Michael Finally Caved and Agreed to a Puppy

If nothing else, I should feel good about the fact that I'm grooming my kids to be overachievers in the field of sales.

Last night at the Rock dinner table, discussions at the puppy summit continued as my kids tried to make the case about why this is the perfect time to bring a dog into the family.

Their strategy was predictable and simple: divide and conquer.

"If we get mom to agree to the puppy, would you agree?" they asked.

I gave them a non-committal "maybe."

"If we find the kind of puppy you like, can we put down a deposit?" they then asked.

I told them to find the puppy and we'd talk about it. And that was my fatal mistake.

It's hard enough to find any dog right now, never mind a specific color and breed. I figured they would never be able to find it.

That's when my son rolled up his sleeves and got to work on the internet. Ninety minutes later he was leaping down the stairs two at a time with his phone in his hands.

"Dad, I found one!  I found one!" he exclaimed.

Wouldn't you know it, that little sucker was able to locate a White English Lab about five hours away. I couldn't believe it.

There he was, a little white face, black nose, and dark, curious eyes. It was the exact dog that we had talked about POSSIBLY getting. Apparently, the puppy was supposed to be going home with another family, but they had to back out at the last minute. Now, this little dude was ready to be brought home as early as this weekend.

All I could do was laugh. The persistence of my kids finally paid off. My wife and I agreed to take the plunge.

So I guess I'm becoming a dog owner for the very first time in my life.