What to expect when you're expecting

Amazon recently delivered a new copy of Your Labrador Retriever Puppy, Month by Month. I had to get a new book when at about 8 months of age, Gracie could stand it no longer and ripped my original How to Train a Lab Puppy to shreds. 

Gracie, December 2005

In the new book, I found this commentary:

"You may have heard the old wives' tale that chocolate Labs are more hyperactive. In reality, there's no difference in the personality of any particular color."

Hmm...

Naming conventions

Does a puppy become the name you give him?

I had Gracie's name picked out long before I found her. Gracie is named after my favorite Sandra Bullock character - Gracie Hart from the move Miss Congeniality). Gracie grew into her name. She is funny and decidedly not graceful or ladylike. 

And now there's Gus. Except Gus almost wasn't Gus. He was almost Carson. 

Carson is another favorite character of mine, this time from the hit British drama Downton Abbey.  Carson is the head butler. He serves the family. But even more so, he cares deeply for the family and protects them. Perfect qualities for a companion dog.

Except he almost wasn't Carson either.  He was almost Reacher. 

Reacher is the ex-Army drifter traveling the country righting wrongs in the novels by Lee Child. To my mind a dog named Reacher would be tough, confident, and in charge. 

Then I thought about Gracie and knew there could only be one alpha dog in the family and while I hoped it would be me, I know deep down it is Gracie. 

And then I landed on Gus. I'm borrowing this nickname from my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, both named Agustus. I have a series of letters my great-great-grandfather wrote during the Civil War to his fiance and then wife, Mary. From those letters, I've been able to derive a sketch of who he was: loyal, determined, loving, and funny.  These are all qualities I would love to have in my next dog.

I haven't met Gus yet, but I know this is his name. 

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo. May 5. Just another Sunday. 

That is until I got the email. I had forgotten about this person in the little town of Scio, south of Salem. I had forgotten that a litter was planned for this summer. But I had not forgotten the sting of missing out on a sweet black Lab in January. 

But the breeder remembered. And now she announced her two chocolate Labs, Chloe and Odie just had a litter of eight chocolates and one yellow. She wanted to know - "did I still want first pick of the males?"

Did I?

My quest for a Lab puppy had waned since losing out on the black Lab puppy earlier in the year. But isn't that what they say...as soon as you stop looking, it happens?

Within the hour I had sent my deposit for first pick of the chocolate males. 

Next weekend, June 1, I'll meet the little boy that will rock my world. And Gracie's world. 

Let the adventures begin!