I prefer to adopt older dogs because I don't have the time or energy to deal with housebreaking a puppy. If I met your dog, I would not adopt him for the following reasons: 1. I don't know if he gets along with other pets. You have other pets and there must be a reason this dog is outside while your kids are inside. I assume that it is because you do not trust him with your kids. If you don't trust him with your kids, I sure as heck am not going to trust him with mine. 2. I am over housebreaking adult dogs. All my dogs were rescued as adults, one was an outdoor dog all her life (6-8 years) and she was VERY difficult to housetrain. If I wanted to deal with housebreaking a dog, I'd get an 8 week old puppy. 3. He may be destructive in the house. My Tatyana was nicely housebroken by her foster mom, and got along great with her other Husky friends, their cats, and even their children. But she didn't get along with being left alone, and destroyed several rugs and 2 pieces of furniture. I want to know the dog has at least some manners in a house. If all those other conditions were met, I wouldn't mind the jumping thing. That's easy to train. But not in addition to housebreaking, possibly not getting along with other dogs, and possibly being destructive. I know you think the dog would be fine in the house but there's no proof of that. I don't have a fenced yard so if he wasn't fine in the house I'd be screwed. That's just my own situation. Obviously if someone wanted an outdoor dog, he'd be fine, especially if they didn't have kids or other pets. The dogs that get adopted the fastest are the ones that don't have any issues and that appeal to the greatest number of people. There are several things about this dog that eliminate potential adopters from wanting him. The more you can correct, the better chance he has on being adopted.

It is possible for females to bond closely, however. Decades ago, I had a female named Tempest who I raised from kittenhood. Although Tempest eventually (and much to her initial displeasure) had to learn to live with other cats, she never bonded with any until I took her into my marriage with me as an "only cat". We rescued an unrelated female kitten shortly thereafter. I don't know what it was about Pea that appealed to Tempest (Pea was always an extremely disagreeable feline), but she took Pea under her wing. Tempest and Pea were closely bonded for the remainder of Tempest's life ... many years into Pea's adulthood. Once Tempest passed, Pea never made even the slightest attempt to bond with another cat for the rest of her nearly 23 yrs. In fact, she made her intolerance of the other cats that came into our family very, very clear up until the day she died. Come to think of it, I did adopt a typically rowdy male kitten sometime during Tempest and Pea's adulthood. He was accidentally killed by one of our dogs within a couple of weeks, but while he was with us, T & P both hated him with a passion. My current three littermates (females) and their male cousin don't have similar relationships, either, despite the fact that they are all blood-related and were raised together as one litter. Two of the sisters and the male are all closely bonded, but the third sister only enjoys the company of one of her other sisters. You just never know how any two individual cats are going to relate to each other. Laurie

Lovin what is happening with the thick posts. Adding a railing is also a very doable option. I particularly love how the posts thicken up at the bottom. Very grounding! And that's the thing with foundation planting - it really grounds the house. (I have to figure that out at my own house now that my house has new siding, doors, windows.) It's really fine that you don't know how to do that. GW has some great forums with folks who would be more than glad to help you figure out some low maintenance, substantial scrubs/plantings for around the foundation. You can also just look around your neighborhood/town at what people have done. Pay attention to their choice in shrubs and make sure you are seeing mature plants so you can figure out placement. It makes a TON of difference. And, for the second time in 5 minutes, I'm with pfmastin. I still really prefer the current paint color and brick. I like it light. It's really just such a good, fresh look! That being said, I know you were disappointed from the beginning with it and taste is taste. Would you consider just going with a creme with an undertone that takes you from the yellow if that is what is bothering you? Be careful with tans and beiges, or you can end up with a bandaid/pinky tone. IMHO, neutral and earthy, grayed out tones are good for the bones of a house. Punches of color can be added in porch furniture, front doors, plantings, pots, shutters, etc...

My first question is: Do you really want a puppy? A positive reason for getting one is that maybe now you are retired and have the time to devote to a puppy - they require a lot of care and attention, just like human babies. So if you are home all day anyway, that could be good. The negatives are that puppies grow quickly into young energetic hyperactive ill-disciplined dogs. They will require a lot of exercise, unless you get something squat like a bulldog. They will also need a lot of training, otherwise they get out of hand quickly. Do you like to hike? Go for long walks and explore outside of your neighborhood? If so then you can handle a teenage dog. If you spend most of your days inside, on the other hand, you might not be the best home for a young dog with lots of energy. In that case you would be setting the dog up for misbehavior. This is why older dogs are often a good match for older owners. They are happy with a walk around the block twice a day and being in your company the rest of the time. But if a puppy is the right match for you, then I say go for it. Now, you need to find a good breeder. Here is the quick way to determine if you are talking with a responsible breeder. If you walk in the door and they are willing to sell the dog, then they are not a good breeder. If the dog is simply inventory to be moved, then you want to move on. For a responsible breeder, placing the dog is more like an adoption process. They will want to know about you, your lifestyle, your home and yard, and your experience with dogs. My first breeder turned me down after I met with her and the dog. She didn't think I was the right person for that dog. I was willing to put down $2000 and she said "no". That's the difference between a responsible breeder and someone who is breeding dogs for profit. I hope that helps. What kind of dog do you want to get?