And the family just got bigger...

Ladies and Gentleman we would like to introduce you to our newest family member:

Meet Scout

After much debate and long discussions...and the kids begging. We finally decided to add a furry puppy to our family.  Finding this wonderful little Mini Doodle has been an adventure to say the least.  Germany does not have pet stores where it's easy to walk in and purchase a little pouch.  And adoption from a Tierheim (or animal shelter) is close to impossible as a military family.  I guess too many Americans have made a name for themselves for adopting an animal and then later abandoning them when they get ready to leave country and so it makes things difficult for those who really want to give a fur baby a forever home.  So we decided to try a pet finder.  Ella, the woman we found after many recommendations was great!  She responded almost immediately with a few puppy options.  Once we told her what we were looking for (a hypoallergenic dog) she guided us to a breeder who was offering this little cutie.  Yesterday, we made a 2.5 hr hike to meet them and Scout and the kids wouldn't let us leave him behind.  The breeder was very kind, inviting us into her home and letting us know how to care for him.  And she even told us that if at anytime we have any questions that we can call her.  Just before we left she made sure we had plenty of food for him, his shot records, his last round of deworming medication (for prevention, of course) and she microchipped him for us too.  

Scout did pretty well riding in the car with us.  But after we stopped for lunch he started to get a little antsy...it must have been the smell of McDonald's that was driving him crazy.  We decided to stop at a local post in Mainz to look for a kennel (we brought a few towels, a collar and a leash "just in case" but nothing for traveling...Oops!) Just short of getting to the post he had a little accident in the car.  Poop in the car!  Oh there's poop in the car! Needless to say we found a spot to pull over and clean up, thankfully he's a small pup which makes for little messes. Ha Ha Ha!  He will, however, grow up to be about 30-40 lbs so he will be a sturdy dog to play with the kids.  Eventually, we made it home and Scout seems to be adjusting to his new surroundings.  

The first night is always the toughest.  Scout isn't used to being in a kennel, and for a 9 week old pup, he's pretty good about letting us know when he needs to go out and use the facilities.  Unfortunately when it was time for him to go to sleep, he whined, A LOT!  Poor Danny decided that he would let everyone sleep and took him out of the kennel so he can curl up with and cuddle.  

Makayla is really taken with him.  She REALLY wanted a girl dog, but when we say his picture she was out voted 4-1 for this short-haired pouch.  So I struck a deal with her and said that if we all decided that he was the one for us that she could name him.  I helped her look up some boy dog names and before we left we were down to two...Scout or Patches.  When we met him, she said his name would be Scout, because he's seems adventurous, and because she and Joseph were in Scouts.  Gotta love how she thinks!  

Joseph on the other hand, is excited and happy to have Scout, but he is EXTREMELY paranoid that every time Scout moves, he has to go potty.  Michael...well he's Michael.  He's tickled to death by him and as a 4 year old kid, I'm sure he's going to drive this puppy nuts because he likes to run and when Michael runs...guess what? So does Scout! Then it turns into a game for both of them.  

This family is definitely in for a new adventure...!