Well, it has come again. For about a week or two, I get this itch that sticks with me for a while and then it will fade and won't come back for a month or two. Being so outnumbered in my little family here, it seems to inflame this itch and annoy my wife. I can't help it and the only thing that is going to stop it is for our family to finally break down and get a dog.
Now, it isn't anything to do with my wife as she is warming up to the idea, it is just a matter of getting the planets to align.
The biggest planet we are waiting for is Jupiter. Or in other words, not adding two new family members to the family at the same time. As my wife is due in Jan. it looks like it will be a while before we get used to the extra child and can think of a dog.
Then next planet is Saturn, or the breed of dog. Having had a German Shepherd, it is not hard to add it in as an option. The only problem we seem to run into is the size of the German Shepherd. My wife would like to start with a smaller breed and then get a larger dog, meaning some other breed first and a German Shepherd later. Can I blame her as she has never had a dog before? Because this is most likely a decade long commitment, I don't want to rush into a breed and find out that it is going to be a nuisance rather than an addition to our family. Since, I've only ever had a German Shepherd, I can only think that the dog we get have similar attributes.
Mars is the next planet we are working with. This planet is a little more close to home than the others, but not as big. But, the dog that I will consider to be my dog has to fit the name Thor. It has to be a Man's dog, you can't be naming toy poodles Thor. It has to be protective of our family, I need this as when I'm not there to protect my girls, I know it is there and don't have to worry.
The final planet will bring us a little more down to Earth. Well, actually it is Earth. This is to emphasize the compatibility of this dog to my family. It needs to be a family pet. It needs to be able to get along with my kids and wife. Especially with my wife! Because she will be a first time dog owner, I need a dog that is intelligent and make having a dog a pleasant experience. It needs to be easily trained as she isn't the disciplinarian in the family, it will need to quickly learn some basic ground rules that it can follow without fail.
As I have written this, I can't help but think how a German Shepherd would fit this, other than the size requirements. But, I am biased having only ever had a German Shepherd. If you want to make a breed suggestion, please leave a comment and explain yourselves on why that breed.
