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New Life in the Farmhouse

August 15, 2017

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A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

This has been a year of big changes for our family, and life just got a whole lot more exciting around here when we brought home a four month old French bulldog puppy to the farmhouse! Meet the happiest, laziest, cutest little guy you’ve ever laid eyes on…

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

I have been dreaming of a sweet, little French bulldog for so long, and I can hardly believe he’s here with us now. Let me rewind and tell you the whole story from the beginning of how this little guy found his way to the farmhouse. Earlier this year our 12 year old cocker spaniel’s health started to rapidly decline, and after many tears and trips to the vet, I had to make the decision to end his misery and put him to sleep. He’s been in my life since I was a young pup myself, and having him here with me through the divorce and on days when the boys are with their dad now made it much easier to get through the tough days. The boys wanted him buried in our backyard of course, and they even dug the hole for our sweet, old boy under a tiny peach tree where he liked to lay. I’m sure many of you can relate when I say that losing an animal is like losing a member of your family, and the house felt way too lonely and quiet after he was gone.

I always knew another dog would come into our lives when the time was right, but I had no idea how long that would be. Fast forward a few months, and I found myself Googling French bulldog puppies in our area. I told myself I was “just looking” to see if I was ready yet, but I think I knew deep down inside that my heart was ready to let another puppy in. I set up an appointment with the breeder, and the boys and I took a short road trip to meet a few pups we were interested in from photos we saw online.

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

As we got out of the Jeep and walked up to the house, I instantly spotted the black and white Frenchie we had picked out. His name was Nick, and he was sitting next to one of his brothers that I hadn’t seen before, a white Frenchie with tan spots. The breeder told us to play with them for a little while and see if we thought either of them would be a good match. Nick was very curious and ran all over the place sniffing and trying to escape. But the white puppy sat there calm as could be and just watched every move I made with the biggest puppy dog eyes. I don’t think it took more than a few seconds of staring into each other’s eyes to realize that I was completely in love with this little guy and wanted him to be part of our family. He was just SO sweet! The boys played with a few other pups just to be sure they thought the white one was the right choice, but I couldn’t pull myself away from his soft, floppy ears, big yawns, or wet kisses.

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

The breeder told us this particular puppy is actually 3/4 French bulldog and 1/4 beagle, and that the name they gave him was Gunnar. I had a whole list of dog names saved in my phone because I assumed we would want to pick our own, but as soon as he said Gunnar, the boys and I looked at each other and thought, PERFECT! He was so meant to be ours! We were getting ready to leave in just a few short days to head up to Silver Beach in Michigan for a last minute vacation before school started, and I knew we couldn’t bring Gunnar home with us and turn around and leave him. That just wouldn’t be fair. So we smothered him in enough hugs and kisses to last a week and promised we would come back to bring him to his forever home very soon!

It broke my heart driving away from that sweet face we just fell head-over-heels in love with, but I knew we needed a few days to get the house and ourselves ready for a puppy anyway. I studied up on puppy training, shopped the pet store for everything he would need (plus a few things he probably wouldn’t… like a bow tie), and patiently waited till I could go pick our boy up and bring him home.

When we came back to get him, he was much more animated and seemed excited to see us! Maybe he remembered us and maybe he didn’t, but either way he already felt like a part of our family.

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

The first few days having Gunnar home required a lot of attention and adjustments. He was very nervous and had to get used to his new surroundings. His short legs wouldn’t allow him to get up and down the back steps to go outside and certainly not upstairs where he would sleep at night. He was too busy exploring to eat his food, and even though he did a good job going potty outside when we let him (actually, CARRIED him) out, he did have a few accidents in the house when we weren’t looking. But he also loved puppy naps and snuggles and following the boys and I everywhere we went.

It didn’t take more than a few days for all of us to get used to our new routine, and Gunnar now is brave enough to jump up the steps and happily eats when we put out his food. He is obsessed with the toys we picked out for him, and he’s learning to chew on those instead of rugs, pillows, shoes and blankets. Gunnar is extremely laid back and doesn’t whine at all when we have to put him in his crate when we’re gone or if we’re busy with dinner or homework and can’t watch him closely. Since he’s only four months old, naps are still a huge priority for our little guy, but I’ve heard that French bulldogs can be pretty lazy by nature too. I don’t mind one bit because he makes a great snuggle buddy to watch tv with in the evenings! But when Gunnar is feeling frisky and gets a burst of energy, he will run as fast as his little legs will take him around the house or the yard until his legs can’t keep up with the momentum and he does a tumbling front flip.

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

In a nutshell, Gunnar is absolutely perfect, and I feel like we needed him even more than he needed us. The boys can’t wait to get off the bus every day and play with him. I know they missed having a dog here so much. He’s my little buddy when the boys are gone and never lets me get far from his sight. He makes me laugh and smile and fills the loneliness that was in my heart, and I hope you guys look forward to plenty of puppy pictures here on the blog and even more on Instagram!

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

A four month old French bulldog comes home to the farmhouse

Welcome home, Gunnar boy.


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by Liz Fourez 
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Comments

  1. Arli says: August 15, 2017 at 11:59 pm

    Congrats on the newest member of the family! Sooooo cute!

    Reply
  2. Andi says: August 16, 2017 at 11:09 am

    He is so dang cute!! I love how puppies think they can run faster than they actually can and then do their little flip flops over themselves. Enjoy the all the puppiness!

    Reply
  3. Jolinda says: August 16, 2017 at 3:09 pm

    Yes we all need a puppy or dog in our lives. Excellent choice and I can see how he won you over, he is the cutest thing ever. The do have wonderful personalities.
    I am so happy for all of you.

    Reply
  4. Tali says: August 16, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    I think I am in love! Gunner is sooooo cute! Congratulations on bringing Gunner home – he sure looks happy to be there..

    Reply
  5. Eileen says: August 16, 2017 at 3:22 pm

    Sooooo sweet! Just lost my 13 year old cocker spaniel so I understand the grief. So glad Gunnar is helping to ease the pain.

    Reply
  6. Vicki S says: August 16, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    What a cutie! We lost our 13 year old yorkie to diabetes and it took about 8-9 months before I was ready to adopt – but this time is was a rescue and Tucker is the joy of my life! He’s 3 now – part sheltie mix and a lot of fun and energy. We also have a 10 year old mixed terrier rescue. Nothing like coming home and having 2 tails wagging and waiting for you to give ’em some love! Gunnar is adorable. Congrats.

    Reply
  7. Tina Hollingsworth says: August 16, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    Holy Cow – bursting with CUTE. Congratulations.

    Reply
  8. Marijean Jenson says: August 16, 2017 at 3:50 pm

    He’s adorable. My frenchie is 8 years old now. Stubborn little guy!

    Reply
  9. Susan L Lindeman says: August 16, 2017 at 4:37 pm

    He is absolutely precious!!!!!!!

    Reply
  10. Barbara says: August 16, 2017 at 6:08 pm

    What a sweetheart! Congratulations

    Reply
  11. Cindy S. says: August 16, 2017 at 6:18 pm

    OMG , he is adorable!! Such a face!! Love it!!

    Reply
  12. Mah says: August 16, 2017 at 7:04 pm

    Absolutely, stinking cute!!!

    Reply
  13. Jennie says: August 16, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    Oh my gosh…he is to die for!! Such a cute boy and I LOVE his ears! I have a mini Schnauzer named Nippa and a Boston Terrier named Georgia. She is my first experience with a bully breed and she will lick the skin off your body if you let her! She’s a sweet girl so I know you will have such a good life with Gunnar. If his feet are any indication, you might need to get ready for a serious bulldog! Loved all the pictures and how the boys are loving him up. Congratulations on your new family member!

    Reply
  14. Cheryl says: August 16, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    The stories that you write about your life are so uplifting and touching to me. Even though you are going through this rough patch in your life, you are still able to see the blue sky through the clouds. That’s a gift and thank you for sharing it. Your new addition made me laugh today and how wonderful that is when you can make another human forget their worries, if even for a moment. I will be praying for you and that while you are going through this hard time in your life that God will allow you to be aware of even the little things around you that He wants you to see to uplift you during this time.

    Reply
  15. Michelle says: August 16, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    So precious! Enjoy your darling puppy!

    Reply
  16. pam smith says: August 16, 2017 at 8:55 pm

    Aww! He’s so cute! Puppies are a lot of work, but so much fun too! Congratulations!

    Reply
  17. Liz from NJ says: August 16, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    Love that face!! May you and your boys love and enjoy your pup for many years to come!

    Reply
  18. Elia says: August 16, 2017 at 9:09 pm

    So beautiful and so cute! I wish all good for you. Be happy 🙂

    Reply
  19. Cecilia says: August 16, 2017 at 10:25 pm

    Oh my goodness! What a cutie! Congratulations on your newest member of the family. He’s just adorable!

    Reply
  20. K says: August 17, 2017 at 12:23 am

    Best to all of you. When one door closes, another will open. Enjoyed your writing, have a great week, thank you for sharing☺️

    Reply
  21. JaneEllen says: August 17, 2017 at 2:07 am

    Enjoy your new family member. Pups can be a handful but all so worth it. We got our present dog at a yr. old but he had some issues from previous owners, had been abused. He’s now almost 9 yrs. old and we’re wondering where the years went. He’s a rescue dog, had been in 4 different shelters when we brought him home. Not what we were looking for but oh are we glad we took him. He is a treasure and so affectionate, smart as a whip.
    Your little guy is adorable and a handful yet but soon he’ll act like you’ve always had him. All they want and need is to be loved, not hard to do. Your boys seem to love him already.
    Happy weekend

    Reply
  22. Joy Boyer says: August 17, 2017 at 10:33 am

    How sweet! It’s easy to see that your family has so much love already for Gunner. Congrats!

    Reply
  23. Jem says: August 17, 2017 at 2:24 pm

    He looks more like an English Bulldog than a French Bulldog, they have pointy ears, could be a mix of both? Either way he is absolutely adorable, look at those cute puppy wrinkles, I could nom on him! Enjoy your new family addition, he will be sp much fun and bring so much joy to your life! XxxX

    Reply
  24. Rebecca says: August 17, 2017 at 5:21 pm

    Awwww……so cute! There’s nothing like having a dog is there? And that puppy breath? 🙂

    Reply
  25. Sandra MacDonald says: August 17, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    He is adorable! They do fill the empty spots in our hearts, don’t they?! My little guy is a Maltese/Yorkie and he is my best bud. enjoy!

    Reply
  26. Robyn G says: August 18, 2017 at 2:26 am

    Oh those eyes, and that FACE!!! He is beyond precious! We too just recently lost our 14 year old Sheltie, Sunny, and your right about it leaving a lonely quiet feeling around the house. Maybe when the time is right we will adopt a new fur baby, but congratulations on Gunnar, and thanks for sharing pics of him. Looks like he is gonna love his new family.

    Reply
  27. Brocanteuserose says: August 18, 2017 at 9:17 am

    Awww he is darling! I’m so sorry for your loss, but its wonderful that you have Gunnar to love!

    Reply

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Liz Fourez started Love Grows Wild in 2012 with a passion for interior design and homemaking and a dream to help others create a home they love.  From simple project tutorials, to holiday and entertaining ideas, to her journey renovating a 1940’s farmhouse, Liz demonstrates how to create a beautiful and inviting home with a handmade touch. She turned her signature cozy, neutral style into a best-selling book in 2016 and continues to inspire readers with her captivating photography and easy decorating ideas. Read more about Liz > > > >

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