Pet Link Up

I have the best dog ever!!!  He is definitely (wo)man's best friend!  He is so great and so well behaved....I really lucked out.

We got him as a gift from my brother for our one year wedding anniversary.  His birthday is April 24, 2008...and he came home to our house on July 10, 2008.

My mom's cousin actually runs a very successful Labrador kennel here.  He sells labs to many many different states.  He sells akc registered hunting dogs.  They are very good dogs.  I did want one of his dogs but he sells them for $800-$1,000 or more based on m/f and which dog.  He probably would of given me a little discount but it still would of been $600 or so and I didn't want to ask for the favor.  He puts a lot of money into the dogs for finding the right breeding...food...vet...and housing.  Also, my brother bought him for us as a anniversary gift and he didn't want to spend that much.  So I found someone in the paper and called them...they said they had purebred yellow labs for sale for $300.  My brother was much more comfortable with that price.  We drove to the dogs and they lived on a farm with a very nice couple.  We played with all the puppies for about an hour or more and chatted with the couple.  I told them about my cousin and they said that is where they got the mother dog (which is their pet) and where they found the father to breed.  So I did get one of my cousins dogs after all so I knew they were good.  My cousin has a great reputation for dog breeding and I have seen where the dogs are kept...they have pretty nice digs...like a hotel for dogs....he is also very honest and really does a great job.  He loves his dogs....he loves them so much that a few times he sold dogs to people...who had the dogs for awhile and then couldn't take care of them anymore or neglected them and he bought them back.

Anyways, we played with the puppies who were about 10 weeks old on this farm...my husband said, "Pick anyone you want"  Oh, my, I could not decide!!!  This was the hardest choice I ever made because I wanted all of them!!!!!!!!!!  Well I picked one...and the lady said, "That one is the cuddliest, he will sit on my lap and snuggle forever"  I was like perfect, exactly what I want!!!!!

So we took my baby home.



We (I) named him Huckleberry for three reasons...
1. Again his full name is "I'm Your Huckleberry" and that is a quote from a movie named Tombstone. My brother and I owned that movie and watched it hundreds of times growing up. We would use the quote all the time....to us "I'm Your Huckleberry" meant the same as "Sure" For example:

Me: (walking upstairs)
Brother: Will you get me something to drink while you are up there?
Me: I'm Your Huckleberry.
(So he knew that meant-"Sure, I will bring you a drink when I come down")
Understand?

2. There is a song by Toby Keith entitled "Huckleberry" that I really like.


3. I like Brad Paisley and paisley prints so I wanted to name a pet 'Paisley' but I think that sounds better for a female animal and since mine is a male...I will save that name for a female one day. But, Brad Paisley named his son Huckleberry (William Huckleberry to be exact) so I still get my connection to my favorite musician.

His personality:

He really is so cuddly...he really is very clingy and I love that...he can be as clingy as he wants!!!!  That is why I got a dog. He wants to be touching you at all times.  When I cook he follows me in every turn and sits and waits patiently as I stir and chop.

Also, house breaking was a breeze...I didn't know it could be that easy....the first night he was home we were in the kitchen and he started to pee.  I said, "No" very loudly and swatted him on the butt.  (I do think there is a difference between a swat on the rump and kicking the living crap out of a dog)  I did give him a swat on the rump...but him outside and said "Potty Potty Potty"....he NEVER EVER EVER went pee in the house again....ever.  (and thank goodness his one and only pee accident was on the kitchen floor so it was an easy, non stain, clean-up.   The next day we were in the basement which has part concert floor....he started to poop...one turd dropped and I swatted his rump...said "No" ran him outside and said "Poop" and pointed to the grass.  He finished pooping and that was the only pooping accident he ever had in the house...(again on concert so easy clean-up) that is it....he has never had another accident in our house ever.....he can also hold it for a long time if we are at a party. 

Also, I am a neat freak....I clean all the time....I did want a dog but I wanted him to stay in the kitchen area on our main level.  I was going to get a baby gate and put up.  But, we got him late at night and I was going to pick one up later, but I actually trained him to stay in the kitchen on our main level....he has full run of the basement (which my husband spends a lot of time in), in the kitchen, and we have a fully fenced in back yard.  So I never had to buy the baby gate.  She he hangs in the backyard during nice weather.  He has never entered the rest of the main level in my home.  I have brought him upstairs and few times....but the stairs are right next to the entrance of the kitchen. (see pic below)

He is very quiet and almost never barks...he really is a great dog.

tricks: he can sit, lay,  catch a treat that was sent on his nose that he flips in the air, shake, and high five.  He can also stay in the yard if we are in the front (backyard is fenced remember).  He gets the mail with me without having to be leashed. 

He is also akc registered...we filled out the paper work...and I have three generations back.

His mom's name is "Cami the camouflage companion" or Cami for short and his dad is "Bite the Bullet" or Bullet for short.

He is so gentle...I nuzzle my face with his all the time...my friends trust him with their babies...he will let me play with his lips and ears without snapping.....also I could set a piece of meat on the floor and say "leave it" and he will let the meat sit there for hours until I say "go get it".

When he was little

 See clingy...he likes to touch you all the time.

 So happy in his backyard

 Whenever he has toys...he likes to sleep with them close to him.

 In a navy hat...(my brother is a Marine and he has a friend in the navy so they traded covers for fun)

 My husband is a deer hunter.

 These are beads from a St. Patricks parade I went to.

 Here is a pic showing where he stops in the kitchen.  That is as far as he can go in the main level...he lays there and sleeps all the time.

 That is wood on his nose because he was chewing on a stick.

 THis is his birthday cake.