It's Go Time

We leave to pick up Parker at about 7:30 this morning. It is cold (relative to the calendar), today, but it should get pretty nice, once the sun starts shining. I am sitting here with my coffee, thinking it is a good idea to record my thoughts on this, my last early morning as a single dog dad.

I have mentioned before my hesitation. My hesitation over getting a second dog, my hesitation over getting a first dog, my hesitation over choosing a breeder, my hesitation over which dog to select. Even this morning, I feel a slight sense of "do you know what you've gotten yourself into?" But that sense is only slight.

What I really feel is excited and wonderful. It is a puppy for God's sake, one of the cutest and endearing things in the natural world. And he will grow into (if Ripken is any indication) a handsome, loyal, loving dog with the right care and training. Hell, even with poor training, he'll still most likely be a good dog. Of course, like every father, I want my dog to be great.

I am not a parent, as you know, and never will be. I am more like a shepherd, when you consider my career, but right now, I imagine I have a little insight into some of the things people might think when they are about to have a second child. Those thoughts of how, maybe we did it this way with the first kid, but we are going to get it right with this one. You know, this time...no table scraps! (Which Ripken rarely gets really (and usually only when Uncle Mike is visiting), but still rarely is more than it should be....)

I am kind of surprised at how important this is and has been to me. I am not saying that I expected to be a neglectful owner, but I had forgotten how much effort Meghan and I put into training Ripken. The joy we felt when he learned sit. The pride we take in how quickly he was house trained. Parker is a completely unique and individual creature. He will not be a Ripken clone, and we don't want him to be. But, we bring our boy home today, and all I want for him is everything. Everything I can give him and everything he can be.