animal

we got a dog. which, if you know us at all, is a much bigger shock than us being pregnant with #3. (which really isn't a shock at all knowing our history...). steven and i aren't really dog people. we aren't animal people. we're people people. but...

we live in the kind of neighborhood where your rocking chair gets stolen off your porch and you find it at the thrift store the next week. the kind of neighborhood where the police do roll call on the corner once a week. the kind of neighborhood where you might want a big ol' dog by your side when you're walking to bus stop.

enter george. a 13 week old english mastiff. like most of the decisions steven and i make, we discuss, decide, then do. all in about a weeks time. it didn't take long for steven to convince me that a dog was a good idea and that a mastiff was the right breed for us. they are protective but not aggressive. and notoriously low maintenance. (really, george just lays around all day. but don't tell the neighbors.)

 
george is big. and will be over 200 lb. by the time he is full grown. and truthfully, that's all we need. something that looks scary. i've seen it work too. people cross to the other side of the street before passing us. and he's only 46 lbs. right now! steve is doing his part to keep the fear in the neighborhood alive, too. on a walk one night, a little girl asked, "will he bite me?" and steve responded with, "i wouldn't put my hand near his mouth."

there have been more than a few times that i've been glad to have him. i was walking to the bus stop the other day to pick up j and this man kept muggin' me. (we live in the hood now so i'm going to start saying things like "muggin" and...well i'm not sure what else people say in the hood, but i'll tell you in a few months). without george, i'm not sure i would have felt quite as safe. 

no, he is not a "fur baby". he is a dog. he is not a member of the family. he is a pet. i promise we won't become crazy animal people and expect everyone to like to our dog. promise.