Winston

We picked up our newest addition on Memorial Day weekend! After scouring the breeding websites again and again and again, we made a trek 170 miles north to find some adorable pups. Although my husband kept proclaiming throughout the entire drive that, "we were only looking" - he was the first one to cave when "Mojo" came bouncing into the room. It was clear that he had made up his mind, Mojo was coming home!

I was very happy with the breeders. They made our decision a lot easier. I cannot stress the importance of a good breeder when it comes to choosing your new puppy! A good breeder is one who is in it for the breed and not the financial aspect. Bad breeding will only bring heart ache for owners and their pets. Mojo came from a family environment with children, which we were ecstatic about. And they had both parents on site, which is very rare!

After making the long drive home, it was time to introduce "Mojo" to our home and to Dutchess. I was so nervous about this! Dutch was very well socialized with other dogs from a young age, so she loves playing with any other dog she comes along. One of her favorite things to do is going over to play with my Sister and Brother-in-laws two Beagles. They are the best of buds! But she is the Queen of the Castle at home and I just wasn't sure how she would react to having a new puppy eating up all the attention in her castle! Playing with her toys, laying in her bed, heaven forbid - eating her treats.... But she was wonderful with him. She's very gentle and didn't seem too bothered by him at all really. Now that they are adjusted to each other I'm actually more worried that his nipping will cause more harm to her than she ever will to him!

After much debating and some help from my sister-in-law we picked out a name. Sometimes I think this is the hardest part when it comes to getting a new puppy! We named our adorable new mug Sir Winston Churchill. We call him Winston, of course, unless he's doing a bad puppy deed. Then we break out the full name!

Sometimes I find myself wondering what I was ever thinking going back to square one with a new puppy?! Dutchess has finally gotten a handle on the whole house training deal and is gradually falling into "laid back" bulldog mode. And now we have this bouncing, barking, peeing, nipping, chewing little poop-machine?! But all it takes is one little puppy dog look and I'd never go back.