I blame Charlie

We found a new home for Barbie yesterday. I know, I know, we have a terrible track record with pets. I'll even fill in the blanks for those of you saying "how many has it been already?!" Since we've been married, Dustin and I have owned 4 dogs and 1 cat. One of the dogs only stayed with us for the total of 6 days before we had suspicions of it aggravating Bradley's asthma, but it still was not easy to give it back.
Why did we find new homes? I've always thought we've just had bad luck with pets. Barbie was great until almost a month ago. Then she started with stomach issues that have resulted in some funky stains on our carpet - and vet advice and medication wasn't helping. It was a stress trigger for me, and living paranoid that she would "explode" on the rug (and it happened!) was making me ill. Luckily, someone took her who does not have young kids, and was willing to deal with finding what works for her.

So here we are, dog-less again, and I think "Man, we have the worst luck". And what in the world has made me want to try again and again to have a dog?? What is it in me that thinks having an animal in the house will somehow make my life more enjoyable?!

I blame Charlie. Yep, good old Charlie. He's the reason I want a dog for my boys so badly. Think Lassie- but an old Golden Lab mix. I loved that dog and he wasn't even mine. Charlie was the dog Dustin's family had when we started dating. He smelt to the high heavens of dirt and "farm", he barked like crazy at coyotes all night (we heard him 1/4 mile away!), but he was the sweetest, most gentle big dog I've ever met, with a human like personality.

I love the pictures I have of Charlie meeting baby Bradley for the first time. I pushed the mosquito net back on the stroller and Charlie peered inside... his tail wagged a little harder when he saw Bradley.


When Bradley was learning to walk, I remember Charlie walking slowly along side him on the driveway, as though he could prevent Bradley's little knees from hitting the gravel if he fell. He never touched Bradley though; a quiet respect of the balancing act.
Charlie loved truck rides, but only if he got to sit in the cab with you, in the middle, and you put your arm around him. It was the funniest sight to see my father-in-law, or Dustin drive up to the house as though on a date with the dog.
Charlie is definitely the reason I want a dog, for me, and for my boys. Charlie died when Bradley was about 2 years old and there hasn't been another one like him, in any of our families since.

Will we try again? No idea... I can't say I want to. But who knows, maybe we'll move to the country some day and a big outdoor dog will work and we'll find our 'Charlie'.
In the meantime, I am content to let my kids cuddle Oma and Opa's, and Gramma and Grampa's dogs and get their fill of "puppy love" that way.