Evolution of a Dog Person

I think I woke up one day many months ago and decided that I'd become a dog person. My infatuation with all things feline has been a theme in my life, but the slinky, sexy fur beasts have lost their appeal with countless pee incidents and my current cat's insistence on biting my children. Maisie Cat will not be the cozy companion for my children I hoped she would be.

Enter a dog. Every boy should have a dog. Every family should have a dog. Right? I mentioned my desire to get a dog to my husband, and he almost fell off of his chair.

"You.... want a .... DOG?!?"

We waited for the right time. Little Anna was too little and too exhausting, so we put off the dog search. Now she's almost sleeping through the night, she's oh-so-close to walking, and Dino sent me a picture of a puppy at the Marathon County Humane Society.

Dang it, Dino.

We knew it was finally Dog Time for the Mathis Family. The search began here at the Humane Society. We met a dog we liked, but he bit Ben right away, so we had to say no. We went home and scoured the internet to look at pictures of dogs at shelters in the neighboring counties. The next day, we mapped out a trek across Central Wisconsin, and we headed out on a four-hour drive to meet some more doggies.

I was waiting for a spark between me and the dog. Something that showed me that the dog connected with me, was interested in me and my family, that extra something special... And we found it in Medford in the lean body of a Boston Terrier. She ran right to us, licking our hands, dancing around our son, running back and forth between us. When I pulled her onto my lap, she licked me and instantly settled down and put her head on my knee.

We'll be bringing her home tonight. I'm a little frightened at the unknown, but I'm reading as much as I can about taking care of a dog, and I know my heart is open and ready to love a new animal. Wish me luck!