what about the puppy?

Well, we may have to find a new home for the puppy.  One thing Trey and I have learned about a puppy is that it requires a LOT of patience and time, something we really don't have a surplus of these days.  Neither of us remember this from when we each got our dogs 13 - 14 years ago.  Maybe it has something to do with boxers.  Or that we have children.  Or that Trey works full time and travels and I'm doing the "mommy thing" with two children.  Maybe it's just that we're getting old.  I mean, gosh, Trey will be 40 next year!  That's positively ancient.

  

I see the potential in the pup.  I've taught him the "sit" command.  He ~almost~ goes to the door when he needs to go out.  He's great in the evenings, stretched out with us on the couch and the kids love to play with him.  However, he's still biting and snapping at us and the children, albeit usually in a playful manner, but sometimes not.  Enough that I am concerned that at some point, blood will be drawn.  He needs more focused training, more than we can give him, and the children - Little Man particularly - are too little to really help all that much.  He still has accidents in the house, too, which is frustrating to both of us.  Again, good thing we have plans to replace the carpet in the not-too-distant future.

The thing is, though, is that this isn't really us.  We're generally not the type of people to  give up pets for adoption - we take them in.  At one time we had 5 pets (this is not including the puppy).  Two have passed of old age, one is on the way and two are in middle age.  We love our pets.  But I'm not loving this puppy.  Sure, he's cute as puppies go, but where's the love, man??  I think we're doing the puppy a disservice by keeping him and not training him up to be a good family dog.  That's just going to take more time than we have right now.  He was given to us with a good heart and the best of intentions, but now isn't the season of life where we need to be raising a puppy.  I'm hoping Trey will be able to find a good home with someone he works with.  They already have a boxer (puppy does great with other dogs - our old dog is even tolerating him now) and no children.  We'll see what happens.

Monkey will be devastated.  We've talked that the puppy might have to find a new home, but she will still be upset.  Another one of life's lessons learned....