. My mom was out of town, so I was his only support and his grief was awful. The only good part was that I really did "get it", being a dog person myself, in a way that my mom did not.
Dammit, I'm crying over that dog and it's been four years.
I was just like Dutch and my parents never let me have a dog. I used to hang out at the shelter when I was little and one year my parents let me have a puppy who ended up being a terror and we had to give her away. I was crushed. When I moved out on my own I got a dog. Then another. They were my babies before Archer but now, seeing them all together is so wonderful! So much joy! Dogs and babes belong together. I think. Congrats on Wendell.
Maybe it's my hangover, but I teared up reading your post--I like reading about the different ways we see--and love--our spouses.
I could have written this, Wood. Nate started working on me in the dog arena the moment we met. The day we put a bid on our house we got one, my first ever. I still wouldn't call myself a dog person per se, but boy do I love my dog, and it's taught me to appreciate others.
As for Nate, he's pushing for another. And a few cats to boot. Sigh - never enough.
Simply adorable.
i need to have you talk to amanda. i've been begging for a dog for months. alas, we are still petless. congrats on wendell!
I have to say I have a soft spot for the name Wendell. It was my grandfather's who worker for Detroit Steel all his life. Now I'm thinking our daughter needs a dog even though I am allergic. What a lovely post. Congratulations!
Love that this post was really not about the dog. Good stuff Wood.
My husband was the same way as you but about cats when I first met him; he just had never been around them. Now I don't think he can imagine life without at least one cat around. When we get a bigger house I think we'll add a dog to the mix, too.
Enjoy your new pup! What a sweet face he has!
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