meet badger

When we first moved into this house, I started feeling that once again I was wanting to hear the pitter-patter of little paws. It had been so long since I'd had a dog. In fact, Alec had never even had one. We'd sort of looked into it, but for the kind of dog I wanted, the prices were outrageous! This past Thursday, I was browsing around classifieds (you know which "list" I just don't want searches to end up here) and I came across someone that was giving away puppies. Yes! Giving them away! I couldn't believe it. I thought it might be some sort of scam. Like some sort of psycho who lures women into his home with the promise of a free puppy. I called the number on there and it was a lady. Sure enough, she explained her situation. She and her family had just moved into town. They're renting a house and can't have pets. They had one dog and were going to give her away when they found out the dog was pregnant. She ended up having seven puppies, so needless to say, this family had to get rid of them pronto before the home owner found out.
So anyway . . . . long story to tell you that we got a new puppy! Hold your "awwwww" until you see the picture and until you read what happened next. We got him Thursday evening. Friday, Alec was playing with the puppy all day long while Brianna was at school. By mid afternoon, I noticed that Alec had a bad rash all around his eyes and forehead. His eyes were also very, very red. ARGH! I thought for sure he was allergic and we'd have to give away the puppy. What we did was go and buy some doggie shampoo and some of that allergen reducer spray. I also had to make sure that Alec was washing his hands each time I told him to. So far, it's been working. After Friday, he hasn't gotten the rash at all.
Now we're in the middle of house training. I feel like I have another baby. We've been getting up anywhere from 4:00 - 5:00 in the morning to take him outside. I've heard that those puppy training pads are a horrible idea because they then get used to going on a cushy surface. We've been taking him outside about a million times a day and it seems to be working. Wish me luck. Oh, his name is Badger. Here he is. . .