May I Introduce...

Peter Parker!

Monkey and I traveled an hour north of Lincoln, just on the northern outskirts of Fremont, NE, where we found our breeder's house, and a collection of puppies so adorable that it was nearly an impossible task to determine which of them was our Parker. Our first difficulty was in keeping the little critter's straight. It was tough, but we managed to put all of them through their paces (we think).

Honestly, our Puppy Wonderlic tests were inconclusive. All of the dogs performed about the same for levels of submissiveness (or dominance), attachment, positive attitude, compliance, etc. So, it came down to look and that special something. After the breeder suggested we pull two of the pups from the running due to their suitability for hunting rather than house dog (which we agreed to), we were left with five dogs of seemingly equal quality.

After a long while of petting and calling, of lifting and prodding, of coaxing and more petting, we narrowed it down to two dogs. One, the smallest of the litter, struck me as the most Ripken-esque of the two remaining candidates. Physically, he had a narrower face and a sleeker length. Personality-wise, he seemed to want only to be near Monkey or I. And, for me, that was the least attractive part of his personality. he appeared sweet and docile, but he was too clingy. After a few more minutes of contemplation, however, and one particularly attentive "come," I changed my mind. He was the one.

But, there was something that troubled me about the dog. It didn't seem unhealthy, but there seemed to be a troublesome "weak" quality. Again, the dog was not unhealthy, but I just had a sense that the dog had some issues, I just couldn't put my finger on what they might be.

So, we focused on the other. Relatively submissive, attentive, robust, with a broad, short snout, he looked much different than Ripken did as a pup (of course, we never saw Ripken at seven weeks). And, after some deliberation, we settled on a Parker.

Now, Operation Dog Prep begins in earnest, as Monkey makes many purchases tomorrow while I grade district writing assignments (for extra pay), and we generally puppy-proof the house as best we can. Our new baby comes home early next Saturday morning.