The first question you may be wondering is, will I change the name of the blog now that I’m no longer just aspiring to own a dog? The answer is a resounding NO. At the conception of this blog, I hoped and prayed that I would one day become a dog owner. I decided at that time that Aspiring Dog Owner would still apply even after I have a dog of my own. Now, instead of aspiring to own a dog, I”ll be aspiring to be the best dog owner that I can be. I know, I’m so tricky! One of these days, I’ll have to update the “About Me” page on this blog. One step at a time though.

The next question you may have is how I came to become a dog owner.  As I mentioned in my very first blog post, I grew up with dogs and I’ve been a dog nut my entire life. Unfortunately the time was never right for us to choose a dog of our own…until now. My fiance and I have had a crazy year. Overall, our lives have continued to get better and better and we couldn’t be happier, but there were a few loops thrown our way that forced us to reevaluate some of our priorities. Fortunately, we’ve come out the other side stronger and, much to my surprise and joy, found ourselves ready to bring a dog into our lives.

The actual search for the perfect dog was surprisingly brief, but very exciting. Over the next few days, I’ll post the details of our search, some of the websites that I found helpful, etc. For now I’ll cut to the chase, so to speak:

We are now the proud owners of an 18 month old female black lab named Chloe. And she is the light of our lives.

More details, and oh yes, photos photos photos, to follow!

Rule #1: PLEASE, NEVER GIVE A DOG AS A GIFT!

As I’ve posted before, choosing a dog requires extensive research with full commitment from the new owner and all family members so it’s too risky to make the decision for someone else. Even you’ve been discussing getting a dog for some time, completed your research, the entire family is in agreement and the only variable is when you’ll surprise them with their new pup I think it’s still best to wait until everyone has had an opportunity to at least meet the pet in person. If you’ve done all of that though, by all means, surprise away and let the puppy shenanigans begin! 

Rule #2: OBNOXIOUSLY ADORABLE DOG CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES ARE 100% APPROVED! 

I recently discovered the Pup and Co boutique on Twitter and I now realize how much I have to learn about the world of high-end pet clothing and accessories. I know, I know. In this economy how can we rationalize spending $62 on a Paris Hilton by Little Lily Pink Bow Dress? Most of us probably can’t at this point. Or ever. However, they are currently offering 20% off your order at Pup and Co if you enter the code (hearts) at checkout. So maybe that helps? If not, at least you can amuse yourself and your pups by doing a little window shopping on their site. 

And boy was I amused when I poked around the Pup and Co site and discovered that they offer Dog Wigs!!

The "Sarah Palin"

It’s too hard to choose a favorite out of the bunch, but I’d have to say the Sarah Palin dog wig (pearls not included?), the Afro dog wig and the Marley dog wig (a la Bob Marley) were pretty hilarious. Do yourself a favor and check out this site when you have a minute. It will open your eyes to a truly hilarious and yes, disturbing side of the pet lover industry.

In the meantime, have a very Happy Valentine’s Day with your loved ones!

I’ll confess right off the bat, my favorite is the Lab. Now you know. I suppose that’s technically Confession #2. But I honestly do love all dogs, generally favor large over small when given the choice though there are a couple of little ladies out there that have captured my heart. Ginger Spice, I’m talking ’bout you!

I thought it would be interesting to see where my preferences line up with yours, and the rest of the population. I’m anxiously awaiting your votes. In the meantime, here are the official stats as captured by the 2007 AKC Dog Registration Statistics:

1. Retrievers (Labrador)
2. Yorkshire Terriers
3. German Shepherd Dogs
4. Retrievers (Golden)
5. Beagles
6. Boxers
7. Dachshunds
8. Poodles
9. ShihTzu
10. Bulldogs

Labs have been tops on the list for the last several years – I’m so proud. My mom will be amused to see that Weiner dogs and poodles are in the top 10 – Mr. Johnson & Miss Belle are representin!

Are your dogs on the list?

But I’m getting close. I can feel it. So I’ve decided to take advantage of some free time I’ve recently been granted to kick up my doggie research. I know that getting a dog is a huge commitment, and since I’ve waited this long, I want to invest the time in choosing the right dog for me and my lifestyle, and I want to be prepared when I bring it through the front door and into our lives. 

I’ve started reading several books that focus on dog ownership, dog training, dog behavior, etc. I’m getting a lot of great tips and things to think about while reading these books – definitely things I want to revisit when I begin the adventure with my own puppy. But I’m getting these books from the library and I’m concerned that in the heat of the moment, when little Magdala or Chauncey (two front runner names at this point) start showing signs of dominance aggression or relieving themselves in the house, will I remember all those awesome tips I’ve read? Will I be prepared to lovingly communicate to them the behavior that I prefer, and put a stop to the behavior that will likely have my fiance packing little Magdala’s bags?

I have to confess that I am borrowing this idea of “blogging about research as a way to create a future reference tool” from a friend. This friend once mentioned that a big part of the reason she blogs is so that she can catalog her research and refer back to it later. I like it, and I’m gonna try to make it work for me.

At the same time, this isn’t a purely selfish endeavor. Or at the very least that’s not my only aspiration for this blog. I hope that in compiling the best dog training tips and kernels of doggie knowledge that I’ve found in my research, that I’m able to share these tips with other dog lovers like yourself. I’d love to get your feedback on what’s worked for you, what hasn’t worked, and what you’ve learned that can’t be found in books. And when I do finally have a dog of my own, I want to revisit these tips and keep notes on what’s working, what’s not, what I’m gonna try next and hopefully get some help from you when I get stumped. Cause let’s face it, we can do all the research in the world to prepare, but each dog is different, each owner is different, and each new dog/owner pairing is a puzzle to be solved. It’s not gonna be easy, but it is gonna be an exciting adventure and I hope to meet some great friends along the way!