How Booster Became a Wilson

The story of how Booster came into our lives will go down in the annuals of Wilson history as just plain funny. Thirty years from now, we'll be sitting around with our children's children and start off with, "Remember that time we couldn't adopt a homeless dog?" We'll all laugh and then one of the boys (all grown up at this time) will wistfully say, "Yeah, but we ended up with Booster and he was the best dog ever..."


Patrick and I never had a dog before kids because our lives were so busy, we knew it would not be fair to the dog. Once we started having kids (and they started asking for a dog) we lived in a house with a postage stamp sized yard, and we didn't think that would be fair to the dog either. But! The instant we decided to move to the country we started thinking about dogs... No dog has been more researched. After six months of research we decided the Labrador Retriever was best. Really? Six months of research and we end up going with the most popular breed in America? It was kind of anti-climatic.


So how does one go about getting a lab? A puppy was not an option. I have three boys, age five and under with a baby due this Summer. I do not need to add training a puppy to the mix. We didn't want to just go to the pound and pick out a dog. I'm all for rescuing shelter dogs, but not when I have a two-year-old whose face is right at teeth level and no guarantee that the dog would be okay with him. So... that left us with a Lab Rescue. These dogs are in "foster homes" so they are well known. They were just as concerned with where their dogs went as were about the dog that came into our home. So after finding a rescue that was okay with us having young kids...

I filled out a lengthy application.
We did a phone interview.
We had a home visit.
And then we were told we couldn't have one of their dogs?

Huh?! The reason was because we planned to "keep the dog in a confined area" whereas their dogs needed to be fully integrated into the family and should be allowed to watch TV with us and sleep in our rooms, if not our beds. Yes, they actually said that. The confined area they were referring to is our very large mudroom and kitchen. Our thinking was that with small kids crawling everywhere, we just did not want to deal with the mess of dog hair everywhere. (If you have an indoor dog, there is dog hair all over your house. You won't convince me otherwise...) I understood where the rescue was coming from, but I also pointed out we have 13 acres of free range, rabbits galore for chasing, three rambunctious boys dying to have a dog and the fact our entire family is home all day, plus with us homeschooling, the day will not come that our kids are gone all day. After talking to another rescue they were okay with our situation, it would just be a matter of finding the right dog for it.

I was really heartbroken. I know it sounds silly in the grand scheme, but we were praying hard for a dog. Every night, the boys prayed for their dog. And in all the researching and getting ready for one to be in our family, I remembered all the pets in my growing up years and it brought back many fond memories. I actually cried when the rescue denied us. I felt lost at where else to look. In my mind, a puppy or shelter still were not options.

Then someone suggested I try Craigslist where people "re-home" their pets for a small fee. I typed in "lab" and up popped Booster. A 3-year-old lab/golden retriever mix. He belonged to a family with six kids. They were needed to re-home him because of neighbor issues. After talking with them, we felt comfortable with the issues and scheduled a meeting. They brought him over on a Saturday morning. It was a perfect fit. They left him with us that day and now Booster is part of our family.



And the coolest thing? Booster belonged to their 8-year-old daughter. When they realized they would need to get rid of him, she started praying he would go to a family with little kids who lived on a farm. Proof God cares about even the simplest of prayers.


And... Booster pretty much has free access to the entire house. Yes, we went soft! He has to endure daily brushings. I always tell him, "If you're going to be an indoor dog, you got to get brushed." But it's really because he is so well-behaved. Doesn't jump on us or furniture. He confines himself mostly to our dining room/entrance area. He does come lay in the boys' bedroom when we are saying good night and tucking them in.


He is incredibly gentle. The boys lay all over him. He lays down next to the table when we eat, but never begs. He quickly learned Caleb was the one who drops the most food so that's who he lays next to!

He is well-loved.

The boys bring out their "lovies" (blankets and stuffed animals) and drape him with them.

He loves to go for walks and is great on a leash.

And yes, there is dog hair in our house now. It just means we vacuum a lot more and have the added chore of brushing him daily. But you sacrifice for family members, right?