We bought a dog

I don’t do things in halves, I’ve decided. This month I’ll turn the ripe old age of 32, move house, take a week in The Great Barrier Reef and I’ll meet my new puppy dog.

I’ve wanted a dog forever. We always had them as kids. Sometimes more than one. Once we even had 3. I love them. I begged Hubby for a dog, but instead we got a bird.

As soon as the ink had dried on our house contract I Googled for puppy dogs. I knew which breed I wanted {chocolate labrador} and I emailed two breeders near where we were moving. The next day one of the breeders got back to me and said that the mother had just given birth around the same time I’d sent my email. Fate!

She sends me photo updates and tells me how they’re doing. They’re doing well, for the record. So is their mama. That is our puppy girl in the photo with her sister. So so cute.

We still haven’t decided on a name. Bronte is the front runner. It’s the suburb next to us right now and the name will remind us of ‘home’.

Do you have any other suggestions? Do you have any pets? What are their names?

92 thoughts on “We bought a dog”

  2. ahhh…what a cute dog!! I love dogs!! I have 2 yorkie girls called Rakker & Dina, I have a cat called “sprokkel” 4 guinea pigs called Fred, Wouter, Rex & Toos a bird called Roepie and 2 rabbits called Nijn & Spruitje 🙂

  3. Those babies are adorable! And I think it's a great addition to a new home.

    We only have cats now, as our last dog (a Sheltie) passed on last year. Now that our son is grown and moved away, and since my husband doesn't care for indoor pets, it seemed unfair to get another dog, knowing that we wouldn't spend the time with it that would be deserved. (Our cats are also outdoor pets–just one step shy of feral, really–but they don't mind being ignored. I think they might actually prefer it.)

    Still, I've always loved dogs, and I miss having one of the critters around.

  4. Congratulations! A dog is such an enrichment for life! I have a border collie, her name is Ghwyny and I had a collie cross,Jamie. He was the most wonderful creature you can imagine and when he died 3 month ago he left me heartbroken.
    I wish you luck with your little puppy!
    If you have the chance, go to a dog class, it helps a lot and is fun!

  6. So cute! Love Bronte as the name!
    We have 2 cats that we rescued from the RSPCA. They're sisters; Cleo and Roxy 🙂

  9. Bronte for sure! So excited for you 🙂
    I'd love another dog but hubby says no 🙁
    I remember Deefa, she was a cool dog. Plenty of fun times ahead with your new pup…enjoy!
    Jay xxx

  10. i want one too….but my dear man doesn't seem to think that it would be a good idea….how cute!!!!Enjoy…and we expect a lot of pictures!!!

  11. Aaaaawww! Check those wrinkles, to cute!!
    About 1,5 year ago, on a sunday morning, while eating breakfast, i had a brilliant idea; LET'S HAVE A DOG!
    I started searching the internet for french bulldog puppies and saw a pic with 2 of the cutest wrinkled thingies!
    Without talking it over with hubby i called the owners and they invited us over to check out the little thingies!
    Hubby didn't completely agreed on it, but he got along with me.

    They had a boy and a girl, we wanted a girl.
    There she came, wrapped in a towel, smaller than my hand, the cutest little wrinkled sweetie we've ever seen!
    From the moment we laid eyes on her, we were in love!
    She was only 2 weeks then!
    Got to take her home when she was 11 weeks old
    and till this day never regret 🙂

  12. We have always been dog people and we are looking after a couple of lovely fellas at the moment until a new home is found for them. Mr Nearly 3 has started referring to them as 'my dogs' and when they depart for their new home (probably sometime this week) I think they are going to leave behind a broken heart! I wish we could keep them but they are too big for our very tiny little back area 🙁

  14. weird…….we share a birthday and with all the dogs to choose from we also choose the same dog. I have always wanted a chocolate labrador but my husband is not a dog person and we live in the town. Have a very happy birthday and have fun

  15. weird…….we share a birthday and with all the dogs to choose from we also choose the same dog. I have always wanted a chocolate labrador but my husband is not a dog person and we live in the town. Have a very happy birthday and have fun

  16. Forgot a name; our babe's calles Roxy 🙂
    Searched for names on the internet and with every name looked at the pic, to see if she was a…….
    And she sure is/was a Roxy 🙂

  17. Oh you are so going to love your life changes.
    I would not ever be able to live without a dog, and labradors are just so special. Beware though they take 2.5 years to get out of their puppy destructive, chewing, stage. We had to put our 13 year old yellow labbie down in February and we miss her dreadfully, even though we have 6 other dogs. I occassionally breed Cairn Terriers and we have 3 girls and one boy of them and then we have 2 German Shepherd Guard dogs ( a neccessity in our neighbourhood) and ours have a very similar nature to the Labrador, which I believe has far more to do with the owners than the breed! The names, Our oldest cairn bitch is Teddy, her daughter is Jaller(after a lego bionicle) and her 2 pups Jake and Bella. Our old beautiful Lab was called Sally after the mother dog in the kid's books -Spot. A labbie will follow you everywhere and they are just so loving. My kids keep begging me for another. In her day she was also a terrific Guard dog until she got to about age 8 and went a bit deaf. She put plenty off visitors back in their cars and looked far more ferocious than she actually was. Suited me just fine.

  18. We just got a dog too! A puppy – a maltese shih tzu cross, he's white and he's adorable!!!! The kids are loving having a pet (again), so hence he's very spoilt! He's a loving little puppy and fits in so well with our crew. We sure picked a good one. They are such great companions and loyal friends, forever! Labradors are amazing! You'll have a long and happy relationship and she'll be your buddy for years to come! (A friend has two and they are divine!)

  19. A dog is next on our list now we've settled into our new home. And I would just love a chocolate lab too. Gorgeous. However, my kiddos have fallen in love with the Boston Terrier so I may have a battle on my hands. These pups are just lovely.

  20. Bronte sounds like a perfect name. Congratulations, Chantelle! I wanted a dog forever, and we got a bird first, too! Our dog is a black spoodle called Coco and she is a fantastic member of the family – very tolerant of all the “loving” treatment she gets from the small one. Hubby has finally warmed up to her. He was resistant to getting a dog due to caring responsibilities – poo collection, washing, feeding, walking,etc. Since I do all that, he is free to just love her. If you change your mind about the name Bronte, you could always use Cocoa 😉

  21. I love chocolate labs! It's my favorite breed. I am only waiting for my old man doggie to live a nice long senior's life. He's deaf as a post and that's gotten him kind of unpredictable. Plus, his breed is aggressive so I don't want him teaching a new one bad manners. We'll wait until the end before adding to the family again. But right now I feel like we're running an old folks home for animals with an old dog, and old cat and quite a few very old horses!

    Enjoy and congrats!

  22. Wonderful Telle, the dog will grow with Lacey and she is old enough to help look after the puppy. Love the name Bronte – that's what our golden retriever is called.

  23. GORGEOUS. Lacey must be beside herself with excitement.
    We have two dogs, a black pug called Indie, but her nickname is Beyonce because she is a total diva. And Cooper who is a pug x shitzu, he's the rascal. The are both awesome, Sadie is always trying to lure them into her cubby or make them be horses and they just go with the flow, although on more than one occasion as the back door has opened I've seen Indie run for cover. So much fun. Enjoy

  25. eeeekkkkkk! so cute!!! dogs are wonderful! and pups do such funny things I look forward to getting blog updates about her shinanigans! as for the name.. how about naming her after the suburb next door to where your new home will be!? I know Bronte will remind you of “home” but “home” really is where the heart is, where your loved ones are 🙂 and this is a fresh new start with big open spaces.. spaces big enough for baby chocolate labs!!! YaY

  28. I love chocolate Labs, they're wonderful pets. My first, Lindy, wanted nothing more than to please me. She was the BEST DOG EVER. And I never thought I could have another dog after she died. It took three years, but now we have Hershey, whose mother was a chocolate Lab but we're not so sure about the dad. She looks exactly like a chocolate Lab except she's shorter and only weighs about 40 pounds. And she, too, is the BEST DOG EVER! (She was my subject for the May 15 photoaday.) Personally, I think Bronte sounds like a boy's name, but you must name her something that fits for you and your family. She's adorable, and I hope she's your best dog ever. Until the next one.

  29. A-dorable!!! You're going to have sooo much fun caring for that little one! I'm sure you'll have many a tale to tell about is too!

    Nice name.

    My dog was called Emma! Person names for dogs make me laugh, like Dave or something.

    But for a chocolate labrador (Emma was Golden) I like Bailey because of Bailey's, which is lovely with chocolate!

  30. V-V-cute!! I love how you have projects. I'm such a projects person too, but sadly at the moment, I don't have one and it's killing me. This year my projects have been:
    *buy a new car – CHECK!
    *go to Noosa for Easter – CHECK!
    *organise boyfriend's 30th party – CHECK!
    *organise boyfriend's suprise trip away for birthday – CHECK!
    Now i'm stuck, i need a new project, I wish my project could be chocolate labradors, but in a small Sydney apartment, I don't think that's going to work. Any ideas people?!

  32. Aren't they gorgeous! I love dogs but living in a unit meant I couldn't get one. Instead I have 2 kitties… Pebbles who I adopted from a vet at 8 weeks and Buttons who I adopted from a rescue group at 16 weeks. Never thought I'd be a cat person until I met Pebbles though…and both my bubs are very dog-like in nature. They follow me around and wait to greet me when I'm home…

    Bronte is a lovely name! Looking forward to seeing pics when you finally get her later this month!

  34. What cute puppies! My husband and I have two yellow labs … and I must say they are the best dogs ever!!! Ellie is our girl, and she is 3 years old and Max is our boy and he is a year and a half. They make the worst days better!! Enjoy your new puppy!

  35. That's funny, we have a chocolate lab (Downtown Otis Brown) and I have a sister named Bronte. 🙂 Labs are the BEST kid dogs ever!! Have fun, she will be a puppy until she's 5!

  38. I have just bought a chocolate lab, his name is Rigby and he is 8 weeks old. They are beautiful dogs and *touch wood* he has been very well behaved and his training is coming along nicely.

    Cheers
    K

    ps. love the name Bronte!

  39. Yay for you! We just bought a chocolate lab puppy too! A boy that our kids have called Milo Chocolate Cocopops Robinson! (Milo for short)! We love him!

  42. She is gorgeous!! I love Labs and Retrievers. We bought a white Golden Retriever pup nearly 12 years ago, who we love to deat. We named him Orson after an extraordinary dog in a book written by Dean Koontz. 🙂

  43. Congratulations! Love the name Bronte. Dogs are a great addition to a family. We have a girl dog named Lexi and a new boy puppy named Cody.

  44. That's awesome! We have two dogs, Lucy and Rex. I too have always had dogs all of my life. Can't wait to hear and see more!

  45. So cute :)))

    I have a yellow lab called Daisy and a black lab cross called Charlie. Both are really good with our children but omg at 4 and 5 years old they are still like crazy puppies lol

  46. We had a big mean rottweiler named Huggy. He actually wasn't mean but he was big and a softy. Loved other animals and loved my girls he was so protective of them that he wouldn't let puppies near them.

  47. I have a cat called JellyBean that I got off a Facebook page. She was photographed in a basket with her cute siblings, and a handful of Jellybeans. I was so focused on the cute kittens I didn't even notice the lollies until someone pointed them out.

    That's how she became JellyBean.

  48. I have a cat called JellyBean that I got off a Facebook page. She was photographed in a basket with her cute siblings, and a handful of Jellybeans. I was so focused on the cute kittens I didn't even notice the lollies until someone pointed them out.

    That's how she became JellyBean.

  49. naww cute, I Grew up with a golden lab called Lucy. My best friend!we Got her when i was 5 but she had to be put down when i was 19 🙁 Felt like i lost my sister! lol

    We just got a pup a few weeks ago, She is a great dane called Minnie (Named by Master 5 but quite fitting) She is just awesome except she pulls all my washing off the line when i have to go out >:O … But she is just too gorgeous to mind… Most of the time.

  50. What a big step for your little family! Very exciting. I must say we are a bit of a lost dogs home, we seem to just 'acquire' them along the way :p When we first moved in together (and to the country) we adopted a highly excitable 3 year old Kelpie cross, 'Buddy', from friends farmer husband who was going to shoot him. Then we looked after the gorgeous 'Lily' Border Collie cattle dog when my husbands boss went on holidays…the delightful man that he was decided he didn't want gorgeous Lily anymore so Lily stayed! Lucky us. But I still wanted a 'house dog' not a working dog, so we got my Tessa, my baby! BUT…Buddy turned out to be not much chop in the paddock (surprise surprise) and Lily was getting a bit long in the tooth (bless her) – hubby needs a new up and coming working dog, a succession plan, so six months after Tess arrived her 'sister' Pippa arrived to join the family. A pedigree Kelpie, magnificent working dog and my husband's 'baby'. We were a family! We're now traveling around Australia on our honeymoon and have had to either re-home (Tess and Lily) or sell (Buddy and Pippa…yes Pippa) our beloved dogs. We miss them terribly 🙁

    • Oh and growing up I had a gorgeous golden cocker spaniel called Penny, I still miss her and think about her often. We also had working dogs called Laddie (like Lassie but not…) Rochie and cats called Marmalade and Caught It! because my sister would chase it and catch and yell…yep you guessed it 🙂
      Horses names over the years…Snowy, Nelly, Midnight, Rory, Archie, Ned, Tilly.

  51. Ahhh animal names. I could go on with these for a while, lol.
    We always had a dog when we were kids, first was Jessie, a black lab/kelpie cross and Storm is our current dog. I got her name from a girl I met on a camping holiday with my family (no offence to the girl though). And now we have Maz – a lost little kitten we found at my cousin's wedding. She was trapped in the engine bay of my aunt's Mazda, hence the name.

    Good Luck choosing a name, she looks like a beautiful little puppy

  53. Oh how gorgeous!!! You will love her. I have a chocolate labrador named Merlin and he is the most loving, sweet and sookie dog. He now has a playmate in the form of a German Shepherd puppy named Ziva. We also have a brown Burmese named Noodle, chooks called Rocky and Bullwinkle, cows called Cream, 8 Ball, Magpie, Midnight, Hustler and Eros (the bulls), a calf called Monkey and Fluffy the Koala. Enjoy your beautiful pup and your new home. 🙂

  54. You won't regret it Chantelle. Our Chockie Lab, affectionately known as Wonka and our 'first born,' has been a wonderful friend for eleven years. Energy! Unconditional love. Hair – everywhere and a beautiful understanding of children and adults alike. Enjoy Bronte – you have a way with words (like Charlotte) so it is very appropriate.

  55. Congratulations on your newest family member. My family had a black lab when I was a child. She was a great friend. Now I have two dachshunds. They are named Mazey and Milly.

  58. Oh those puppies are the cutest! We just got a birdie this weekend, and he's still nameless, too. Such fun, though, trying on names for size!

  61. Can live without a dog. We have a brown dog we don't know exactly what sort of dog he is….. We adopted him when he had 10 weeks, he was abandoned with his sisters…. His name is Elios.

  62. I love my puppy dogs!

    I grew up with a Black Lab(Lady) and she died when I was in fourth grade, and then I had a Chocolate Lab(Jack) and she just passed away this past summer. I also had a weim through high school named Sam who died last winter. Right now, I have another weimerainer Cooper at home(I live with my dad&stepmom) and then a beagle at my Mom's. We're getting a golden retriever this summer when my Uncle comes to Minnesota from Colorado for a visit 😀

  63. How exciting! Last month our 13 year old cat Ruby died, so after only 3 weeks of a quiet house, we brought home 2 pups, Lola and Lulu, and a kitten Violet. Not so quiet any more! Enjoy x

  64. We've had cats – Smokey & The Bandit. We now have 2 dogs – a Beagle / Hound rescue mix named Chocobo Bubba-dog (we got him in Georgia, USA), and we also have a beautiful Golden Retriever named Chevy (my husband loves his vehicles). I'm honestly not the greatest on naming… in college, I had a bird that I honestly named “Bird” – yep, “Bird”!

  65. I wrote a blog post about our new puppy recently. Puppy training is a lot harder than I remembered ( I had a dog for 13 years then we were without one for 12 years). I am thrilled with our new fur baby. Naming your pet is such a personal thing. We were throwing all kinds of names around. But we landed on Izzy. I kept asking where is he? Next thing you know he is Izzy. So you never know your new friend may provide you with a name. Hugs and scratches behind the ears for your new friend.

  66. Get TWO labs. We have two black labs. Lola (named for the Sarah Vaughn song “whatever Lola wants' Lola gets) and a black lab rescue named Billie (Holiday dog, because she is from the wrong side of the tracks and lady sings the blues). We got Billie as a companion dog for Lola when Lola was a year old. I know it sounds like crazy time but it is actually easier to have two lab puppies because they play together. Its pretty sweet. Labs are the best. Hugs to you and yours. oxoxox

  67. We had a golden lab growing up who was named Bronte. She was the.best.dog.ever! So much a part of my childhood memories, I still miss her.

  69. Aw! So cute… which is yours? We have 3 wonderful doberman fur-babies: Harley (m/12), Milo (m/4) and Gigi (f/8mo)… best.dogs.ever!

  70. So cute!!!! Bronte sounds perfect you should keep it!
    Its my first comment So ill also Thank you for your work for the challenge and last but not least your photos are amazing and i m happy to follow you here and on instagram!
    Emma From France

  74. awwwwwwww. I am IN LOVE with these puppies. Labs are my absolute faves! Congratulations on all the great things coming your way. For the record, I have 3 dogs, Max, Buddy, and Chip. They are our “kids” for now, until we have real one 🙂

  77. The moment I saw this, I texted my boyfriend (a dog lover), “LET'S BUY A CHOCOLATE LABRADOR!” I just fell in love. I know you also did–with yours. 🙂

    whyyyjen.blogspot.com

  78. I have a yellow lab who I named “Huckleberry” or “Huck” as his everyday name. He's a total goober and I say that he isn't a labrador – but a labra-dork. He's the best thing ever. Even at 4 he's still very much a puppy at heart and has the softest ears and the saddest seal-eyes, ever. Congrats on the newest addition!!

  79. not ver origanal but I like Brownie for a chocolate lab. I'm a baker so that kinda explains that. lol Good luck with naming you new family member. My aunt always said wait to name them for about a week then you know their personality and you can name them better.

  80. Hey, congrats on the puppy. I don't have lab, mainly because I live in an apartment and I didn't want to get a big dog that might need a lot of space, so, after pestering my husband for months, we decided on a basset hound. You know those with the short legs and very long ears, she's so cute, she's my baby. Her name is Moira, an Irish name in honor of where we went on our honeymoon. Regarding suggestions, I don't know if you get the Dog Whisperer over there, if not, go to his website, he has very useful tips like exercise, discipline and affection are his three main techniques. Also I recommend patience, loads of it, especially during potty training je, but most importantly, enjoy your puppy, and don't take anything he might do personal, just be firm, strict and you'll be okay.

  81. Congrats on the new home and the new puppy! We have had a long tradition of naming our dogs after famous cyclists (as in Tour de France). Currently, we have Axel (named for Axel Merckx) and Basso (named for Ivan Basso). Our past dogs include Indy (Miguel Indurain) and Zulle (Alex Zulle)…I apologize if I'm slaughtering the spelling of these names (that's my husband's department). It's very fun! Our newest dog, Axel, was a debate between Finney (Taylor Finney) and Willow (Rockwell)…being a boy, Axel seemed the best fit. Good luck…can't wait to hear your decision!

  82. Congrats, nice looking puppy too. Now the work begins. My advice is as much as you love your dogs like all dog owners do. You have to start laying the foundations early. As this will determine what kind of dog they grow into.

    Make sure that they are obedient and provide them with treats when they do good. It helps get rid of dog problems that tend to turn into a headache when they grow older.

  83. Very cute, love the name Bronte. My parents have a dog and she is called Bondi (We lived there and I grew up there) now they live in Patagonia with Bondi and they also had another dog Coogee who ran away and someone else adopted her thinking she was a nomad dog, and when my mum finally found her decided the family with the kids wanted her so much and were so sad, that she let her go back to the family. Bondi misses Coogee. We are also moving back to a small town in cold Patagonia with the Andes 14 km away and glacial lakes an hour away (this is a big change from the eastern suburbs of Sydney) with my Australian family. I got a job there as a palaeontologist and am freaking out big time!!!!
    Congratulations with Bronte, leaving Bondi and good luck with your new life away from the big smoke of Sydney!

  84. How adorable! I've always wanted a choc lab too! We had a chocolate labradoodle, so cute! Sadly he was bitten by a snake and we lost him recently. (I'm googling lab breeders n Vic now!)

  85. Oh I love him! He's so adorable! You're just going to love hearing that little patter around the house again. I've never had a dog and we got our first one a month ago and {though a lot of work} I've loved every minute of it! He just makes you smile every time you look at that little face! Our little guys name is Jack {yup…after Jack Daniels!}

    xoxo
    peacelovedecor.com

  86. congrats on the new arrival! we have a “blonde” lab named Bundy (after the Bundy Bear)
    My suggestion is to get to the op-shop asap and buy up big on teddy bears, blankets and rubber toys BEFORE he wreaks havoc on all your good stuff! Enjoy him and remember that labs don't grow up, they just get WISER 🙂

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