There was once a boy whose dad died when the boy was just 12. There was no money in the family and his mom had to go out and work and raise the boy and his 9-year old brother. The boy’s older brother came home one day with a Labrador Retriever pup. He thought the boy and his brother needed a dog. Then the older brother moved away and just the three of them were left with this dog. The boy loved the dog but knew nothing about how to train it, and a Lab being a Lab soon got into a lot of mischief. He chased cars, ripped out screen doors, jumped up on visitors, knocked down little children, barked all the time, dug holes in the garden and made a mess in the house. It was too much for the mother and after a time it was decided to give the dog to a family that could take better care of it, which made the boy sad. When he grew up and became a man, he vowed there would never be another dog in his house. Too much mess, too much heartache, he thought. Then the man had his first son, a good boy with a big heart. He asked “Can I have a dog?” But the man was young and his wife worked, and there would be no one around to be responsible for a dog. “No,” the man said. “That can’t be. No one could take care of it. And besides, I don’t like dogs.” So there was no dog. Later in life, the man remarried, and he had another son. And one day the boy asked, “Can I have a dog?” And again, the man said no, “I don’t like dogs.” And that was that. But after a while the man had another son, and when this boy got older he also asked, “Can I have a dog?” And again the man said no, and that was that. And although the boy never asked again, the man noticed something different about this little boy. The boy had a boundless love for animals. He took care of the neighbor’s dog while they went on vacation, read books about dogs, and impressed the man with his kindness to others and interest in all living things. And the man felt sorry for the little boy, because his older brother had gone away to college and often the boy was lonely. And so one day, this “hardhearted” old man caved in and said to his wife, “Let’s get the boy a dog,” and so they went to the internet and conducted searches, and asked questions and made up their minds, then they visited a breeder and bought a little pup. And next week the man will take his little boy to the breeder and pick up the pup, and all the family will cry with joy as they bring home their new little Sheltie, and the man will learn once again how to love a dog and watch his heart melt.

awww, that's the sweetest thing Ribs. That little Sheltie even makes you look good! maybe this should be entitled 'melting an old curmudgeon's heart' - ya big ol softie you!!

You ole' dog you! You made me cry . . . . What will this boy name this adorable puppy??

He doesn't know anything about it yet Mary. We're picking him up from school and telling his we're taking him on a "Surprise Ride". And it will be his choice on the name. We think Brinkley would be a good name, or maybe Huntley. (But it's a female, so I guess not.) Spareribs

I am typing this as tears are spilling over my keyboard. Melitng an old man's heart has to become a book, please, oh please send this to a publisher so others can te touched as well.

Well, I didn't cry, but certainly felt the tug at the heartstrings. I wish you all the joy of your new addition to the family, Ribs.

FANTASTIC!!! Karin

Great story and you really don't fool any of us with this curmudgeon act. You are a softie (like a lot of us on this thread). On a side note.....puppies are great "chick magnet" material and I think you are exploiting the poor puppy just to get on the good side of these goddesses. You need to know that NO ONE is looking at anything in that picture other than the puppy. I hardly noticed the magnets on your fridge, or the flower centerpiece on the table, of the ceramic animals on the top shelf. etc. Thanks for a great story! Joey

Great story - and yes, it made me tear up too. The picture is so sweet, and what an adorable puppy. And just as Joey said, I didn't notice anything else except you and then the puppy - I had to scroll back to see the magnets, etc. Dogs can so become part of a family and can be loved greatly. Search "Skidboot" on google, and watch the whole video about how that dog and his owner work together. Skidboot is more than just a trick dog. Yes, show us a picture of your son with the puppy and let us know what he names her. : )