Tucker

Sometimes, dreams come true.

Here's what dreams coming true looks like for the FOUR boys I love.

The man in the middle in the picture above is Bob. He comes to camp several times a year to help with work projects around the property. He always brought his dog along, and as Paul always does with dogs - he made friends with him. As Paul was loving on the dog one day, he said "Don't you wanna come live with me at camp?" and Bob and his wife looked at each other with surprise and perhaps a little relief. They said to Paul "Are you serious?" and he said back to them "Are you serious?!" Indeed, they did have dreams for their dog to live in a place with room to thrive and with people there to give him the attention he craves. They were the third owners to care for him and with his size and personality traits, he was still in search for just the right family to join.

He had just taken a dip in the lake before this pic, so this is his wet look.

Paul and the boys have been longing for a dog for a long time. From everything Paul had seen of this dog, he was giddy with excitement that our family might the the right fit. But the decision was not solely up to us. There were many factors to consider since we live in close community with other families here at camp, and the summer time is very hectic with lots of goings on. When we got the go-ahead to bring him onsite, Paul made the arrangements and Tucker joined our family yesterday.

We are settling in with him, keeping in mind that if he proves to be a disruption to camp and all the various activities we are involved with here, he may have to find a new home. But that won't stop us from embracing him with open hearts and doing what we can to make the transition smooth for everyone. All our boys adore him, but Marty seems to be the most enthralled. At one point yesterday, I noticed Marty actually laying down on Tucker's belly, stroking his face.

Paul is the boss. He's spending the most time with him and is establishing boundaries and routines with him. The plan is for him to be with Paul in the shop or out and about on the property whenever possible. Otherwise he'll be at home with me and the boys. So far it seems to be going very well. He is not a barker. Glory, halelujah! Since we got him yesterday morning, we've only heard him bark on one occasion, when Old Man John burst into the shop right where Tucker was resting. He gave 2 barks and that was it. Seems he's not so much of a guard dog, though his size is imposing. He is incredibly friendly and enthusiastic with new people but will only sniff and lick visitors, not jump up on them. He is tall and lanky, yet keeps composed. He sits and sprawls gracefully (don't laugh, Dad, it's true!) but if he spies a bunny in the bush, it had better be Paul who is hanging on to the leash!  He is attentive to people around him, Paul especially. In the second picture above, on the right side, he is staring intently at Bob, waiting for direction (or affection) from him. 

Tucker stinks. And he's hairy. Those have always been my two objections to having a dog. At this point, when he is at home he'll either be tied in the yard, on the porch, or resting in the mud room. We plan to splurge on a haircut for him and hope with that and a change in his diet, the smell won't be so bad. If we are able to go ahead with our plans to replace the flooring in our house, we may reconsider the rule about Tucker being in the house.

Last night Paul and the boys camped out in the living room to be close to him in case he got lonely in the night or needed to go outside.  I kissed them all goodnight and wished Paul a good night with his new baby then went off to our bed all to myself.  Tucker slept soundly and didn't make a peep, just light snoring.

His birthday is November 22, 2007, making him a little over a year older than Jaxon. The papers that came with him say that both his parents are Golden Doodle.  If you look at pictures of Golden Doodles, he really looks nothing like that. His hair is wavy to straight, not curly at all.  The "Golden" is where he gets his disposition and thick apricot coat, and his size seems to come from the genetics of the Standard Poodle. He came from a littler of 7 - 2 male and 5 female. His Mama's name is Percilla and his father's name is Red. We're not sure how much Tucker weighs right now, but at 2 years old his father was 65 lbs, and Tucker was 50 lbs. before his first birthday.

Exciting times at our house!