Dog Days of Summer

For a while we considered getting a family dog.  We researched which breeds make good pets for children; we even made a few phone calls about dogs that were available for adoption.  However, we wanted one that would stay outside and not become an indoor member of the family.
Then -- Copper moved in across the street in the Spring of '09. He's a beautiful 6 year-old yellow lab who's been very well-trained by our neighbors, the Palmer family.  When they went on vacation last year, we asked if they would like us to dog-sit.  It's been a wonderful Copper-Varnell friendship since then.  We've had him here several times, including Christmas day and the Christmas Eve blizzard.  
The Palmers are currently on a cruise to the Bahamas, and Copper is once again in our care.  He stays in his own backyard the majority of the time but I brought him over this morning so Luke and Katie can play with him before it gets too hot outside. Those two LOVE Copper, and he loves playing with them. Dog-sitting him during the past year has quenched the desire to get our own pet.  We have the best of both worlds right now: we get to enjoy him for a week, then give him back. With 8 kids and a house to maintain, that's about all I can manage.