Charles Vincent Furlo

After our dachshund, Vinnie, passed away in December, our house felt empty. I thought that over time, we’d adjust, but it never really happened. So, after a few months, we began discussing the possibility of getting a new dog.

Then, one day during Spring Break, we took a family hike and walked 7 miles! We realized that in Vinnie’s prime, the furthest he walked was 3 miles (technically, two blocks shy of 3 miles, and I’d carry him the last little bit). So we started talking about different types of dogs beyond the short-legged wonder.

But we liked the smaller size... so what to do?

Well, we discovered the Canoe Labrador. They’re British Labs that are bred to be a smaller size (35-50 lbs) — to jump in and out of a canoe without capsizing it. As someone who grew up with Labs, I immediately like the idea. The only catch? There aren’t many breeders, and the one we liked was based in Tennessee!

Talking with the breeder, it turned out she had family in Montana and was willing to meet us there. So, we bought plane tickets, and six weeks later (after he was big enough), we met her in the parking lot at Billings Airport and said hello to our new family member: Charles Vincent Furlo (Chuck, for short).

I realize we spent more on a pet (including plane tickets) than seems reasonable. But Vinnie was an absolute joy, we have particular tastes, and we know he’ll be around for many years. Therefore, the cost seems worthwhile to us. Additionally, there are other areas where we don’t spend much (such as on cars), which allows us to afford such indulgences.

In the weeks leading up to getting him, I’ve never seen our family more unified in our excitement about something. Every night we prayed for him. Everyone helped prepare the house, including fixing a section of the fence.

And now he’s here! So exciting!

One interesting observation: when we got Vinnie, it was just Jessi and me, and I worked from home. So, I spent a significant amount of time alone with Vinnie, and we were best buds. Even when the kids came along, I remained top dog as it were.

This time around is different because the kids are on summer break. So they’re spending A LOT more time with Chuck than I am. Plus, the people working at the kennel were all females, so he’s a bit startled (intimidated?) by me. But he’ll come around, especially in the fall when everyone else is gone.

Here he is thanking Elinor for the blanket she crocheted for him.