Meet Kai

For the past year the kids have begged for a dog.  Tara and I both grew up with dogs in our homes, but we haven't had one since being together.  We were a little hesitant with small kids - especially Dylan.  Still, the kids persisted and this week we finally relented.

Monday night we went to the Humane Society and spent a hour looking at a Australian Cattle Dog.  It seemed like the perfect dog.  Not too big, fairly calm around our kids, and somewhat obedient to basic commands.  So we went up to the desk to adopt her.

"Sorry, but the chart says the dog is a growler."

I don't know the protocol, but I could tell that was the end of the story.  The staff was insistent that the dog wouldn't be a good fit and that was that.  The kids were heart broken, but we felt it was a good first step towards dog ownership.

The next day Tara called and told me about a dog she found on KSL.com.  He was a part Australian Shepherd and part Husky.  We loaded up the car and drove out to Tooele to meet Kai.  His former owner said he loved the dog and hated to give him up, but work wasn't giving him the chance to give Kai enough attention.

The kids immediately loved Kai.  He was active, loved to get attention, and met Alex's one requirement for a dog - he played fetch.  So, we took the plunge and brought Kai home.

It's been a bit of an adjustment.  Kai was pretty quiet the first night, as he was getting used to his new surroundings.  Yesterday, he found his voice when he started to meet the neighborhood dogs.  We'll have to see how it all goes, but the kids love having a dog.  Tara and I are getting used to being dog owners.  I think it's going to be fun, let's just hope we can figure out what we're doing!