I think we're going to get a dog.

Nick's uncle just called him at work. He's got a dog that he loves, but he travels for work a lot, and is starting to feel like he can't give Cocoa the love he needs.  Or, rather the attention. Uncle Ken has always been a dog guy. He's a bachelor, and his dogs have always been his 'kids'.

He had to have one put down over the summer, right around the time we moved into the house, because of health problems (he as 13 years old), and that left him with just Cocoa, who he'd decided would be his last dog. Cocoa is 6 years old, and a medium dog, about 70 pounds.

We have never seen her- his Uncle lives in Detroit, we live in Lansing. He's going to send pictures, and he's already said he'll cover the costs of all shots, and medical upkeep over the years, so that's one expense we won't have to worry about.

The dog came from a family with kids and cats, so the dog is used to both (though it's been a few years since he's been around either, so that might be a problem), but the kittens have never been around dogs. Now, when we adopted them, they were each given an evaluation by the vets, and by the workers at the clinic, and by the people who foster cared for them, and each one lists them as "Will be good with dogs", so it might be all right.

Uncle Ken also said that if for whatever reason, it's not working out, he'll take Cocoa back. We know him well enough to know that while he might feel he's not being attentive enough, his dogs have always been his life. Heck, they are used to getting steak dinners once a week, and are just adored by him, so we have a feeling he's probably still giving Cocoa a lot of love and attention.

For his travels for work, it's usually just day trips (he's a salesman). The dog is indoor/outdoor, which would be the same here. An indoor dog that goes out to play and go to the bathroom. I wouldn't leave him outside at night, though.

The potential work involved is daunting, but we both know what goes into having a dog. I had them all the time growing up. We're not 100% sure yet, but we're thinking of taking on the task, but waiting until after Christmas, since we have a few weekends between now and then where we won't be home for a day or two at a time.

It could be a nice late Christmas gift for the kids.