Exciting news! We picked a dog out from the Puppies for Parole program and waited and waited for him to graduate. Here is the picture we had from the program website. Sam and I were calling him "majestic dog" when we were deciding. James really wanted us to get a boy dog.
I picked him up a little over a week ago from Tipton correctional facility. He enjoyed the car ride back to Columbia immensely, but he was just a little shy to warm up to us.
After great debate and some run-off voting, the kids settled on the name "Spark," because his picture looked a little like the character from this graphic novel:
Here's a photo of the first day we had him - he's been getting one or two walks a day.
He's a little bigger than I thought he would be - maybe 80 pounds. We'll find out at the vet next week.
The website said that he was a mix between a golden retriever and an Anatolian Shepherd dog, which I suppose would explain the size and his somewhat curly tail. He points at small mammals, too, which as far as I know neither retrievers nor shepherds usually do, so there's likely something else mixed in.
He likes to chew and fetch sticks, and has been absolutely wonderful with the kids. He also walks nicely on the leash without pulling, can sit and lie down, came already house trained, and doesn't bark much at all - though he valiantly defended us from the trash collector, recycling truck, and school bus today.
He is amazing with Leah, who took to bossing him around immediately.
What a good boy!
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