Tahoe (the dog)

Almost three years ago, we all (except Austin) took a ten hour drive to northern Ohio to buy a dog. We had done a lot of homework and found a reputable breeder with a brand new litter. When we arrived at the breeder's home, we spent a few minutes getting acquainted with the puppies. It didn't take us too long to pick our puppy and Tahoe quickly became one of the boys. Little did he realize back then what life had in store for him.

Like all parents, we gave the boys the "responsibility" talk before we picked up Tahoe and like most kids, they had no idea what it really meant for them. Over the past three years, the boys have learned a lot and Tahoe has been a great dog. One of the funnest memories we have of Tahoe is watching him gradually outrun everyone as he grew bigger. First Devon, then Trevor, then Kaden, Tanner and finally Mom and Dad.

Tahoe might be the most patient dog in the world. He lets five little boys push him, pull him, sit on him, feed him snow and use him as a pillow. Today, we even found that one of the boys had used him as a repository for their used gum and he just sat their calmly as I tugged at his fur to remove the gum. Don't get me wrong, he is not perfect. He gets way too excited when guests come over and he will still occasionally bolt out of the front door and run across the street to see if the neighbor's dog can play. I guess being too friendly is the only thing keeping him from being the perfect dog.

Of course, dog ownership isn't just about fun and, with a little reminding, the boys do a good job taking care of Tahoe. They all take turns feeding him and filling his water bowl and Trevor brushes him every day when he gets home from kindergarten. Giving Tahoe a bath is family activity.

Tahoe really is a great dog. Although he'll never make a great watchdog (he would just follow the trespasser around begging the intruder to pet him), he brings a lot of love into a house full of energetic little boys.