Meet Howard

Howard Bucket Vance

{August 10, 2012 -- the day Patrick brought him home.}

 

It's still funny to me that Patrick Vance has a dog. If you'd told me last year that we would have a dog, I wouldn't have believed it. Sometimes I still don't believe it, but then I see him chewing another sock or ripping the stuffing out of one of William's beloved stuffed animals and then I realize that it's not just a dream. It's true! In fact, all of the stuff people tell you about puppies turns out to be true. They are busy, playful, active, chewers that need to go outside {a lot} to walk and be trained and even go out during the night to use the bathroom. This particular one eats bugs, tending to favor cicadas and crickets. And it's gross and I don't like taking broken wings and crunchy pieces out of his mouth. 

But he's woven his way into our hearts and into our family. I love watching my boys love him. Henry is so kind and tender toward him and William is his constant companion. They both offer to help walk him and scoop food into his dish. I like that having Howard is teaching them responsibility and empathy and kindness. Howie helps them love and care for something other than always thinking of their needs first. Of course, they are children and their needs will always come first to us {we haven't become the crazy dog people yet}, but I like that having a dog helps them learn selflessness. 

I'm still not completely savvy in the dog community and got scolded on one walk for not letting Howard sniff another pet owner's dog. "Smelling butts is their way of shaking hands" she told me. But we are doing this whole dog thing our own way, and I love having a sweet puppy in our family.