Tucker Blue Ribbon: Year One

Tucker helping me work at the studio today.

We got him almost exactly a year ago, when he was just a baby. He's been to the Atlantic, drove across the country with us to live by the Pacific. He's our houndy, puppy dog, baby boy, Tucker Blue, Tuckster, Tuxedo, Tuck, Tucky, (I know, you have permission to gag) and he takes up about 25-50% of my time, depending on the day. He still wants to mouth us when he's happy, jumps up, doesn't come, chases anything that's living, and can see and smell things a mile away. I swear he's a 5 year old boy on halloween night stuck in a dog's body. At the moment he has his head in my lap, whining for my snack. Insistently. Damn the cuteness.

Looking back, it might have been a mistake to get him when we did. If we had waited a year or two it probably would have been better when we had time, space, and more patience (I heard you get that eventually). Not the summer when we were helping the company with it's first season. When we got him we weren't expecting such a high maintenance pup or one that has the intelligence of super dog. He watches planes in the sky. I mean come on, that's just weird. But we love him to death, and it's been worth it.

The advice I would give for those that are wishing and dreaming about their future puppy: getting a dog is a very romantic notion. When you're making the decision, just take the amount of work you think it'll take and double it. If you can keep your sanity doing that, then welcome to the crazy club.

P.S. Cesar Millan is the shit.