We have a dog.

Well, I guess it's official. We are keeping the dog. We took her to the vet this morning and she received a clean bill of health. This was a totally different experience from taking the cats to the vet. We quit taking them a long time ago because it was so traumatic for them, and us. They were always inside and healthy so we didn't feel like we had to put them through that. Scrappy had to be muzzled and would cower growling in the corner if she got down. Pudge wasn't as bad, but they would be mad at us for a week after visiting the vet. The dog was so well behaved. We put her on the leash and let her sit in the back of the CRV. I sat in the back seat and held on to her leash to make sure she stayed in the back. She was a little nervous a first. When we got to the vet, she didn't even let Lawson open the gate, she just jumped out of the window. Not exactly what we had in mind, but she was fine. We found a really nice vet. I went online to find a close one. We thought about going back to where we took Scrappy when she died, but I wasn't really impressed with that place. It wasn't bad I guess, just not the best time to have your first visit somewhere. I liked this new place as soon as I walked in. They had a cage inside the office that had a chinchilla in it. And, the vet had a parrot in her office that would say "Hello Joe." She and her assistant were really nice and the dog took right to them. Actually, I don't think this dog would not get along with anyone. She has such a nice temperment. They took blood and a sample with no problem. She sat up on the table and was just as still as should could by while the vet examined her. She got her shots, flea/tick/worm treatments, and even let the vet clean her ears. I told Brantley the dog was better at the doctor than he is. We guessed wrong on her weight. She weighs 46 pounds. The vet thinks she is a British Labrador and doesn't think she is a mix. She said 3 years old max, probably closer to 2. Because she is post-partum, her fur is thinner and coarser than normal. She's also a bit thinner, but her fur and weight should return to normal once she's on a good food for a while. Another thing I liked about this vet was she didn't push the special foods that you can only get from the vet. She suggested Iams Adult dog food and she said no cat food. They love cat food but it can cause renal failure. I didn't know that. So, we'll most likely be taking her next week to get her spayed. They will also implant a chip while she is under for the surgery. With all the money we are going to end up spending, I'm thinking a chip is a good idea. On a side note, the vet did scan her for a chip and didn't find one. She agreed with us that the dog has been well taken care of. I hope that we don't do all of this, get attached to the dog, and her owner show up. Guess I should take the posting down.

On to other matters, we have to decide on a name. She doesn't really answer to anything yet. I guess she will get used to whatever name we choose. Brantley and I both like Cocoa, but Lawson doesn't. Here's what we have so far:

Brown Dog
Brownie
Cocoa (suggested by Carroll and Rosemarie)
Nicey (Brantley's original)

Help us decide. Make some suggestions!