So, I really hope I’m not jinxing myself by blogging about this, but we may be adopting a dog in the very real, very soon, future. Like this weekend.

Dan and I established that we both wanted a dog years ago but have very smartly amassed ourselves with all the practical reasons why it wasn’t a good time. Kids were too young, apartment dwelling and dogs don’t really mix, we take vacations sometimes, I don’t like potty training humans so why would potty training a dog be fun? I kept telling myself that we needed to wait for the right time, or perhaps just the right dog. Preferably both.

But lately we’ve been thinking that if we keep waiting for the perfect time that we will never make the plunge because having a dog will always be more work than not having a dog. Financially we are in a good place right now, the kids are getting older, we are home owners and I am home during the day. There are still the concerns of house training the dog and what to do on vacations, but those things will ALWAYS be true.

What really changed though was that I saw that picture above and I emailed it to my husband along with a handful of other cute dogs – some puppies like Jingle here and some older dogs. When I talked to him that night we went back and forth playing instigator and sensible person and talked about the pros and cons of each dog. Jingle is adorable but we were both concerned about the responsibilities of adopting a puppy who needs to be house trained and is, well, a puppy. Also, although all three of his known breeds are wonderful family dogs (Saint Bernard, Border Collie and Labrador Retriever) they are also pretty big dogs. And I am on the petite side. So I worry. But….

We just kept coming back to his page. After a long conversation I said simply, for the sake of argument, “If you could adopt any of these dogs right now – just because – which one would you adopt?”

We both said Jingle.

Suddenly we found ourselves applying online to meet him, filling out references, calling those references to give them a heads up, getting approved and scheduling a time to meet Jingle in person. We’ve made it clear to each other and the kids that we are not 100% sure yet. We need to meet the dog and see how he gets along with us and see if he is as adorable to us in person as he is in photograph. I am still not looking forward to house training and a bit nervous because I have never owned a dog. I have never been responsible for one.

But seven years ago I had never been a mother. Four year ago I had never been the mother of more than one child. I worried that we were crazy, that the timing was wrong, that it would be so much harder than I realized, that I was in over my head. Looking back now, I am so thankful that we took that leap. So I am trying to look at this situation like a First Time Dog Mom. I’m asking questions and looking for answers, I’m buying books and hopefully I’ll read them, too. I’m making lists and doggy proofing (never a bad reason to clean the house even if we don’t end up doing this) and talking to the kids about dogs and keeping them involved in the conversation. I’m reading Jingle’s profile obsessively and researching those three breeds and googling vets and kennels and asking friends for advice.

I have thought of probably every reason why this might be a mistake. Why this will be he hard work and a major lifestyle change and I am not blind to the fact that caring for this pup will fall largely on me, being the one home all day. It’s a major sacrifice. But potentially every bit as rewarding as the other leaps of faith that I have made in my life.

As I count down the minutes until we meet Jingle and decide if he will become a member of our family, I would LOVE to hear your dog stories. Preferably the happy, heartfelt ones about the amazing animals in your life and how you met and how your lives have changed since meeting them. Tell me all about your furry babies in the comments section below!