Meet Harley

 Anyone who really knows me, knows that I have wanted a dog for a long time.  When my family got a dog (after I had moved out), I would go home just to visit the dog.  Sometimes I get lonely and many times I have thought about getting a dog.  Typically, I realized that I was too busy, lived somewhere that would not allow pets, or just overall needed to take care of myself and not a dog.  I have been looking at dogs online of the past few weeks.  I felt like I really wanted to get one.  I was looking at rescue website and the animal human society website.  There are so many dogs out there who are older that need homes and many more people who want puppies, so I decided to go with an older dog.
Last night, since I didn't have any big plans that evening (I rarely do), I headed out to do errands and thought I would run over to the Animal Human Society here in Golden Valley (a neighboring city).  I walked in and was in love with so many of the dogs.  There was the cutest American Bulldog there.  She reminded me of "Return to Me".  I love that movie, but the dog had so much energy and was chewing like crazy on my hand.  I thought, this dog will chew up my house.  I kept coming back to this sweet black lab.  Who would gently come up to the front of his kennel and sit patients will you scratched behind his ears.  I took him into a visitation room and he just wanted to cuddle or play fetch with a tennis ball.  He was so sweet.  I knew that he just needed to come home with me.  So, I came out the Animal Human Society the owner or a sweet boy.
His name is Harley.  All that I really know about him is that he is a lab mix.  He came here to MN on a puppy train.  That means that another shelter in Alabama had too many animals, so they brought many of them up here to MN.  I was told he came with a group of 59 other dogs.  I guess that means he might be a University of Alabama fan, "Roll Tide," right Will?  I was a little worried about how he would handle all of the construction and things without homes in my house, but he has been a champion.  He only plays with the toys that I bought for him.  I got him a crate, which he refuses to get into.  He slept the night on my couch.  He can't go up my stairs, they are too slippery and steep.  This means that he will be living on the main floor.  The picture above shows a line where is gentle guide leash rubbed against the hair under his eyes.

 The following is the list of stuff I have figured out (I decided that if parents can do this for their kids, I can do it for my dog):

• He doesn't bark at anything (I don't even know if he can bark)
• He only eats and drinks if I am not in the kitchen where the bowls are at
• He only sleeps on the couch
• He is social, he loves other dogs and children
• He is overweight.  He needs to lose about 15 pounds
• He knows sit, stay, go, up
• He loves his walks...although they end up more like runs
• He loves, loves, loves to be scratched and petted
• He loves to fetch tennis balls.  He brings them back, but he gets so excited that sometimes it is difficult to get it out of his mouth
• He has one little twinkle toe (it is golden)
• He has an ear infection that I am treating with antibiotics
• He is very calm.  He does not jump up on people or counters.
• So far no accidents in the house, although I don't know how he tells me that he needs to go outside.
• He enjoys watching people out the windows, but mostly just follows me around.

•  He has lovely brown eyes

And here is a photo of his extra weight.  I guess I don't get to sit on the couch anymore.