We had a good run...

So we thought we had a great Christmas present for Preston.  He has been begging for a big dog for months, telling everyone that all he wanted for Christmas was a big dog (or a big motorcycle.) Well, a few weeks ago, we had someone offer us a black lab.  We went to visit her, and everyone got along great, had a good time, and so we set up a date to pick up Miss Tilly. 

In order to make this his Christmas present, we told him that since Santa was going to be so busy in the next couple weeks, we needed to watch his dog for him until Christmas Eve, and then Santa would take her home with him.  The original plan was to have a letter from Santa on Christmas morning explaining that he had done such a good job taking care of Tilly that he wanted Tilly to stay with Preston.  I was even planning to take this letter to the mall and have Santa read the letter on video! 

We picked Tilly up yesterday, and everyone continued to get along great.  Once we put Preston down for nap, we noticed that Tilly had, in a way, claimed Brandon.  She was attached to his hip. Everywhere he went, she went.  He went to the grocery store, and she whined the entire time he was gone.  Once Preston woke up from nap, he wanted to play, play, and play with Tilly, and she had become standoffish.  She really wanted very little to do with him.  She didn't want Preston playing with Brandon.  It got exhausting telling him to leave her alone because she didn't want him near her. 

This morning I got up early to let the whining dog out, and sat out in the living room with her.  Preston woke up and came and cuddled with me, and after about an hour, he was ready to play with Tilly.  She still had no interest in playing with him.  He kept trying to lay down next to her, and she moved three times, and after the third time, she snipped at him.  He wasn't hurt, just warned to leave her alone.  He cried, and cried, and I explained to him that he has to give her space. That she isn't used to someone trying to play with her all the time.  He didn't get it.  So it isn't Tilly's fault.  It is just circumstances.

We are going to give Santa his dog back tomorrow evening, and it breaks my heart.  She really is a great dog, she is super sweet, and loving. I am going to miss her sweet face. She would be great for an older couple, or even a couple without children, but we just aren't those people.  I am really going to miss her, and I know that Preston will be heartbroken.  At the end of the day though, his safety is number one, so we are going to give her back tomorrow.