Roscoe

Today, I am going to dedicate my blog post to my furry little friend named Roscoe who I love so much and who brings me so much joy. We took him to the groomers today for the first time and looking at him with his freshly-shaved buzz cut 'do just inspired me to write about him.

First, let me give you a little history about Ross. We had been toying with the idea of getting a dog for a couple of months, and our friends have a goldendoodle who we just adore. I had been doing my research, and decided that we wanted to get a mini-goldendoodle. For those that are unfamiliar, a goldendoodle is a mix between a golden retriever and a poodle. They are supposed to be hypoallergenic, have very friendly dispositions and not get any bigger than 30ish pounds (the mini ones, that is), which is perfect since we have a small house and virtually no backyard. After perusing the internet, however, and searching within any reasonable mileage, I realized that finding one of these pups in a reasonable price range would be a difficult task. Well, one weekend I was visiting my friend Lindsey in Louisville while the hubs was out of town. I need to mention here that she has an adorable golden retriever puppy. I also need to mention that when this friend and I go shopping, I always get into trouble -- for some reason, she spurs me to buy things that I wouldn't normally buy. That being said, I'm sure you can guess what happens. Yes! I look up breeders in Louisville, and find one with "mini" goldendoodles who just happens to have a fresh batch of pups ready to be adopted. However, this is where I get TRICKED. I inform the breeder that I really want a miniature one because my house in small, etc. etc. Well, she back pedals a little, telling me that I in fact do not want a miniature goldendoodle because they are snippy, being bred with a toy poodle and all, BUT it is just my luck because she has a litter of normal sized goldendoodle pups with "the most adorable little runt" that "will get no bigger than 35, 40 lbs." Well, I am sold!  Off we go in my car to see the pups that she has to offer. It is LOVE. Literally, love at first sight.

I mean, look at this little guy.

So little and sweet. When we first met, he peed all over me. And I still took him home...now THAT is LOVE.

So, I called hubs, who was in Texas at the time and asked him what he thought. Actually, if my memory serves me correct, I called and called and called and called hubs and then left the breeders because I didn't want to give her an answer until I had talked it over. Lindsey and I scurried off to a movie and then I called and called the hubs again! Finally, we talked. [Let me insert here that he was in Texas to be in a friend's wedding, so he was actually very busy...he wasn't just ignoring me!] We talked it over and I was given final authority to make a decision. And now we have a dog, so I think you know what I decided! I was actually very nervous, and needed Lindsey's encouragement and prodding, but now (for the most part! :) am so happy with our decision.

Look at this little guy. We were home alone together our first night and I think he was scared.

It took us a while to come up with the perfect name. I really had my heart set on something that reflected my hometown of Lexington. We tried Ramsey out, but really couldn't make it work. Rupp either. Finally, Roscoe seemed to stick...so Ross it was!

My mom bought this Eeyore for me because he has always been my favorite Winnie the Pooh character. Ross took an instant liking to him, however, so I graciously allowed my dog-child to have him. Seriously, though, Roscoe loves that thing. He takes him in to sleep with him, brings him out every morning, cuddles with him, the whole bit. Sadly, though, Eeyore has seen his last day. That thing was ripped to shreds, leaving lovely little bits of stuffing all over my house. I wonder how long it will be until Ross notices his buddy is missing? It's been a day so far, and he doesn't seem to be too upset.

One quick shot of his Halloween get-up from this last year. I mean, seriously - how stinkin' adorable is this?! Hubs just about killed me when I put it on him.

Roscoe has his funny little quirks that just make me love him even more. For one thing, he is terrified of our vacuum cleaner. Also, he is scared of helium balloons for some strange reason. We had been having problems with him climbing into the trash can, so hubs came up with a clever solution. Seriously, with those balloons in place, Ross wouldn't come within a 10 foot radius of the trash can. And hitting the balloons? Hilarious. It would send Ross into a frenzy.

And now, a more recent shot of the lovable Ross, all 52  hairy hairy lbs. of him. Yes, not only is he larger than the 35 lbs. that was promised, he also sheds like it is nobodies business. I literally have to lint-roll my couch every other day. Hypoallergenic he is not. But boy do I love his furry little face!