We lost our old dog, Dudley, to old age a month ago. It's been a month where all four of us have felt a little empty without a dog in the household. One of my neighbors had noticed the dog hunger in our eyes and let us dog sit her one-year-old golden doodle over the weekend. We had SO much fun.I brought Lucy into the house Saturday night and the kids immediately jumped into the backyard with the dog. They raced and ran and giggled and played catch and ran and ran.Cameron announced this was the most fun he's ever had with a dog.It's possible. Both of the dogs the kids grew up with were pretty calm by the time the kids were old enough to play with them. They don't really know what puppy life is like. And sweet Lucy (who has the nickname of Lulu) is past the tough puppy stuff. So she's trained and full of playful fun.The weekend certainly convinced us that we're ready for a new dog in our life. It's going to be kind of ugly... protecting toys and shoes from a chewy mouth. Teaching the pup to use the backyard as a bathroom and learning to walk on a leash. These things take time and patience. I'm not sure we're all up to the real challenge. But our home is so quiet. It may be time to start preparing for a new fluffball for our family.The last time I had a puppy to raise, I was in grad school with a full-time job. This time I'll have two busy kids, a full-time job that includes travel and a house that has never dealt with puppy training. Oh boy. We're headed down a path of silliness. But after this weekend, we are smitten with the idea of a new dog in our lives.