guthrie.

last weekend David and i did the unthinkable. we adopted a pup!

after church last sunday we went to the pet expo with our friends Jon and Ellie (who are also huge animal lovers) with no plans whatsoever of bringing a new family member home. we really just wanted to gush over all kinds of cute animals, figure out what kind of breed would best suit our personalities and lifestyle (with the help of Jon who happens to be an expert on dog breeds), and just have a fun sunday afternoon with friends. we certainly didn't plan on falling in love with a two-year-old border collie/mcnab rescue puppers, but we did.

our only problem was that since our house is still being renovated (two more weeks, two more weeks, two more weeks!), we had no where to keep our new family member. so we kind of begged David's mom, dad, and brother to keep him while we await our move. it really didn't take too much begging at all, they were all for it and we are so thankful. we have been spending hours and hours over there and when we leave we can't wait to see him again.

since our pup is two and has been passed around a bit from home to shelter to shelter he has had a few names, but we weren't really happy with them. after much deliberation (and trying desperately to find a Game of Thrones name that would suit him best) we ended up going with Guthrie, after the great folk singer Woody Guthrie. the name totally fits.

being that Guthrie is a rescue dog who was given up by his previous owner to a very high kill shelter, he unfortunately has some separation anxiety issues that we are trying to break him of, and he is generally afraid of males. the wonderful people we got him from actually rescued him the day before he was scheduled to be killed and there is some evidence of abuse in the form of scars and what looks to be a burn above his nose. i honestly don't know how or why anyone could abuse animals at all or for any reason whatsoever, but especially a pup that is so kind and loving and sweet. he is extremely smart, obedient, and well-mannered. he can "sit" and "shake" on command and he is quickly learning how to "stay" and "get down" from the couch. and we are in the process of teaching him not to beg for food... and not follow my every move (even though i secretly love it, it's not good for him). thankfully he seems to be learning very quickly. 

i really don't think we could have asked for a better dog. from the moment i saw him i had an instant connection. and from the first walk i took him on before deciding to adopt i boldly declared, "this is my dog. i just know it. he is my pup!"

if we weren't already itching to get moved into our new home, we definitely are now. our move in date can't come soon enough. i can't wait to have him under our roof.

let's just hope Guthrie and Bogart can get along...

 this was the day we brought him home!