I have wanted a dog for pretty much forever. My family always had dogs and I knew I would always have them. After college I got a cat because I wasn't really situated in a permanent location and cats are (supposedly) lower maintenance.
A little over a year ago I moved into a house and could finally have a dog! My boyfriend was deployed at the time so I was a little nervous about how it would play out when he got back, but that did not stop me from dragging my friends to every PetSmart adoption event or make me spend any less time looking at rescue websites.
I knew I wanted a big dog who was friendly and energetic enough to go on my runs with me. I wanted a girl dog because I had heard horror stories about boy dogs peeing on everything. Realistically I wanted a newfie...but I live in the hottest part of North Carolina so that option wasn't really an option.
I struck out several times but then I saw this face
I wandered down the rest of the row to be fair, but I came right back to him. He was a two-year-old English pointer/lab mix. He had no name and he was clearly a rescue and you could see he was dirty and skinny at about 70 pounds. But he was the happiest and most loving dog I had ever seen.
I got to walk around PetSmart and play with him for a bit and all he wanted was to be loved on. My friend had her 10 month old with her and he was obsessed with the baby (in a good way) and, despite being a bit uncoordinated and clumsy, totally stole my heart from that moment. We found out that he had been found on the side of the road covered in green paint like he had been shot with a paintball gun. How someone can do that to any dog, let alone a dog this sweet I will never know.
I wasn't able to take him home that day because he still had to be neutered so I had a while to get everything I needed and to pick out a name. I kept staring at the picture of this big goofy dog and saying names until I came across one that sounded right. As soon as I said Hank my friend and I agreed that it was perfect.
I couldn't wait to bring him home! The first night I had him, we sat on the floor and Skyped my boyfriend so they could "meet" Then the poor dog had to tolerate me hugging him and crying for an extended period of time...which he handled like a champ. I have to admit it was the first of numerous times that dog was been my shoulder to cry on!
As soon as he got his stitches out we went on our first big roadtrip down to Atlanta, GA. He handled over six hours in the car like a champ and was rewarded with a super awesome weekend of hiking adventures.
A few weeks later we went on another adventure and got to see a waterfall
We have been on so many other adventures since then and they have been great. But the real reason I am thankful for this amazing dog is that he makes sure I always have a reason to get up in the morning.
And he makes me go out and do things. He makes it much easier to meet people too! As much as I love typing about my life, I actually don't have an easy time meeting new people. Hank does not have that problem and has made it so much easier for me to talk to people I don't know!
He makes exericise much more fun as well
So even when he steals the chicken off the counter and even when he steals the entire bed, I will never be able to love this darn dog any less. He is by far one of the best things in my life and I am thankful for him every day! I only hope I am half as good to him as he is to me.
P.S. He is totally obsessed with his dad now that they have met in person..and his dad loves him just as much!
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