Meet Jasper Our New LOVE!

ONE YEAR AGO this week we moved into "The Dream Home"....I can't even hardly believe I'm saying that!!! A WHOLE YEAR!! That just seems unreal and totally crazy but it's true. One of the things that we promised our four little people was a puppy once we lived back off the road. Last Spring shortly after moving in we made good on our promise and brought home two adorable Beagle pups. That turned out to be a very bad choice for our family and we learned some good lessons.
 #1 Don't bring a puppy home just because they are cute.
(Those pups went to a teenager who now has trained/hunted them, they are happier & so are we!) 

#2 Research is really needed to decide/narrow down the breeds that will be a good fit for our family.
After our first strike out, and the first puppies departure last fall I have been investigating what breed of dog we should really be looking to add to our homestead.

Our Criteria:

1. Good with other animals

2. Great with Kids/Family Pet

3. Guard Dog

4. Easy to Train

Lab, Golden Retriever, & Huskies seemed like a good fit.

Justin thought an older puppy might be a better fit for us and would help guard the garden against critters later in the summer. I was apprehensive to the idea because I knew it would have to be a puppy who had been well trained already, used to other animals, used to kids. After more thought and talking we remembered our great friends had a litter of Golden Retriever pups back in November. I REALLY wanted to get one when we could in January, but Hubby thought it wasn't a good idea for the winters months. So I called them to see if they had any left and GUESS WHAT?  They indeed had two males left in the litter. We went and looked and them and fell in love with this little guy.

 His name is Jasper...we liked it so we kept it!

 He's 20 weeks old, and pretty much the smartest dog ever! Not to mention he's obedient, loving, super gorgeous and a soft furry coat. We seriously can't get enough of him.

 We brought him home this past Sunday night. On Monday the kids had school done lickety split, and then spent the rest of the day playing with the dog. He really likes tennis balls, and playing fetch.

 The kids are so thrilled with his performance each time...he's a super star around here.

He does let us know when he's tired and ready to cuddle up.

I am beyond thankful for this little guy. I am thankful to the family we got him from as well. He has came to us with amazingly great manners & obedience. I love his personality, he is so eager to please us. I am so excited to have him join us.....they kids are even more excited (if that is really possible). He has completely stolen our hearts, not to mention all of our productivity for now. We would rather play, snuggle, or lounge with him than do anything else. I think he likes us a little bit too, he hasn't been sad at all since we brought him home. I thankful for such a smooth transition for all of us!! 

Here's to MANY YEARS of family memories with JASPER!