We got a new home security system!

His name is Brinx.

Hi.

So, a little back story....

Since we lost Chauncey last year, we've been casually looking for a new member of the family.  We didn't want a baby puppy because - let's face it - we don't have the time for a "newborn".  

We went to adoption events on a pretty regular basis, I scoured Petfinder looking for the perfect fit and nothing happened.

I should make it clear that Chauncey was Brian's boy, through and through.  I felt that it should be Brian's choice what dog we ended up with and when. 

We (meaning Brian and I) knew we wanted the following:

A big dog

A shepherd mix

At least 4 to 5 months old - preferably older

A rescue

The girls wanted an itty-bitty puppy that wouldn't get very big. 

While I took that into consideration, I'm the mom, Brian is the dad and we have veto power. 

One day, while perusing the Interwebz, I saw this:

He reminded me of Chauncey with those markings, yet his face was so different - he looked like a little teddy bear.

I showed Brian and he was hooked.

He's a Shepherd/Pyrenees/??? mix.

Your average mutt.  

He came from a high kill shelter in Tennessee and was being fostered in Kentucky by Black Dogs Rescue.

We live in Maryland.

After many emails and pictures, and adoption applications and waiting and waiting and waiting, we finally had a date to "meet" him to see if he was a good fit. 

Then this happened.

It's beautiful, but it was keeping me from meeting my puppy.

The adoption event got bumped from Saturday at 2:00, to Sunday at 2:00. 

Then it snowed in West Virginia - in the mountains the rescue foster mom had to drive over to get to us. 

So, it got bumped to 5:00.

Then 6:00.

Then 7:30.

We finally met him at around 8:30.

On a Sunday night.

About 45 minutes from home, in 20 degree weather, standing in a parking lot with a bunch of other "adopters" there to meet their new pups.

It was love at first sight.

When we got him, he was 17 weeks old, 31 pounds and had the biggest paws ever. 

He's now 19 weeks old and weighs about 35 pounds.

Yes, I know.  He's a beast. 

The first week there was a lot of this...

Followed by a whole lot of this....

Those first few days he was busy exploring and moved so fast I couldn't get a non-blurry picture of him to save my life - unless he was sleeping.

Brinx slept on her the whole way home that first night and ever since then, Olivia has been the most tolerant of him.  Which is weird because we all annoy the crap out of her on an hourly basis apparently...

Brinx is a counter surfer and most certainly will need to learn some manners soon because he really is going to be a big boy and I don't want him to inadvertently hurt someone with his exuberance.

Puppy school starts in the next week.

I'm going to train him to run with me when he gets older (at least 16 months for big dogs from what I've read).  I am hoping that I can get out and take him on my early morning park runs and that he will be a huge deterrent for anyone that would think of messing with me.

Baxter is less tolerant of him, but he's getting there.  

Baxter will never be an alpha dog but Brinx was such a nuisance to him those first few days.

Baxter finally laid down the law and scared the piss out of Brinx - literally - and I didn't think the old boy had it in him, so there's that. 

And now there's a lot of this...

We're going to need a bigger bed.