5 years ago...

Five years ago today, we brought home this little bundle of sweetness...

It was before Jared and I even started dating. We were just really good friends, and after encouraging him to finally get a dog - despite the fact that we were working 90 hour weeks and he was still living in corporate housing - I went with him to what seemed like every shelter in the Seattle area to find the perfect pup. When we were about to give up our search, I called one last shelter out in Woodinville... they had just gotten in a litter of half Weimaraner half Australian Shepherd puppies, and we were on our way. When we got there we learned that they had named all the puppies in the litter after characters from 90210 - and we both fell head over heels for the flopsy pup climbing all over his brothers and sisters to try to get a prime sleeping spot. I was always more of a Dylan kind of girl, so it was pretty funny that the one we'd fallen for was, in fact, Dylan. We took him outside to play, where he promptly went to the bathroom, and we were sold. (That dog had zero interest in going to the bathroom outside after that for weeks!)

He was so mellow and sleepy that first day. We both remarked at how lucky Jared had gotten to have such a laid back pup. Jared decided to call him Rocco, and we spent the rest of the day relishing in his cuteness.

Well, that sweet sleepy little puppy has been a complete jerkface every day since then. He is hyper, nervous, barks at strangers and little kids. Heaven forbid someone makes the teeny tiniest noise outside - he barks as though the world was coming to an end. And if someone dares ring the doorbell? Forget it. We have spent thousands of dollars on trainers and behavioral therapists with only mild success. He's not mean, he's just anxious and not very bright, which makes for a terrible combination. In short, he is very little of what we wanted in a dog. But, he's ours. This sweet, crazy mutt is ours, and I love him to pieces...