Bringing Home Jersey ~ How Our Puppy Got His Name

 

Prepare to have your heart strings pulled…. but it a totally cute way.

 

I watched this A Boy and His Dog Duck. IAMS. Good for Life video,  for the first time last night and instantly I was like awwww. In it, I saw my youngest son. He will be this boy in this video or at least I can see him becoming him, growing as our puppy grows.

 

Bringing home Jersey

It was two years ago this month, when we brought home our family dog. My youngest was 4 years old, not too much older than the child in this IAMS video.  Like the boy, my son fell in love with our golden retriever puppy within minutes.

 

 

Me, I was still on the fence. I didn’t grow up with dogs. My only childhood pets were fish and birds. I wasn’t sure I would be up for all the work that a dog would entail. But my husband wanted a dog. Unlike me he had always had his own dog. His best friend growing up was his golden retriever, Rusty. He had been itching for a dog for years and now with my children begging for their own and all of them being older and out of the crawling stage, I was running out of excuses to getting one.

 

In July of 2013, I caved. We drove up to Pennsylvania to a farm that breeds dogs in the country to pick out and bring home our dog. I remember being there on the farm and walking around to see all the new puppies. My three boys were over the moon excited to finally be getting a puppy. While all the puppies there were adorable, one named Kam stood out. We took some time playing with him, getting acquainted with him and him us, and taking a picture for our Facebook family, before we had to place him in the crate for the long ride home.

 

https://www.facebook.com/JerseyFamilyFun/photos/a.10151640319245745.1073741898.71658875744/10151669821910745/?type=1

 

During the ride home we debated what we would name our little puppy. One of the bribes I was offered for finally agreeing to a puppy was that I would get naming rights. My husband likes to claim he came up with the names for our 3 boys (and I let him believe that). Now was to be my turn to name a new member of our family. My boys weren’t happy, they wanted to keep him Kam. I, on the other hand, was in favor of the name Jersey. I mean after all New Jersey has been my home for 30 years. I did start Jersey Family Fun. The name Jersey seemed only natural. The ride home the debate went back and forth.

 

 

Even as we let ‘Jersey’ get out to stretch his legs and make a pit stop at the Deptford exit off of 42 the boys were trying to persuade me to stick with Kam. I made have pulled out a few mommy drama moments, but eventually they relented. I got my way and it wasn’t long before Jersey became a regular part of our family.

 

Not a day goes by when my littlest boy isn’t loving on his puppy, much as I imagine the child in the video loved on his dog, Duck. Jersey gets hugs goodbye before we go anywhere and welcome back hugs when we return. With three boys, Jersey gets cuddles and wrestling time every day and in his own way he’s taking care of my boys. What he gives my boys is hard to explain or be measured. There is a joy in their life that can’t be replaced and it’s why we are so careful to make sure we are feeding Jersey properly because he is a part of our lives and we want our boys to have that joy as long as possible.

 

IAMS™ ProActive Health™ products for dogs are one way Duck, Jersey, and dogs like them can stay healthy, active, and keep up with our energetic kids.

• IAMS™ products are fortified with essential minerals to help build strong bones.
• They’re also enriched with antioxidants to help develop a strong immune system and build strong, firm muscles with protein sourced from chicken and egg.
• Dogs stay vibrant and active because IAMS™ products are based on years of research and dedication to the health of pets.
• The IAMS™ Brand is dedicated to being a key component to helping enhance dogs’ health at every life stage, allowing pet owners to savor the special relationships they build with their dogs throughout life.
• IAMS™ believes that the right diet can do amazing things for pets, including boosting immunity, helping to maintain muscle, helping to promote healthy digestion and reducing tartar buildup. Not to mention a healthy dog won’t mind running with, chasing after, and tumbling around with 3 energetic boys.
• IAMS™ products are available for purchase now at mass retailers and pet stores nationwide.

 

Consider choosing IAMS™ products to keep your family dog healthy. For more information visit www.iams.com, www.facebook.com/Iams or www.twitter.com/IAMS.

 

Now that we’ve shared how Jersey got his name. Tell us how your dog got his/her name. Tell us your story of bringing home your family pet.

 

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.