Dude Penguin Cheese

"Are you a dog person or a cat person?" That's one of the questions that comes up when meeting new friends and I rarely find someone who says, "Both. I like them equally." People seem to fit into dog lovers and cat lovers. I'm definitely a dog person. Dogs seem more like a pet to me. Cats seem like they borrow people for awhile and allow them to exist in the same place. Dogs are blindly loyal and will love you unconditionally. There's a quote I saw once that said, "May I strive to be the person my dog thinks I am."

It's been 5-6 years since I last had a dog. It didn't end well, but through no fault of the dog. I was traveling for a consulting company and training for a marathon whenever I had time. I wanted a dog that could run with me and had the energy to go on longer runs. And so I bought a Dalmatian and named her Stampy (after a Simpsons episode. I think dogs with crazy names are awesome). Stampy had all the energy a runner could want - and then some. In the end she had to live with another family because I wasn't home to take care of a dog that acted like it was on two lines of cocaine all the time. She could run 18 miles with me, but if I didn't run that day....it was a bad scene.

Since everything else was changing in my life in 2008, I thought it was a perfect time to buy a dog (I am a brilliant planner). I had one criteria for my next dog. Less energy! After doing some research and a recommendation from my friend, I chose an Australian Shepherd. Enough energy to run with, but can still lounge around and relax on an off day. Plus they are great with kids. My research found a breeder who facilitated adoptions for pets that weren't show quality and we drove down to take a look (that's another post in itself).

On the way home I let the kids pick the dog's name. Abby said he looked like a penguin and Hudson said that dogs remind him of cheese because of hot dogs. I threw in my thought as well and we all came up with Dude Penguin Cheese.  There you have it. Welcome Dude!