The Year of the Dog

Seems like everyone got a Christmas Puppy this year in Foo's family- we like to do things in threes, and this Christmas was no exception.

It started with the idea to get this little girl:
Foo's dad, Mike, has been wanting a dog for many years, but has put it off to go on a mission and because of all of his many other responsibilities. This year we got together with his siblings and decided it was time Mike got his dog. We knew he shouldn't have a puppy due to his schedule and the time it takes to train one, so we found this perfect little one-year-old, already trained yellow lab named Zoe.

Mike likes her, like really really really likes her! Grandkids, eh? Wife, eh? Zoe- she's amazing!!! We hear every detail about what she likes, what she does, what sounds she makes, how he prechews her food (oh wait, that last statement might not be entirely true). We brought her over Christmas day and surprised him with her, and this is the look he's had on his face ever since:
See! We did good this year!

While we were researching getting Mike a dog, I came across a listing for a breeder in Maple Valley that had newborn Chocolate Labs for sale that would be old enough to go home on Christmas day. I've also been promising Foo he could get a puppy to train to be the perfect bird dog ever since M was born 2 1/2 years ago- the deal was that M had to be potty trained before I'd potty train another dog- well M's getting pretty close, and I thought it would be a fun surprise to have a Christmas puppy. I loaded up the family in the car a month and a half before Christmas without telling them where we were going, and 2 hours later we had picked out the dog we'd bring home Christmas day. Meet our little Hazel:
She's pretty darn mellow, a very quick learner, and potty training has been frustrating, but I think we're getting close! She loves to put a blanket over her back and run around the house like crazy- I think she's pretty proud of that particular skill.

Foo's sister Jana also got a puppy this Season- her names Lucy and she's darn cute too-
The three dogs got to play together over New Years, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves (even if it did cause a slight rise in anxiety for my understanding MIL to have three dogs running around the property)
and now, I do believe I've reached my yearly quota of dog/puppy pictures allowed for one blog- so I'll be signing off.