[mrnoodle]

He deserves a home that will love him, but also one that can take care of him. Are you financially able to feed another mouth? Will he have someone home with him during the day, or will he be alone for hours at a time, and only get attention for a little while each day?

Also, don't make a decision to buy a pet without your husband's input. That's disrespectful and selfish, and will make him more likely to resent the dog and you. Decide together what to do. And don't punish him if he disagrees -- he's got a right to help make decisions that affect the home he shares with you.

Just last month, a friend of mine had this come up. His wife went out to buy milk, and instead bought a puppy out of the back of someone's pickup, with only the seller's assurances that it had shots, etc. Keep in mind that they have just had a special needs child, he is scheduled for layoff in the next 6 months, and they have a 6 year old who has just started school. Oh, and a cat.

They're living paycheck to paycheck, and all on his income (she occasionally cleans an office and intermittently has a waitressing gig). So he vetoed the puppy and while she bawled and pouted, he took it back. She didn't speak a word to him for a week, and was so depressed that she sat on the couch for hours at a time without caring for the baby or doing ANYthing around the house, despite being unemployed. He got to do that when he got home from his 12-hour shift.

She didn't care about the impact on the bank account, the family, or anything. All she knew was the thing made puppy eyes at her and she WANTED it.

Keep Arsen in the loop, and be cool about stuff, regardless of whether you adopt this (cute) puppy or not. [/twocents]