Life with Gibson // Year One

It’s hard to believe that Gibson has been a part of our lives for a whole year. We brought him home on a Saturday afternoon last January 19th. My parents gave us some money (as an early anniversary present) to be able to get Gibson after we’d went to meet him earlier in the week. I knew that I’d wanted a Mini Schnauzer for a long time…my parents have one named Tucker, and he was a huge part of my teenage years. He still loves it when I come to visit because he gets to sleep on the bed with me. I love that these dogs don’t shed and I enjoy their playful spirits and personalities.

And our Gibson has been no exception. He’s been such a joy to have in our lives and he’s been a constant source of joy for me. There were some hard parts in the beginning (the usual training a puppy part) but it has been so worth it. I just love this little guy.

I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures of him from this last year. I might be a bit biased, but I think he’s just the cutest!

Here are some from the day we met him, when we brought him home and after his very first big-boy hair cut.

We bought Cesar’s “How to raise the perfect dog” book and I think we learned a lot from it. We got a good schedule down for walks and bedtime and spent a lot of time with our puppy. He loves riding in the car. We took him for a couple long Russian service days and he loves to go with me when I  get coffee or rent a movie. He rides either on my lap or with his head on my shoulder so he can see out the front window. Everyone knows him, says hi and gives him cookies.

Gibson also went through this stage where he would sit right on our shoulders. We called him our Parrot Dog. He’s too big now, but I still crack up when I think back on it. I love him when his hair is long and shaggy cuz he looks like more of a puppy…but after he’s groomed he looks like an old man. Still those soulful eyes though. I just love this pup.

And now at a year old Gibson is 15lbs. He recently had the dreaded surgery, but he did really good. He didn’t have to have the “cone of shame” and didn’t lick his stitches much at all. I was pretty proud of him. While he was there the vet also removed what was left of his baby teeth…which was surprisingly most of them. The vet said he’d never seen a puppy with two sets of back molars in at the same time. We used to call him the land shark because he had two sets of teeth.

My favorite thing is when I’m working in my office and he just comes to sit with me. And how happy he gets when I come home. He likes to tell me all about his day. He loves popcorn and tomatoes and any paper products he can get his hands on. He really enjoys having Chris’ parents and their dog Razy living with us. He has a constant play mate and someone always giving him attention. Chris’ mom made him that adorable winter coat. Gibson got his first full Schnauzer hair cut at the groomers in December. Now that the hair has grown out quite a bit I think it looks like he’s wearing a fuzzy sweater backwards. Time to go back I guess. He gets his hair done as much as I do.

I call him “Little One” and “Buppy” (short for baby puppy) and “Booger.” He’s become a really big part of my life and he brings me a lot of smiles and comfort and companionship. I think getting Gibson was one of the best choices we made. He’s been the perfect addition to our little family.

Happy Puppy Anniversary to us!!

Does your family have a pet?
What joys does your pet bring you?