Puppy Love

Benton, our handsome boy

It is a week full of celebrations here this week. Father's Day was on Sunday. Noah's birthday is on Wednesday, and today marks the first birthday of our big rottie, Benton. He was just eleven pounds when we brought him home in August. Now, I would guess he is closer to ninety. The only thing that has grown more than him is his place in our hearts and lives.

What a difference a year makes!

How do I explain what Benton has come to mean to me personally? He is truly a symbol of me becoming a little bit better as a person, a little bit less selfish, a little bit more tender.

Dogs and I. We have not really gotten along too well. For the better part of my life, I avoided dogs. There was a story of a black lab jumping on me and shoving me down when I was preschool age, and I held a grudge against all dogs after that. They smelled funny, they got too close, they didn't respect my personal space. And sometimes they still jumped.

But my husband loves dogs...loves them! And our daughters love dogs, too. At age two, the little one could spot a dog a half mile away. During second grade, older one made multiple presentations on why should get a dog and what breed would fit our family best. But our son felt indifferent about dogs. I sometimes think it was his indifference that swayed me more than the others' intense love. In my head, a boy should love dogs. And I realized that my discomfort with dogs was not something I wanted to pass on to my children.

Benton wasn't the first pup we welcomed into our family. Last July, we brought home another rottie that we named Bates. Having never had a puppy, I couldn't believe how much he was like a baby. He cried when he was sad. He had accidents. He had to learn how to eat and sleep in his new home. And he made my husband glow in the same way he glows when he holds a newborn.

Bates

Sadly, we experienced a very sad accident with Bates and an older, sick dog who mistook him for a threat. We lost him after just six days, and our hearts were broken. I could not believe the pain I felt for him, but I also felt pain for my children and my husband. They were beyond happy with their Bates, and he was gone so quickly and unexpectedly.

We quickly decided that our family was clearly ready to share our hearts with an animal. Any doubt we had felt was swept away by our loss. We located a breeder with a litter that would be ready in a few weeks, and we decided to go for it.

The first day we had our Benton home. What a little guy!

Sky was able to help chose Benton, and I couldn't believe the little butterball they brought home. We all loved him at first sight, and while it hasn't been all roses and sunshine, he is very dear to our hearts.

One of my favorite Benton photos. 

Saying yes to a dog was one of the less selfish things I've done for my family. I would have been content never owning a pet, but others in my family were not. Luckily, the benefits of pet ownership reached me even though I didn't realize that I needed them. He makes my life more lovely. I like having the big boy around. I like how he looks at me with his soulful eyes. I like how he sits on my feet. I like that he needs me and that he's happy to see me. And more than anything, I like how much he loves my family. Who knew that I could have so much in common with a dog?

Simply put, he's good for the soul.

A lovely moment from my day: My nine-year-old daughter is wonderful at adding her special touch to celebrations. Today, she decorated for Benton's big day — streamers and of course, a Scooby Doo birthday banner.