Last year, Heather and I decided that it was time to get our son Ryan, a dog. He had been asking for a dog for a while now. Sadly, it seems that a little orange cat is not enough fun for a rambunctious three-year old. Before I met Heather, I used to have a black Labrador, Schnaaps. Schnaaps was a great dog and the first animal I owned that was properly trained and a really good friend and companion. As a result, all other dogs that I own will be compared to Schnaaps.
When Ryan was born, for a variety of reasons I will not go into, Heather and I knew that he would most likely be an only child. We knew that at some point he would probably end up getting a dog for Ryan to play with and keep him physically safe. Periodically, we discussed different dogs and breeds and we continually returned to the Labrador Retriever.
My sister-in-law purchased her Labrador Retriever from a breeder located just outside Vegas, in the town of Pahrump. Her Labrador, Kane, is a great dog with the perfect temperament for kids. In November 2011, we heard that her breeder had a few dogs available and we decided to stop by on our way home from the Thanksgiving holiday.
Located in Pahrump, Nevada, Allendale Labrador Retrievers is “Code of Ethics breeder with a firm commitment to maintaining the quality of the Labrador Retriever breed without compromise.” We stopped by late on Sunday night to see their dogs and see if they had a dog who would be a fit for our family. The breeder, Linda brought out a young yellow Labrador puppy named Roger. AKC Registered, this dog is named “Allendale’s Roger That” and has a champion bloodline. Regardless of age or pedigree, temperament and intelligence were key for Heather and I. Linda gave Ryan the worlds smallest dog treat for Ryan to give the puppy. At eight months old, this puppy very gently took the treat from Ryan. This was all I needed to see, it was the most impressive thing I could have seen a dog of this age do.
We worked out a deal with Linda, and Allendale’s Roger That came home with us and nicknamed Rooger. Rooger has grown a lot since we brought him home at eight months old. In the past few months, he has gain a lot of weight and put on some size. Rooger continues to be a source of pride and joy. Every time we take him for a walk, someone will always comment to us about how Rooger is so well-behaved and a good-looking dog.
Not to go understated, Rooger and Ryan are the best of friends and they play together almost all day long. They are working together to get that darn cat.